Re: [tied] Digest Number 656

From: Mark DeFillo
Message: 10616
Date: 2001-10-25

Piotr:
> >Typical IE "pig" words were almost completely lost in IIr (except
> >*pork^os, which is marginally attested in Iranian).

gLeN:
>Also attested in the FinnoUgric loanword...

The root "su-" occurs in Sanskrit. For example, the famous medieval Indian
poet Jayadeva uses it in compound in his Gita-Govinda in the section called
the Das'avatara-stotram. (Stotra of the Ten Avataras [of Vishnu])

The 3rd verse, describing the boar-avatara (Lord Varaha) is:

"Vasati dasana-sikhare dharani tava lagna
sasini kalanka-kaleva nimagna
Kesava dhrta-sukara-rupa jaya Jagadisa Hare"

The significant word is sukara, part of the larger compund
dhrta-sukara-rupa, which is translatable as "he who assumes the form of a
boar".

I have seen other various uses of "su-" in other Sanskrit literature,
usually referring to Varaha. As such, it clearly IS present in the
IndoIranian branch of the IE family.

Respects to all,
Mark



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