Very interesting, but no mention of the possible relation of תוכן, תוכנית, מתכונת, תכנון...
Very interesting.
This is a long shot, but is there any chance the Greek Tekhne to have come from this Semitic root? As far as I know the Greek term means, among other things, also method, system and shaping (ie. fixing in a shape.)
According to Klein, there are those that try to derive תוכן from כון or תקן, but he doesn't think either are connected. Ben-Yehuda offers a third possibility: תוך - not sure why Klein didn't mention that one.
I don't think tekhne is related - not to "tochen", nor to any other Semitic root. See here:
http://www.etymonline.com/index....hp?term=techno-
and here:
http://www.etymonline.com/index....hp?
term=texture
Although I do think the term תכנון was likely influenced by the Greek טכני.
Perhaps other cognates to 'ken':
'kohen' the root of the word for K’hunah (priesthood), actually means 'to serve,' and a deeper linguistic connection can be found in the word 'ken' meaning 'yes’ or 'may it be so' itself related to 'kivvun' meaning 'to direct'—the root of the Hebrew word 'Kavaunah'--it is the kohen who is to conduct Israel in proper service of HaShem. And answer "ken yehi ratzon".
Good call about kohen! Klein writes:
Kohen כהן is probably related to base כון (= to stand) and literally denotes one who stands serving God.
Dave:-
Somewhere I learned that 'kohen' is connected to 'qayin' (at least phonetically, and perhaps also homiletically, if you will) which finds it's root-word in 'qen' (nest). What's more, another of many derivitives is 'qun' which also means "to establish" or "stand".
Spanish and Italian si 'yes' are, analogously, from Latin sic 'thus'. (French oui and Occitan oc are respectively from hoc ille 'this that' and hoc 'this'. Indeed, the name of Occitan (which is modern) is derived from the place name Languedoc, which is (the place of) the language of those who say oc.)
Latin itself had no word for 'yes', typically simply repeating the verb: spondesne? 'Do you promise?' was followed by spondeo 'I promise' to make a binding contract in Roman law.
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