Sanskrit Nakas Gothic Nehw S

This document, an excerpt from the "Z_Mahavir_Jain_Vidyalay_Suvarna_Mahotsav_Granth_Part_1_012002.pdf" and titled "Sanskrit Nāka-s : Gothic Nēhw-s" by Vittore Pisani, explores the etymology and meaning of the Sanskrit word "nāka" (ना'क) in comparison to the Gothic word "nēhw-s" (near).

The author begins by referencing Paul Thieme's review of Heinrich Lüder's "Varuna," where Thieme defines "nā'ka-s" in the Rgveda as the visible part of the sky or firmament, contrasting it with "rocana-m" which signifies the invisible part. Thieme suggests that "nā'ka-" might be derived from a Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root "na" (meaning "on"), similar to how "úpaka-" and "ápäka-" are formed. While rejecting a direct comparison with Greek "nôton" (back), Thieme's idea of "nā'ka-" being formed like "úpäka-" and "ápäka-" is considered illuminating by Pisani.

Pisani elaborates on this etymological connection, proposing that if Thieme's theory is correct, "nā'ka-" would originally have been an adjective. Like "úpaka-" (approximate) and "ápäka-" (distant), "nā'ka-" might have indicated something situated "on" or "near" something else, a meaning that aligns with its original sense of "firmament" as opposed to the "invisible" "rocana-".

This leads to a significant comparison with the Gothic word "nēhw-s" (related to modern German "nahe," Old English "néah," and English "nigh"). Pisani notes that formally, Sanskrit "nā'ka-" and Gothic "nēhw-" correspond exactly, both likely stemming from the PIE "*nekwo-".

Pisani further suggests that the PIE root "*no" or its apophonic form "*ne" (meaning "on") might also be present in other Indo-European words, including:

• Sanskrit "nediyan" and "nedisthas"
• Avestan "nazdyo" and "nazdista-"
• Oscan-Umbrian "nessimo-"
• Old Irish "nessam"

The central question then posed is whether the PIE adjective "*nekwo-" acquired its meaning of "firmament" or "sky" specifically in the Rgveda, or if this meaning originated in some earlier Indo-European dialects.

Pisani offers a speculative but relevant point by mentioning the Tokharian words "A nkat" and "B nakte," which mean "god." He proposes that these could be derived from "*nekwo-" by suffixation. The palatalization to "n" in these Tokharian words suggests the presence of a front vowel (e or e) following the original "n." In this context, "nkat/nakte" might have originally meant "celestial" or "inhabitant of the firmament," analogous to the Sanskrit "deva-" (god), which is derived from "*dyew-" (sky, heaven). This connection further strengthens the hypothesis of an ancient link between the proposed PIE root and concepts related to the sky.

In essence, the document presents a linguistic argument for a shared Indo-European origin of the Sanskrit term for the visible sky ("nāka") and the Gothic term for "near" ("nēhw-s"), exploring the semantic evolution of this potential ancestral word.