--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "Jim Anderson" <jimanderson_on@...>
wrote:

> Hi Jou,

Hi Jim

> > Does anyone here know of any scholars that have applied the
> Linguistic
> > theory of Semantic Shift and Change [that words have additional
> meanings
> > added over time and often loose their origninal meaning] to

words in

> the
> > Paali texts? I have asked the Paali Text Society and they said

they

> > don't know any, which I was shocked to hear.
>
> I don't know of any either, but you might be interested in the
> writings of Eivind Kahrs (or E.G. Kahrs), a Sanskrit lecturer at
> Cambridge University, England. I'm currently reading his _Indian
> Semantic Analysis_ Cambridge, 1998. He also has a long article in

the

> Journal of the Pali Text Society (Vol. XVII) on _Exploring the
> Saddaniiti_.

OK thanks

> > The ones I have considered are below. We have records that the
> Buddha
> > gave some of the definitions suggested below as the originals,

the

> > others come from the comparative study he seems to have suggested
> for
> > his teaching that I have practiced for a while.
> >
> > Word: x
> > Time frame: Suggested use by the Buddha -> subsequent uses, one
> being
> > the majority use by Buddhaghosa's time -> present day use
>
> One of the methods I use is to look up the word's root along with

its

> meaning which can be found in the several lists of Pali roots that

are

> available.

Yep, I incorporate that too :-) but a lot of those ideas are from
commentators who may be influenced by the later meaning, wholely or
partly.

> Sati is derived from the root 'sar' which is listed (among
> other 'sar' roots) in the Saddaniiti as "sara cintaaya.m" (to

think).

I understand that it is the Paali version of Sm.rti with root
sm.r "to remember". :-)

> Jhaana is derived from either "jhe cintaaya.m" or "jhe dittiya.m"

(to

> burn). The only other roots having the same meaning of 'cintaa' is
> 'cint' and 've.n' according to Aggava.msa's list.

:-)

> You can also compare
> the roots of different lists and Paa.nini's Sanskrit Dhaatupaa.tha.
> Paa.nini is considered to be from the 4th century BCE or earlier so
> his list is particularly valuable as we can get some idea of the
> original meanings of the roots as generally understood during that
> ancient period. The roots in the Pali lists for the most part have
> their counterparts in the Sanskrit list.

yep, ok, thanks.

> Best wishes,

and to you