Re: Esoteric, but still worth asking

From: david_russell_watson
Message: 38885
Date: 2005-06-23

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "C. Darwin Goranson"
<cdog_squirrel@...> wrote:
>
> I came across the Sanscrit word "trimu:rti", which is the Vedic
> triad of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The first part of the word I
> understand to be 3 (tri-), but "-murti", "form," is said to be
> of unclear origin.

It appears to be a feminine form of the participle mUrta-,
"coagulated"; "settled into any fixed shape", "formed",
"substantial", "material", "embodied", "incarnate", of
the verb mUrcch-, "become solid", "thicken", "congeal",
"assume shape or substance or consistency", in the Caus.
"to cause to thicken or coagulate (milk)"; "to cause to
settle into a fixed or solid form, shape".

By the way, by whom did you find 'mUrti-' described as
"of unclear origin"?

> Though the -t- part is admittedly troublesome, I was struck by
> the similarity in meaning and in sound to "morphos" or "morphi"
> (>*murphi?). But "ph" and "t" are so different, I'm not sure if
> they can be reconciled.

They can't be, but as the '-t-' of the Sanskrit form is
a participial suffix, there's no need. If the Greek and
Sanskrit forms are actually related, it's on the basis
of the sequences 'mUr-' and 'mor-' alone.

> Is there any possible way to connect "-murti" to Indo-European?
> Or is is a borrowing?

The root of the Sanskrit verb should ascend to a P.I.E.
*melH- or *merH-, if of Indo-European origin, but 'The
American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots' says
of 'merph-' "Greek root of unknown origin".

Pokorny might say more, but I can't locate my copy just
now.

David