Re: Origin of Sanskrit (was: Mapping the Origins and Expansion of...

--- In mailto:cybalist%40yahoogroups.com, "Brian M. Scott" <bm.brian@...> wrote:
>
> At 7:42:04 PM on Wednesday, October 3, 2012, shivkhokra
> wrote:
>
> > Mitanni kings had Indo-Aryan names such as Suwar-data
> > ("given by the sun").
>
> > A treaty concluded in the 14th century BC between king
> > Shupiluliuma and the Mitanni king Matiwaza lists Aryan
> > gods. Eg: Mitra-Varuna, Indara, Nasatyas. These are Vedic
> > Gods.
>
> > Kikkuli a Mitanni wrote about horses and horse races.
> > Lingustic forms he uses are typically Indic: E.g.
> > aika-wartana "one round" contains the numeral aika.
>
> > This implies Sanskrit was in use in the Mitanni time.
>
> No, it doesn't. It merely shows that the Mitanni had
> some kind of contact with an Indo-Aryan language and
> culture.
>

Here is a rather smallish list of Sanskrit names from the Mitanni kingdom:

1. Swardata (s/s-u/w-a-r-d/t-a-t/d-a) = (Ind.)
*Svardata 'given by Heaven.'

2. Subandu (s/s-u/o-p/b-a-n-d/t-u/o) = (Ind.)
Subandhu 'having good relatives or good kinsmen.'

3. Satuara (s/s-a-t/d[t/d]-u-a-r-a) = (Ind.)
Satvara ' swift.'

4. Indarota (e/i-n-d/t-a-r-u/o-t/d-a) = (Ind.)&#65279;

Indrota 'upheld by Indra.' (Indrota is attested
as a name in the RV and in the Sat. Br.)

5. Uruditi (u/o-r-u/o-t/d-i-t/d[t/d]-i)= (Ind.)
*Uruditi ' having wide splendour.'

6. Birasena (p/b-i-r-a-s/s[s/s]-e-n-a)= (Ind.)
Virasena 'possessing an army of heroes.' (Virasena
is attested as a name in the Mahabharata.)

7. Biridaswa (p/b-l-r-l-d/t,a-s/s-w-a)= (Ind.)
*Vrddhasva 'possessing great horses.'

8. Bardaswa (p/b-a-r-t/d-a-s/s-u/w-a) =(Ind.)
*Varddhasva 'the son of Vrddhasva.'

9. Bayawa (p/b-4-y-A-w-a) = (Ind.) Vayava
'the son of Vayu, the god of wind.'

10. Biryasura (p/b-t-r-y-a-s/s[s/s]-u-r-a)=
(Ind.) *Viryasura 'the hero of valour.'

11. Biryawadza (p/b-t-r-y-a-w-a-z/dz/ts-a) =
(Ind.) *Viryavaja 'he who owns the prize of
valour.'

12. Birya (p/b-i-r-y-a) = (Ind.) Virya 'valour,
heroism.'

13. Artadama (a-r-t/d-i-t/d-A-m-a) = (Ind.)
Rtadhaman (nom. Rtadhama) 'abiding in the
divine Law.'

14. Artamna (a-r-t/d-a-m-n-a) = (Ind.) *Rtamna
'devoted to the divine Law, observing the
divine Law.'

15. Auassura (.a-u-a-s/s[s/s]-u-r-a)= (Ind.)
*Avassura 'the hero of help.'

16. Biradzana(p/b-i-r-a-z/dz/ts-a-n-a)= (Ind.)
*Virajana 'whose men are heroes.'

17. Sumala (s/s-u/o-m-a-l-a) = (Ind.) Sumala
'having beautiful wreaths. (Sumala is attested as
the name of a people in the Mahabharata.)

18. Artamanya (a-r-t/d-a-m-a-n-y-a) = (Ind.)
*Rtamanya 'thinking of the divine Law,' 'revering
the divine Law.' (Cf. punarmanya, which is
attested in the RV.)

19. Saumati (s/s-a-it-m[m] -a-t/d-i) = (Ind.)
*Saumati 'the son of Sumati.' (Sumati 'the wise'
is a very common name in the Sanskrit literature.)

20. Aitara (a-i-t-d/d[t/d]-a-r-a) = (Ind.) Aitara
'the son of Itara.' (According to Sayana,
Aitareya means 'the son of Itara,' and Aitara,
which is attested in Panini, has probably the same
meaning.)

The data does support that Mitanni knew Sanskrit.

Regards,
Shivraj