Re: [cybalist] Re: Rivernames [was: Easter]

----- Original Message -----

From: S. Kalyanaraman

To: cybalist@egroups.com

Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2000 8:25 PM

Subject: Re: [cybalist] Re: Rivernames [was: Easter]

Dear Dr Kalyanaraman,

 

Sarasvati is a typical hydronymic epithet. As you certainly know, the masculine counterpart (and the divine consort of Sarasvati) is Sarasvant (also a noun meaning 'ocean, sea'). The Indic suffix *-want-/*-mant- means 'rich in ...'. Sáras- is a neuter stem derived from the root sR- (with a largish family of derivatives: sisar-ti, sara-ti/-te, etc. 'flow, run, rush, hasten', sara: 'waterfall, stream') < PIE *ser- 'flow'. The neuter sáras- (< *ser-es-) is attested with the meaning 'body of water, lake, pool' (also 'bucket, trough'), so that *saras-want/mant- can be interpreted as 'rich in waters'. The feminine suffix -i: changes the vocalism of the suffix: -vati: < *w@...:.

 

Piotr

 

 

 

How can this be related to Vedic 'saras' as in:
saras-mati or saras-vati (name of a river)?
I have also posted this query in the new list at

Regards, Dr. S. Kalyanaram