An etymology

[E. Bashir]

VYAKARAN: South Asian Languages and Linguistics Net
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          John Peterson, University of Munich, Germany
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In Panjabi, putlii (long i), means both 'puppet' and
'pupil of the eye'.

Elena Bashir, SALC
The University of Chicago


--- Peter Claus <pclaus at CSUHAYWARD.EDU> wrote:
> VYAKARAN: South Asian Languages and Linguistics Net
> Editors:  Tej K. Bhatia, Syracuse University, New
> York
>           John Peterson, University of Munich,
> Germany
> Details:  Send email to listserv at listserv.syr.edu
> and say: INFO VYAKARAN
> Subscribe:Send email to listserv at listserv.syr.edu
> and say:
>           SUBSCRIBE VYAKARAN FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME
>           (Substitute your real name for first_name
> last_name)
> Archives: http://listserv.syr.edu
>
> Members,
>
> I know this is not the usual kind of request we like
> to consider, and
> it's not particularly important even to me, but ...
>
> I am trying to figure out (or beyond, I guess) the
> etymology of the word
> for puppet (doll, effigy, image): 'bombe' (Kannada
> and Tulu), pommai
> (Ta), bomma (Te and Ma). Burrow and Emeneau give
> cognates with Kolami
> and Parji referring to the eye, eyeball. But somehow
> the word doesn't
> seem to me to be "very Dravidian." Does anyone on
> the list know of any
> possible connections with words in other Indian
> language families? Or
> outside of India? What words in other Indian
> languages refer to "dolls",
> clay images, wooden figures, and the like? (other
> than muurthi)
>
> Peter Claus


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