But 'night' is <nakt->, not
<naks.a->, in Indo-Aryan. <naks.atram> is a technical astronomical
term, meaning roughly 'celestial body'. It may have been formed from the verb
<naks.ati> 'reach, attain' (< *nek^s-, an extension of *nek^-),
implying 'that which reaches (its position in the sky)'. Cf. RV 4.43: uru
va:M ratHaH pari naks.ati dya:m 'in the wide space, your chariot reaches the
(bright) sky' (addressed to the As'vins).
Piotr
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2002 2:39 PM
Subject: Re: [tied] Star (was "Azerbaijan")
Could Naksatra be from naks-
"night"?