An etymology

[Dr. Maria Schetelich]

VYAKARAN: South Asian Languages and Linguistics Net
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-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Peter Claus <pclaus at CSUHAYWARD.EDU>
An: VYAKARAN at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU <VYAKARAN at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Datum: Dienstag, 17. April 2001 16:13
Betreff: An etymology


>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
> Dear Peter, it might be too far- fetched a reference but in Italian there
is bambola for "doll", from bambino "small child", bambina "small girl".
Maria