An etymology

[Peter Claus]

VYAKARAN: South Asian Languages and Linguistics Net
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          John Peterson, University of Munich, Germany
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Thank you all for your quick and informative responses to my question
about the etymologies for the words in Indian languages referring to
puppets, dolls, images, etc.

It does not seem the words for puppet in the Indo-European languages are
cognate with the Tulu bombe, Kannada bombe/gombe, Telugu bomma. It does
seems the further north one goes in the Dravidian family (at least as
far as South and Central are concerned) there is a greater association
with words connected to the eye (eye, eyebrow, eyeball, pupil of the
eye), which suggests at least a semantic influence.

To my knowledge, in Tulu and Kannada there is no direct association with
any part/aspect of the physical eye; although, there is a connotation of
'a (large?) round, empty shape' with words beginning with bom-, such as
bomme, 'a stupid person' meaning, I think, 'empty headed' or even, as we
might say today, 'air head.' It could be that the eye, and esp. the
pupil, is such a thing, too.

The IE semantic association of eye and puppet is etymologically
fascinating, of course, but the 'explanation' via images reflected in
the eyeball leaves, for me, something to be desired.

For Kalyanamalini Sahoo:

When you refer to the Sauraa language below, is it to the language in
the Munda (Sora, Saora, Savara, Saura, Swara) family or the one in the
Dravidian family (Savara)? Or are these all the same language?

For Nicolas Oster:

I remember reading an article or section of a book (the same?) in grad.
school years ago advancing the "image in the eye" explanation. What is
the reference, again? I forgot.

Peter

Kalyanamalini Sahoo wrote:
>
> VYAKARAN: South Asian Languages and Linguistics Net
> Editors:  Tej K. Bhatia, Syracuse University, New York
>           John Peterson, University of Munich, Germany
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>
> In Oriya too, pituLaa / putaLaa is used for both 'puppet' and 'pupil of the
> eye'.
> Besides, kanDhei/kunDhei is used for 'puppet'. Sauraa language also uses
> kunDhei for 'puppet'.
>
> Kalyanamalini Sahoo
> Norwegian University of Science & Technology
>
> >>In Panjabi, putlii (long i), means both 'puppet' and
> >>'pupil of the eye'.
> >
> >>Elena Bashir, SALC
> >>The University of Chicago
>
> >In Hindi too!
>
> >Ghanshyam Sharma
> >University  of Venice
>
> At 07:12 17.04.01 -0700, you 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