H2415 חֹטֵר chôṭêr → Root
5 languagesRoot of the חטר family (1 member).
A tender shoot, sprout, or new growth that emerges from the trunk or roots of a tree, especially signifying a regenerative offshoot. Used metaphorically to indicate a descendant or successor, particularly within royal or dynastic imagery. In its primary sense, refers specifically to a young branch growing out from a main stem or stump, rather than an ordinary branch.
Etymology
Root uncertain. Although the traditional root is sometimes reconstructed as חטר, meaning 'to sprout' or 'to shoot forth,' this root does not otherwise occur in biblical Hebrew. The noun חֹטֵר appears as a denominative formation, possibly paralleling related Semitic terms for sprouting or budding. Etymology therefore remains uncertain.
| Language | Word | Meaning | Segmentation | Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gikuyu | gũtete | to sprout; to put forth shoots (plant) | -tete | |
| Kamba | mũtetezi | a shoot; sprout (of plant) | -tetez- | |
| Kikuyu | mũtethe | young sprout; offshoot (of plant) | -tete | |
| Lugwere | mutete | shoot; sprout (new plant growth) | -tete | |
| Swahili | mtetezi | shoot, sprout; also defender, but in plant context: one who shoots up/out | tetezi (from tetea, to shoot forth) |