# Etymology of the name Gaza



## origumi

Does anyone know what's the etymology of the name Gaza? Many sources claim something like:

_The name "Gaza," from the Arabic Ġazza, originally derives from the Canaanite/Hebrew root for "strong" (ʕZZ), and was introduced to Arabic by way of the Hebrew, ʕazzā, i.e. "the strong one (f.)";_

Or:

_The ancient Egyptians called it Gazzat ("prized city")._

See also some interesting comments at lughat.blogspot.com/2006/08/ayin-less-in-gaza.html, among them:

_Some sources derive the town's Hebrew name, `Azzah, from the root `zz "be strong". However, this is a folk etymology._

Thanks.


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## Talib

I don't see how it can be from the root _ʕ-z-z _as in عزيز. The Hebrew spelling עזה is because Hebrew originally had the sound of Arabic غ _ghayin_, but merged it with ع/ע _'ayin_. Arabic of course kept the two sounds distinct which is why it's spelled غزة in Arabic. If it were originally from Hebrew, wouldn't it rather be spelled عزة?

Does anyone know if there's a Arabic root like _gh-z-z_? That could be the clue we need.


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## origumi

Talib said:


> Hebrew originally had the sound of Arabic غ _ghayin_, but merged it with ع/ע _'ayin_.


 
Biblical Hebrew has only one ע. The distinction between 'a and gh existed in proto-Semitic but apparently disappeared in biblical Hebrew (no later than around 1600 bc, the days of Abraham?)

The name Gaza is very old - possibly before 'a and gh merged in Canaanite dialects.

Souag lists the follolwing forms:

* Hieroglyphic: _q3d3ti_, _g3d3y_, _g3d3tw_ (says Wallis Budge);
* Akkadian (Tell el-Amarna): _Az-za-ti_;
* Akkadian (Assyrian): _Kha-az-zu-tu_;
* Biblical Hebrew: _`azzah_;
* Greek (Herodotus): Cadytis (probably Gaza, but some dispute)
* Greek (Septuagint): _Gaza_ (Γάζα)
* Latin (Pliny): Gaza

And supports the idea that Gaza is related to gh-z-z, not 'a-z-z. However, he mixes the issues of different pronounciation and different radical meaning. He also takes the Arabic pronounciation of Gaza as proof. But he uses questionable facts about Herodotus, the name Cadytis, and the dating of Arab presence in Gaza. Also, early-times-northern-Arabs may have spoken Aramaic or Aramaic-Arabic dialect (see the Nabataeans) while the name Gaza could have been adopted when Arabs "re-discovered" it much later.

Well... I join Talib's question about gh-z-z in Arabic / Aramaic.


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## Mahaodeh

Talib said:


> I don't see how it can be from the root _ʕ-z-z _as in عزيز. The Hebrew spelling עזה is because Hebrew originally had the sound of Arabic غ _ghayin_, but merged it with ع/ע _'ayin_. Arabic of course kept the two sounds distinct which is why it's spelled غزة in Arabic. If it were originally from Hebrew, wouldn't it rather be spelled عزة?
> 
> Does anyone know if there's a Arabic root like _gh-z-z_? That could be the clue we need.


 
There is indeed a root for gh-z-z; but it means "to prick, to twinge", you'd youse it for, as an example, the act of putting the needle through a cloth, or a stick/twig in the ground.  Somehow, I don't think it's relevent.


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## thelastchoice

I believe the Greek "Καδύτιος" Cadytis is a greek form of the Arabic Name of Jerusalem which is "AlQuds".  AlQuds means the "Holy" in Arabic and it is closely related to the word related to  holiness in its sister languages such as Akkadian quddusu, Hebrew qados, South Arabian qds, Aramaic qaddes. I used "S" for both S and SH sounds as I do not know how to type IPA characters.


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## fdb

The designation of Jerusalem as al-Quds is relatively modern. In classical Arabic texts it is called Baytu l-Maqdis (house of the sanctuary/temple). And Herodotus is more than a thousand years earlier these texts. Besides: why should the s/š of q-d-s1 change to t in Kadytis?


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## berndf

Herodotus was quite inventive in Hellenizing foreign names. E.g. he called Pharao _Menkaure Mykerinos_.


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## Abu Rashid

fdb said:


> The designation of Jerusalem as al-Quds is relatively modern. In classical Arabic texts it is called Baytu l-Maqdis (house of the sanctuary/temple)



How modern?

Also even in Hebrew it is referred to as Ir ha-Kodesh which is pretty much cognate to al-Quds. Also keep in mind al-Quds & bayt al-Maqdis are based on the same root anyway.


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## Abu Rashid

origumi said:


> Biblical Hebrew has only one ע. The distinction between 'a and gh existed in proto-Semitic but apparently disappeared in biblical Hebrew (no later than around 1600 bc, the days of Abraham?)



Not sure if you're still of this opinion, but evidence suggests 'gh' survived in Hebrew until much later than 1600 B.C.E.


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## origumi

Abu Rashid said:


> Not sure if you're still of this opinion, but evidence suggests 'gh' survived in Hebrew until much later than 1600 B.C.E.


Wow, this thread is almost as old as the issue being discussed . Sure, gh was lost only in writing, apparently because the dialect of those who invented the Canaanite alphabet developed much faster than Hebrew.


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## fdb

Abu Rashid said:


> How modern?



Too modern to be of any relevance to Herodotus.

But what is actually wrong with Kadytis being Gaza (Khazzutu)?


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## thelastchoice

Cadytis was mentioned twice. Also Herodotus said:
"Now by this way only is there a known entrance toEgypt: for from Phenicia to the borders of the city of Cadytis belongs to the Syrians who are called of Palestine,and from Cadytis, which is a city I suppose not much less than Sardis, from this city the trading stations on the sea-coast as far as the city of Ienysos belong to the king of Arabia, and then from Ienysos again the country belongs tothe Syrians as far as the Serbonian lake, along the side of which Mount Casion extends towards the Sea. "

The above quote implied that Cadytis is not on sea cost as it is the case with Ghaza but near the coast!!!.

Also, Herodutus stated that Cadytis was a Great City :
" Erythraian Sea; and of these the shedsare still to be seen. These ships he used when he neededthem; and also on land Necos engaged battle at Magdoloswith the Syrians, and conquered them; and after this he tookCadytis, which is a great city of Syria: "

Again the context implies that is not Ghaza the coastal city, It is a city near the cost.!!!


Calvin, John (1509-1564) in his book Commentary on Daniel - Volume 1 (page 400) stated the following:
"Vaux, the learned author of “Nineveh and Persepolis,” furnishes a clear sketch  of  Nebuchadnezzar’s  career,  by  combining  the  accounts  of  Herodotus  and  the Scriptures. In the thirty-first year of Josiah’s reign, Necho fought the battle of Megiddo, in which Josiah was mortally wounded. He then took Cadytis, “the holy city” of the Jews, and at length returned to Egypt with abundance of spoil."

Cadytis can be a pure Greek version of Qudus, Qadosh . The Greek "is" is just a suffix. The final Tin Cadyt is a mere interchangeable sound with S or "sh".
For example, in Arabic  the word for Bull is Thawr ثور, while in Aramaic it is  Tor But in Hebrew it is Shor. Even the Y in Cadyt is just a U. Hence, Cadyt is  a Greek form of Qados or Qadush . The argument based on the city being near the sea can be understood if we considered Strabo writing  explicitlywrites that b is near the sea. 

In addition, Ghaza maybe related to Herodutus's Azotos but not Cadytis.


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## origumi

thelastchoice said:


> The final Tin Cadyt is a mere interchangeable sound with S or "sh".
> For example, in Arabic  the word for Bull is Thawr ثور, while in Aramaic it is  Tor But in Hebrew it is Shor.


I don't think this is a good argument. The case of th / t / sh among Arabic / Aramaic / Hebrew is explained by evolution of a specific proto-Semitic sound. For quds / qadish / qadosh in Arabic / Aramaic / Hebrew, the final s / sh / sh arrives from a different proto-Semitic sound.


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## sotos

origumi said:


> _The ancient Egyptians called it Gazzat ("prized city")._


If this is true, then I find relevant the Greek or Hellenized word gaza (γάζα, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=ga/za) which means "treasure", "safe for money" etc., attested in 3rd c.BC. Some say that this is cognate to the Italian casa (safe for money or valubles). 
On the other hand, the Cadytis, mentioned previously by a fellow, reminds us of the Gadeira (today Cadix in Spain), this supposedly deriving from the Phoenician "gadir" (wall, fortress).


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## fdb

We have had this discussion before. Greek γάζα is the widely-borrowed Iranian (Old Persian) word ganza- 'treasury'. It has nothing to do with the place name Gaza, which (as noted above) is attested at a time long before the arrival of Iranians in the Near East.


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## origumi

sotos said:


> On the other hand, the Cadytis, mentioned previously by a fellow, reminds us of the Gadeira (today Cadix in Spain), this supposedly deriving from the Phoenician "gadir" (wall, fortress).


Towns or villages with the names Gdera (fence, wall), Gderotaim (dual form, "two walls"), Gderot (plural, "several walls"), Gdor (not sure about the exact meaning) exist in the Bible, book of Joshua. So they make sense in Israelite (or actually Judean) context. Yet I do not think it supports the idea of Gaza = Cadytis: for Canaanites / Hebrews the names Ghazza (for Gaza) and Gdera (or Cady_) are not similar, and these places (Gaza and Gdera) existed in the same time.

Another proposal I've heard is Cadytis = Gath, a Philistine town not far from Gaza. The name means "wine press" or "vat", of root *g-t-t, while Gaza is of root gh-z-z.


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## mataripis

This name is ancient and i am not sure why it is related to Tagalog word for candle or lamp" wick"!  The Tagalog for wick is "Gasah".  The place has very old issue between 2 nations thousand years ago. Once you light a candle or lamp, there will be light and light is not just a symbol clarity but also disputes or problems.


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## berndf

mataripis said:


> This name is ancient and i am not sure why it is related to Tagalog word for candle or lamp" wick"!  The Tagalog for wick is "Gasah".  The place has very old issue between 2 nations thousand years ago. Once you light a candle or lamp, there will be light and light is not just a symbol clarity but also disputes or problems.


They most certainly aren't. Words from different sources are not related just because they sound similar.


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## Abu Rashid

How about the root gh-z-w meaning to raid?

There seems to be a connection between roots where the 2nd and 3rd radical are doubled, and those where the 3rd radical is a weak consonant.


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## origumi

Abu Rashid said:


> How about the root gh-z-w meaning to raid?


Gemination of the z in Hebrew עַזָּה is a sign for double letter, thus root gh-z-z. If we compare your gh-z-w to mahahode's gh-z-z above, the meanings are different.


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## fdb

Abu Rashid is absolutely right: there is an overlap between the various classes of “weak” (bi-consonantal) roots all across Semitic. A connection between γ-z-z and γ-z-w is in the realm of the possible, but I would be hesitant to put it any more strongly.


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