Re: Mitanni and Matsya

----- Original Message -----
From: "Francesco Brighenti" <frabrig@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 6:10 PM
Subject: [tied] Re: Mitanni and Matsya






--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Patrick Ryan" <proto-language@...>
wrote:

> I doubt very seriously if the charioteer of the 'sun-god' could
> be named 'Reddish' [Skt. arun.a -- Francesco] since that is a post
> usually ascribed to the planet Mercury, which is not 'red(dish)'.

Unfortunately for you, arun.a in Sanskrit means, since the R.gvedic
period, 'reddish-brown, tawny, red, ruddy (the colour of the morning
opposed to the darkness of night)'. Starting with the Laws of Manu
(composed around the turn of the current era), and till our days,
the term becomes a noun indicating dawn personified as the
charioteer of the sun-god, Suurya (see Monier-Williams's Skt.-Engl.
dictionary).

Surya's chariot driven by Aruna:

http://www.idrf.org/dynamic_includes/images/hsp/ac001.jpg

> Aru- probably is related to Arya-, which probably means 'pale-
> colored'.

Oh my! Here you go again, not repented, with your astounding
etymology Arya = 'white-complexioned people'! For the most probable
etymology of Skt. arun.a, see Lubotsky's IA database (based on
Mayrhofer) at

http://tinyurl.com/285vmr

Regards,
Francesco

***

What first happens as dawn breaks? Is it perchance pale light?

I did not say that *Ha(:)r- meant 'white'; I say it meant 'pale, colorless'.

PIE 'white' is probably *Ha(:)l- while 'reddish' is properly *He(:)r-.


Patrick

***