ARREST [A]hTSOAR Ayin-Tsadi-Vav-Resh
ah-TSOAR עצור [A-TS-R à A-R-ST]
ROOTS: REST and ARREST are traced to Indo-European (IE) “root” sta (to stand), STAY is attributed to IE “root” stak (to stand), and to ROOST (when birds, like ROOSTERS, stay put) is surmised to come from kred (framework).
The Edenic term for stopping and restraining, which allows for a guttural (k), and all the R-STs, is עצור [A]TSOAR (to retain, restrain, close up – Genesis 20:18). There are similar cognates in Aramaic, Akkadian and Syriac.
In Modern Hebrew עצור [A]TSOAR means to arrest. אסר A$ahR is to bind, fetter, harness (Genesis 46:20) and to hold and RESTRICT אסירים A$eeYReeYM (prisoners -- Genesis 39:22). Two other fricative-R verbs of binding are שרר SaRaR (to bind, Harkavy, seen in the knot or navel of Songs 7:3) andצרר TSaRaR (Exodus 12:34). The fricative-liquid binders not above include:
אזר AZaR, to gird together (II Kings 1:8)
צרר TSaRaR, to bind or wrap (Exodus 12:34)
שר SoaR, sinew, muscle (wrapped around bones)
שרך SaRaKH, to twist, knot. See SARI.
For the built-in antonym , של SHahL, remove or loosen, see LOOSE.
BRANCHES: Words like RESTIVE, RESTITUTION and ROOSTER are extensions of REST. Since עצר [A]TSaR means closed up, it’s a fine source for OYSTER. REST in Italian is resto. But the sequence in an Italian dizionario of ristare (to pause), ristorante (restaurant), and ristorare (to refresh), makes it clear that a RESTAURANT is the pause that refreshes. Swedish rast means “pause.” The צ Tsadi is merely a T in French, with arret (stop). Rest, repose, stop in German is Rast. Osaeru is to suppress or stop in Japanese.
For REST (remainder) – see RESIDUE.
OBSTRUCT is allegedly from Latin ob (against) and struere (to pile up, construct). The IE 'root' is ster-2 (to spread). OBSTRUCTION is primarily closing up or detaining, not spreading, piling up or building a hindrance. The Italian ostruire (to obstruct) may be echoing a more authentic word , like עצר [A]TSaR, that got confused with words like 'structure' and was wrongly spelled with O.B.
One of the עצר [A]TSaR words from Latin stāre (to stand, halt) is the verb STAUNCH (as in stopping bleeding). [Mark Feffer] German arrest is identical.
More words of stopping, taking a break and RESTING include Dutch rust ause and rusten to rest; Spanish resto, pause; Swedish resten, to rest; and more remote possibilities like Persian rahat, calm. [RW]
A Rabbinic teaching has the added holiday of עצרת [A]TSeReT (Leviticus 23:36) like the Lord telling the Sukkot (Tabernacles) pilgrims to tarry an eighth day. Supporting this take on Ayin-Tsadi-Resh is Welsh aros (ß, S-F) meaning “wait, stay.”
