From: Bhrihskwobhloukstroy
Message: 71507
Date: 2013-11-01
>> The biggest difficulty I see with the proposed etymology
>> is 'Rule 14 of Krishnamurti (2003) (Palatalization of
>> velars) k c occurs under different environments in
>> different Dravidian languages. However such change is rare
>> when ‘k’ is before vowel ‘a’ and is more difficult before
>> long vowel ‘A’.' To me that says the closest we can get to
>> the Sanskrit is *karSapa.
>
> Thank you, Richard, for a careful reading of my post and for
> your comments.
>
> I am sure that if we can get to *karSapa we can go a step
> further. I would like to state two reasons for that.
>
> (1) Linguists have acknowledged that irregular changes do
> occur. This could be an irregular change.
>
> However earlier I have argued that the word ‘zarkara’
> (=sugar/brown sugar) is derived from ‘karkara’ via
> ‘carkara’. This is another example for similar change – ka >
> ca.
>
> I can quote a third example for such a change:
>
> (DED 1265) karaTu (Tamil) roughness, unevenness, karu
> (Malayalam) rough, gari (Telugu) hardness, stiffness,
> sharpness, karcnā (Kurux) to be tough, khara (Sanskrit)
> hard, harsh, rough, sharp-edged
>
> (DED 1260) garasu, garusu (Kannada) gravel garusu, (Telugu)
> gravel
>
> (DED 1298) kal (kaR-, kaN-) (Tamil) stone,
>
> (DED 2354) caral, caraḷ, caraḷai (Tamil) gravel, laterite
>
> The forms garasu and caral indicates the original initial
> consonant as k (k > c and k > g).
>
> This is a conclusive proof that ka > ca occurs in an
> irregular manner.
>
> (2) Indo Aryan need not have borrowed sarSapa from Tamil. It
> could have been from a lost branch Dravidian in Punjab or
> Gangatic plain in which the change ka > ca was regular.
>
> When we speak of substrate language we are looking more to
> such a language than to presently existing languages.
>
> Therefore I suggest the following change
>
> *karsapa > carsapa > sarsapa > sarSapa
>
> -Jyothi