Re: Etymology of the word 'south'

South goes back to Germanic *sunT-, which might drive from pre-
Germanin *snt- or *sunt-; the rest is speculation. *Sunt- may or may
not be related to the 'sun' word (I don't favour this connection
because of phonological difficulties).

If savya- is indeed a version of skavya- (as seems very likely), it
is related to Latin scaevus 'left (with the usual by-meanings:
unlucky, awkward, etc.)' < PIE *skaiwos, which also gave Gk. skaios.
They cannot be related to *s(u)nt-, whatever the latter's origin.

Piotr

--- In cybalist@egroups.com, "S. Kalyanaraman" <kalyan97@...> wrote:
> From Merriam Webster Dictionary:
> Main Entry: 1south
> Pronunciation: 'sauth
> Function: adverb
> Etymology: Middle English, from Old English suth; akin
> to Old High German sund- south and probably to Old
> English sunne sun Date: before 12th century
> 1 : to, toward, or in the south
> 2 : into a state of decline or ruin
>
> There is a word, 'savyatah' attested in the Rigveda
> and interpreted by Sa_yan.a as on the left-hand side.
>
> Extract from Cologne Skt. online lexicon:
>
> savya
>
> f(%{A})n. (accord. to Un2. iv , 109 fr. %{sU} ;
> perhaps for %{skavya} cf. Gk. , col. 3) left
> ,&360124[1191 ,2] left hand (%{am} , %{e4na} , %{A4}
> %{e} , and ibc. , `" on the left "') RV. &c. &c. ;
> south , southern (%{am}
> &c. , `" to the south "') ,Su1ryas. VarBr2S. ; reverse
> , contrary , backward L. ; m. the left arm or hand RV.
> Br. Ka1tyS3r. Ya1jn5. ; the left foot , KatyS3r. Gobh.
> ; one of the ten ways in which an eclipse takes place
> VarBr2S.
>
> Could the lexeme 'south' be related to the R.gvedic
> 'savyatah'? Or is it mere chance?
>
> Regards
> Dr. S. Kalyanaraman
>
>
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