Cannabis (etymology)
Encyclopedia
The plant name cannabis
is from Greek
(), via Latin , originally a Scythian
or Thracian
word, also loaned into Persian
as . English hemp
(Old English ) may be an early loan (predating Grimm's Law
) from the same Scythian source.
Semitic
etymologist Sula Benet
, of the Institute of Anthropological Sciences in Warsaw
, has indicated the origin to be the Hebrew word קַנַּבּוֹס (qannabbôs) kaneh bosm. Benet, (also known as Sara Benetowa) is quoted saying:
The word 'gan-zi-gun-nu' is referenced from stone tablets (dating 700BC) that indicate a connection with eastern and near-eastern terms for the plant, ('gan-zi'->'ganja','gun-nu'->'qaneh'). This substance was used for witchcraft and prescribed as a useful remedy for a variety of ailments including depression
and impotence.
Hebrew קַנַּבּוֹס (qannabbôs) < קְנֵה בֹּשֶׂם (qěnēh bośem) may derive from Sumerian
kanubi.
Raphael Mechoulam and co-workers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
suggest an alternative etymology for cannabis: Greek cannabis < Arabic kunnab < Syriac qunnappa < Hebrew pannag (= bhanga in Sanskrit and bang in Persian). They explain that in Hebrew, only the consonants form the basis of a word and the letters p and b are frequently interchangeable. The authors think it probable that 'pannag', mentioned in the Bible by the prophet Ezekiel (27:17), is in fact Cannabis.
The Biblical Hebrew term qěnēh bośem, literally "reed of balm", probably refers to cannabis according to some etymologists, but is more commonly thought to be lemon grass, calamus, or even sweet cane, due to widespread translation issues. The Hebrew Bible mentions it in Exodus 30:23 where God commands Moses
to make a holy oil of myrrh
, cinnamon
, qěnēh bośem and cassia to anoint the Ark of the Covenant
and the Tabernacle (and thus God's Temple in Jerusalem). Notably, this anointing oil is a special herbal formula that functions as a kind of polish and fragrance for the Ark and Tabernacle, and the Bible forbids its manufacture and use to anoint people (Exodus 30:31-33) with the exception of the Aaronic priesthood (Exodus 30:30).
Elsewhere, the Hebrew Bible simply uses "reed" qānēh as the name of a plant in four places whose context seems to mean "reed of balm" as a fragrant resin, Isaiah 43:24, Jeremiah 6:20, Ezekiel 27:19 and Song of Songs 4:14. The Hebrew name "reed of balm" comes from qěnēh (the noun construct form of qāneh) means a "reed" or "cane" and bośem means "balm" or "aromatic" resin. Hebrew may have adapted the name qannabbôs from "reed of balm" qěnēh bośem as a substitute for the ambiguous name "reed".
Unambiguous Hebrew or Aramaic references to cannabis are rare and obscure. Syriac has qanpa (a loan from kannabis) and tanuma (see the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon.) but neither is found in the Peshitta, the Syriac Bible. Late Syriac Ahiqar texts include qanpa as "ropes of hemp" (tunbei de-qanpa). The Hebrew word qanbes, a loan word from kannabis, is used in the Mishnah as hemp [Kilaim 2:5; 5:8; 9:1,7; Negaim 11:2] in the sense of a constituent of clothing or other items.
Material uses and the various names by which materials are called also help to confirm etymology. Cannabis was also a common material among the Hebrews. The Hempen frock called "Simlah" in Hebrew was worn as a mark of the lowly. Hempen, of course, means made of Hemp (Cannabis). Being a "mark of the lowly" aligns with Jesus' teaching:
Modeling what he preached, it is easy to see what Jesus himself wore - certainly not the fine robes typically worn by royalty and clergy. Among the culture from which Christ came, the identifying mark of a servant is a Simlah - a simple frock made specifically of Hemp.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia also asserts the following:
It is clear that qeneh bosem was common among the biblical Hebrews not only for the Holy Anointing Oil as indicated above, but also for other material uses including clothing, rope and linen
.
Likely, the name 'cannabis', derives in the west from Semitic merchants who traded it as a commodity throughout the ancient trade routes of Southeast Asia
, thus utilizing Indo-Iranian
terms 'panang', 'banag', and others in reference to the spice.
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
is from Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
(), via Latin , originally a Scythian
Scythian languages
Scythian languages refers to all the languages spoken by all the peoples of a vast region of Eurasia named Scythia extending from the Vistula river in East Europe to Mongolia during ancient times. Included also are some languages of eastern Iran and the Central Asian subcontinent...
or Thracian
Thracian language
The Thracian language was the Indo-European language spoken in ancient times in Southeastern Europe by the Thracians, the northern neighbors of the Ancient Greeks. The Thracian language exhibits satemization: it either belonged to the Satem group of Indo-European languages or it was strongly...
word, also loaned into Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
as . English hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
(Old English ) may be an early loan (predating Grimm's Law
Grimm's law
Grimm's law , named for Jacob Grimm, is a set of statements describing the inherited Proto-Indo-European stops as they developed in Proto-Germanic in the 1st millennium BC...
) from the same Scythian source.
Earlier etymology
Although the earlier etymology is unclear, there are several theories concerning this.Semitic
Semitic
In linguistics and ethnology, Semitic was first used to refer to a language family of largely Middle Eastern origin, now called the Semitic languages...
etymologist Sula Benet
Sula Benet
Sula Benet , also known as Sara Benetowa, was a Polish anthropologist of the 20th century who studied Polish and Judaic customs and traditions.-Biography:...
, of the Institute of Anthropological Sciences in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, has indicated the origin to be the Hebrew word קַנַּבּוֹס (qannabbôs) kaneh bosm. Benet, (also known as Sara Benetowa) is quoted saying:
The astonishing resemblance between the Semitic kanbos and the Scythian cannabis lead me to suppose that the Scythian word was of Semitic origin. These etymological discussions run parallel to arguments drawn from history. The Iranian Scythians were probably related to the Medes, who were neighbors of the Semites and could easily have assimilated the word for hemp. The Semites could also have spread the word during their migrations through Asia Minor.
Benet — in Book of Grass
The word 'gan-zi-gun-nu' is referenced from stone tablets (dating 700BC) that indicate a connection with eastern and near-eastern terms for the plant, ('gan-zi'->'ganja','gun-nu'->'qaneh'). This substance was used for witchcraft and prescribed as a useful remedy for a variety of ailments including depression
Depression
Depression or depress may refer to:-Medicine:* Depression , a state of low mood and aversion to activity** Mood disorder, a class of mental illnesses featuring depressed mood...
and impotence.
Hebrew קַנַּבּוֹס (qannabbôs) < קְנֵה בֹּשֶׂם (qěnēh bośem) may derive from Sumerian
Sumerian language
Sumerian is the language of ancient Sumer, which was spoken in southern Mesopotamia since at least the 4th millennium BC. During the 3rd millennium BC, there developed a very intimate cultural symbiosis between the Sumerians and the Akkadians, which included widespread bilingualism...
kanubi.
Raphael Mechoulam and co-workers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
suggest an alternative etymology for cannabis: Greek cannabis < Arabic kunnab < Syriac qunnappa < Hebrew pannag (= bhanga in Sanskrit and bang in Persian). They explain that in Hebrew, only the consonants form the basis of a word and the letters p and b are frequently interchangeable. The authors think it probable that 'pannag', mentioned in the Bible by the prophet Ezekiel (27:17), is in fact Cannabis.
The Biblical Hebrew term qěnēh bośem, literally "reed of balm", probably refers to cannabis according to some etymologists, but is more commonly thought to be lemon grass, calamus, or even sweet cane, due to widespread translation issues. The Hebrew Bible mentions it in Exodus 30:23 where God commands Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
to make a holy oil of myrrh
Myrrh
Myrrh is the aromatic oleoresin of a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus Commiphora, which grow in dry, stony soil. An oleoresin is a natural blend of an essential oil and a resin. Myrrh resin is a natural gum....
, cinnamon
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
, qěnēh bośem and cassia to anoint the Ark of the Covenant
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant , also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed...
and the Tabernacle (and thus God's Temple in Jerusalem). Notably, this anointing oil is a special herbal formula that functions as a kind of polish and fragrance for the Ark and Tabernacle, and the Bible forbids its manufacture and use to anoint people (Exodus 30:31-33) with the exception of the Aaronic priesthood (Exodus 30:30).
Elsewhere, the Hebrew Bible simply uses "reed" qānēh as the name of a plant in four places whose context seems to mean "reed of balm" as a fragrant resin, Isaiah 43:24, Jeremiah 6:20, Ezekiel 27:19 and Song of Songs 4:14. The Hebrew name "reed of balm" comes from qěnēh (the noun construct form of qāneh) means a "reed" or "cane" and bośem means "balm" or "aromatic" resin. Hebrew may have adapted the name qannabbôs from "reed of balm" qěnēh bośem as a substitute for the ambiguous name "reed".
Unambiguous Hebrew or Aramaic references to cannabis are rare and obscure. Syriac has qanpa (a loan from kannabis) and tanuma (see the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon.) but neither is found in the Peshitta, the Syriac Bible. Late Syriac Ahiqar texts include qanpa as "ropes of hemp" (tunbei de-qanpa). The Hebrew word qanbes, a loan word from kannabis, is used in the Mishnah as hemp [Kilaim 2:5; 5:8; 9:1,7; Negaim 11:2] in the sense of a constituent of clothing or other items.
Material uses and the various names by which materials are called also help to confirm etymology. Cannabis was also a common material among the Hebrews. The Hempen frock called "Simlah" in Hebrew was worn as a mark of the lowly. Hempen, of course, means made of Hemp (Cannabis). Being a "mark of the lowly" aligns with Jesus' teaching:
- "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matthew 11:29, KJV)
- "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matthew 23:11, KJV)
Modeling what he preached, it is easy to see what Jesus himself wore - certainly not the fine robes typically worn by royalty and clergy. Among the culture from which Christ came, the identifying mark of a servant is a Simlah - a simple frock made specifically of Hemp.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia also asserts the following:
- "The usual material for ropes was certainly flax (hemp)"
- That the cloth for tents called bait sha`r, meaning "house of hair" were stretched over poles by ropes of goats hair or hemp.
- "The poorer classes probably wore wrappers made either of unbleached flax or hemp" (the hempen, again, being the Simlah)
It is clear that qeneh bosem was common among the biblical Hebrews not only for the Holy Anointing Oil as indicated above, but also for other material uses including clothing, rope and linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
.
Likely, the name 'cannabis', derives in the west from Semitic merchants who traded it as a commodity throughout the ancient trade routes of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, thus utilizing Indo-Iranian
Indo-Iranian
Indo-Iranian can refer to:* Indo-Iranian languages* Prehistoric Indo-Iranians * Indo-European languages* Proto-Indo-Iranian religion* Proto-Indo-Iranian language...
terms 'panang', 'banag', and others in reference to the spice.
Additional References
- "Dealing With Drugs In European Drug Control", Dr. Tim Boekhout van Solinge (2004) Boom uitgevers Den Haag, pg. 7
- "Cannabis: A History", pg. 27, Martin Booth (2005) Macmillan