Re: [tied] Peacock

I've found some information, though.

Rigvedic mayu:ra- 'peacock' (mayu:ri:- 'peahen') was borrowed from Dravidian *mayil/*mayir (Zvelebil 1990), perhaps influenced by ma:yu- 'bleating'; cf. Tam. maJJai, mayil; northern Kasaba dialect of Irula muyiru, Tulu mairu, Konda mrIlu, miril. This in turn seems to have been borrowed from Proto-Munda *ma-ra? 'crier' with further connections troughout SE Asia (cf. Malay merak 'peacock').

Piotr

----- Original Message -----
From: S.Kalyanaraman

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2001 8:23 AM

Subject: Re: [tied] Peacock

Thanks for your kind note, Piotr Gasiorowski. In the absence of an etymological dictionary for Munda words and a grammar of proto-Munda or proto-Dravidian, it is a tough task indeed. The number of Munda words in R.gveda is indeed intriguing as pointed out by Kuiper.