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ETYMOLOGICAL NOTES
H. C. Bhayani
1. vedhamikā / vedhimaCDIAL. 12092 has given vedhamikā - a kind of bread or cake' (recorded only in the lexicons) as the source word for H. bervī, bervī, berhai 'cake of flour mixed or filled with pulse or meal'. In Gujarātī vedhami (f.) is currently quite popular as a sweet dish. The word derives from Pk. vedhima- + -ia. vedhima. 'prepared by rolling up or enrapping' is formed from vedh- (Sk. vest-) + suffix -ima-. For the suffix -ima- see Pischel $ 602, where about 20 instances are cited and a few more can be added to that list. The suffix has clearly distinguishable three or four semantic shades. In Modern Gujarati we have, besides vedhmi, three more similarly formed words belonging to the same semantic group. Ormū (n.), cūrmū (n.) and khădmi. The first two are sweetmeats, the third a savoury. Ormū primarily meant 'that (sweet) which is prepared by pouring down (wheat groats) in boiling water'. Or- means 'to pour down in a receptacle.' Cürmü means that (sweet) which is prepared by pounding (baked loaf): Cūr- means 'to reduce to powder by pounding'. Vedhmi means 'that (sweet) which is prepared by enrapping' (a flour cake around what is stuffed). Khádmi (or dialectically khôdvi) means 'that (savoury) which is prepared by pounding(with a pestle)' (although at present the technique of preparing is different). I have discussed the etymology of vedhmi etc, in my earlier writings : Vägvyāpāra (Gujarati), 1954, pp. 45-46; reproduced in Sabdakathā (first edition, 1963, p. 35; sec. ed. 1983, PP. 88-89); Three Old Marathi Suffixes' (Vidya, 12,2, pp. 1-10, Ahmedabad 1969).
2. Pk. veccai Turner posits vetyayati as the source for Pk. viccai, veccai, 'spends', H. becnā, G. vecvü etc. 'to sell', on the basis of Sk. vetana- hire, wages', etc. (CDIAL. 12100). He considers Bloch's derivation from Sk. vyayati or Schwartzschild's analogical explanation (veccvikk- after the type muccai~ mukka-, paccai-pakka-) as much iess probable.
I suggest Sk. vyatyayati 'causes to pass, hence 'spends' as a more probable alternative. Sk. vyatyayati, Pk. viccei, viccai, veccai and hence G. vece etc. This suggestion obviates hypothetical assumptions and phonological difficulties. The semantic change 'to cause to pass'> 'to spend' > to sell' is also easily accountable.
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Etymological Notes
3. Pk. ucchu, H. būrā etc.
(Some cases of Vocalic Assimilation in MIA and NIA)
Corresponding to Sk. iksu- 'sugarcane', we have ucchu in Pali and Prakrit. NIA derivatives (H. ukh, M. us etc.) have been given under CDIAL 1551. There Turner has observed that 'variation in the initial syllable of, i, u, and ri- suggests an original but this is without other confirmation or support'.
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There is, however, some evidence to support Pischel's explanation of the change on the basis of vocalic assimilation: i.e. the initial i- of icchu changed to uunder the influence of the vowel in the second syllable (PG. § 117). He has cited Sk. işu Pk. usu- and Sk. sisu-> Pk. susu- (in Pk. susumāra-> Sk. śiśurnāra-) and other such instances.
We can point to a few instances of this change from NIA. H- ugli, P. unguli (CDIAL 135) corresponding to Sk. anguli, Pk. amguli evidences this type of change.
H- būd
Against i vowel in the first syllable of Sk. bindu- 'drop', its NIA. derivatives like. H- bud and some others in other NIA. languages has u in the first syllable. Turner (CDIAL 9240) has assumed *bundu- as the source form for the latter words.
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We suggest that Sk. bindu, Pk. bimdu changed to bumdu due to vowel assimilation. Hence it is unnecessary to assume bundu as the source.
H- būrā
H- būrā 'wicked, bad' and its cognates in some other NIA languages, as noted by Turner in his Dictionary of the Nepali Language, (s. v. buro) is I think another. instance of such vowel assimilation.
It derives from Sk. virupa-, Pk. virūva (a)- changed to *vuruvaa-, which became būrā etc.
Further in a number of Sanskrit loan words in NIA we similarly find the i- of the initial syllable changed to u- under the influence of an u in a subsequent syllable.
Examples:
G. sukan 'omen', Sk. śakuna
G. rugnäth a personal name', Sk. raghunatha
Old G. phurasarāma 'a personal name', Sk. parasurama
Old G. tura Sk. taru. occurring in Gurjararásävali
Raj. muradhara-, Sk. marudhara.
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H. C. Bhayani
Nirgrantha
4. samphetaSampheta is a technical term of dramaturgy. It is either a type of Arabhati Vrtti or a Sandhyanga of the Vimarśa Sandhi (Nătyaśastra of Bharata, Nátakalaksanaratnakośa, Kävyänuśāsana of Hemacandra, Sahityadarpana, etc.). As Vịtti it is said to be marked by Vīra, Raudra and Adbhuta, associated with fights, and duels etc. (Sågaranandin). It is an encounter of the adversaries relating to show of bravery or learning (Hemacandra). As Sandhyanga it is explained as an angry utterance (Sāgaranandin). The spelling varies as sampheta, samspheta, samphota. Of these the last two are based on wrong reading or reinterpretation. The root smit is recorded with the meaning to show disrespect' (“Dhätupātha', 32, 37) or 'to go'. Pk. bhid- derived from it means 'to confront in battle, fight' etc. (CDIAL : under bhit- 9490; ābhit- 1230; sambhit-12969). Samsmit developed on the one hand as Pk. sambhid- and as *sampheda- on the other. In the latter case -m- in the cluster -msm- is unvoiced and becomes up. under the influence of voiceless -s-, which becomes -h- and consequently we have development -msm-> -mph-. We can compare here tupha (= tuppha) < tusma. of the Eastern Asokan. Devoicing of the nasal in contact with s- and the aspiration of the resulting stop occurs also in the development Sk. -sn- > -ttha- (e.g. trsna. > titthā, visnu-> vitthu-, vrsni. > vitthi. etc. (Harivamśapurāņa, ed. L. Alsdorf, Hamburg, 1936, Introduction, p. 135). Thus sampheta- is a Samskritization of sampheda. <*samsmeta-. Several other terms, also of dramaturgy, are similarly derived originally from Prakrit e.g. nataka, durmal(Wikā, śilpaka, śrigadita, sattaka, vidūsaka, avahittha, bibboka, mottāyita, kilikincita- etc.
5. Pk. addhaakkali. Hemacandra has recorded in his Deśīnāmamālā (1, 45), addhayakkali in the sense of '(standing) with arms akimbo.' The form is attayakkali according to the Paialacchi (728). The verse given by Hemacandra to illustrate the use of words noted in 1, 45, which includes 3 tearft is as follows :
अरविंदराजराउर-णीसासंतं कयड्वयकलिआ ।
अगणंतो अवरत्तय-अणरामय-दुत्थिओ हवसि तं पि । 'You, standing with arms akimbo, who is disregarding this girl giving out long and hot sighs, also will be miserable on account of repentence and restlessness.' The word is derived from Sk. ardha. 'half and cakrala- 'circle, circular (Pk. cakkalaya=Sk. vartula-, DN. 3.20; compare also Pk. cakkalia = Sk. vartulita-). When one stands with arms akimbo, a half circle is formed on both the sides, attayakkali is the result of the usual scribal error of confusing ddh- and -tt
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Etymological Notes
In the light of the etymology suggested here, Doshi's surmise ("Desi Sabda Samgrah,' Notes, f. 32) of deriving the word from supposed Sk. ardhaka-karī is to be rejected.
REFERENCES :
R. L. Turner, Comparative Dictionary of Indo-Aryan Languages. London. (CDIAL) R. Pischel Comparative Grammar of Prakrit Languages. Delhi (PG).
M. Modi and Others (ed.): Gurjararāsāvali, Baroda 1981. Jayanta Kothari Madhyakālīn Gujarātī Śabdakośa, Ahmedabad 1995.
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