Etymological Notes

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Etymological Notes" by H.C. Bhayani, based on the given pages:

The text consists of several etymological discussions of words, primarily focusing on their origins in Sanskrit and their evolution through Prakrit into modern Indo-Aryan languages, with a particular emphasis on Gujarati.

1. Vedhamikā / Vedhimī:

• The author discusses the word "vedhamikā," noted in lexicons as a type of bread or cake, and its Gujarati derivative "vedhmi" (a popular sweet dish).
• The origin is traced to Prakrit vedhima- + -ia.
• Vedhima- itself is formed from the root vedh- (Sanskrit vest- meaning "to roll up" or "enwrap") with the suffix -ima-.
• The suffix -ima- has several semantic shades and is seen in other Gujarati words like "ormū" (prepared by pouring), "cūrmū" (prepared by pounding), and "khādmi" (prepared by pounding, though the preparation method has changed).
• Bhayani refers to his previous writings for a more detailed discussion of these words.

2. Pk. veccai:

• This section examines the etymology of Prakrit veccai (meaning "spends") and its cognates in Hindi ("bechnā") and Gujarati ("vecvü"), all relating to "to sell."
• Turner suggests Sanskrit vetana- (hire, wages) as the source, deeming Bloch's derivation from vyayati or Schwarzschild's analogical explanation less probable.
• Bhayani proposes Sanskrit vyatyayati (causes to pass, therefore "spends") as a more probable alternative.
• The semantic progression from "to cause to pass" to "to spend" and then to "to sell" is considered logical and avoids hypothetical assumptions and phonological difficulties.

3. Pk. ucchu, H. būrā etc. (Vocalic Assimilation in MIA and NIA):

• This section explores instances of vocalic assimilation, where a vowel in one syllable influences a vowel in another.
• Pk. ucchu (sugarcane): Corresponding to Sanskrit ikṣu-, Prakrit has ucchu. While Turner noted variation in initial syllables, Bhayani supports Pischel's explanation of the i- to u- change due to assimilation with the vowel in the second syllable, citing examples like iṣu- > usu-.
• NIA. būd (drop): The Hindi word "bud" and others in NIA languages for "drop" have u in the initial syllable, contrasting with Sanskrit bindu- and Prakrit bindu-. Bhayani suggests this is due to assimilation (bindu- > būndu), negating the need to assume an intermediate form like bundu.
• H. būrā (wicked, bad): Bhayani posits that this word, and its cognates, derive from Sanskrit virūpa- / Prakrit virūva- which underwent assimilation to vuruvaa- and then became būrā.
• Other loanwords: Several Sanskrit loanwords in Gujarati also show an i- to u- change in the initial syllable due to assimilation with a subsequent u vowel (e.g., G. sukan from śakuna, G. rugnäth from raghunatha).

4. Sampheta:

• This discusses "sampheta," a technical term in dramaturgy, referring to a type of Vrtti (style) or a Sandhyanga (element of a dramatic division).
• Its spellings vary (sampheta, samspheta, samphota), with the latter two being considered based on misreading.
• The root is identified as Sanskrit smit- (meaning "to show disrespect" or "to go"). Prakrit bhid- derived from it means "to confront in battle."
• The development is explained as samsmit- evolving into Prakrit sambhid- on one hand, and sampheda- on the other. The latter involves the unvoicing of -m- in -msm- to -mph- due to the influence of the voiceless -s-, a process comparable to other phonetic changes in Indo-Aryan languages.
• "Sampheta-" is thus seen as a Sanskritization of sampheda- which originated from samsmeta-.
• The author notes that many other dramaturgy terms also have Prakrit origins.

5. Pk. addhāakkali:

• Hemacandra records addhāakkali (and aṭṭayakkali in Paialacchi) in the sense of "standing with arms akimbo."
• The etymology is traced to Sanskrit ardha- (half) and cakrala- (circle), referring to the semicircular shape formed by the arms.
• The change from ddh to tt is attributed to scribal error.
• Bhayani rejects Doshi's alternative etymology derived from a hypothetical Sanskrit ardhaka-karī.

In essence, the "Etymological Notes" by H.C. Bhayani meticulously traces the lineage of various words, highlighting the intricate linguistic transformations that occurred across different stages of Indo-Aryan languages, with a strong focus on demonstrating sound changes and semantic shifts through comparative analysis.