From: Mark Odegard
Message: 2921
Date: 2000-08-02
From: John CroftGlen wrote concerning the Nostratic reconstruction of *ana as mother.
This would tie in with the Khattic goddess Hannahanna as (Mother's
mother). It has been suggested that this is the origin of
Innana - Sumerian
Ana-t - Syro-Cannanite
Ath-ana - (Athene - Greek)
Ana-hita (Persian)
St Anne (Christian)
Interesting - the old Mother Goddess with a Nostratic name!The relationship to St. Anne is interesting. Sts. Joachim and Anne are slightly embarassing to Roman Catholic scholars in that the stories come from less than canonical sources. The usual story follows that of Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, and this seems the most proximate source for the Virgin Mary's mother's name.The original Hebrew means something like 'she who is gracious', which sounds like an epithet of the goddess.Mark.