question about Proto/Para-Munda affix -usha

[Richa Pauranik Clements]

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          John Peterson, University of Osnabrueck, Germany
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Dr. Witzel,

As a follow up question, may I ask whether the Skt. word 'purusha' (as 
in RV 10.90) is well-understood to have IE/IIr/IA elements?  Or, are 
there any questions along the lines of 'Emusha', that is, may 'Purusha' 
myth also have some Para-Munda or Proto-Dravidian elements?  
Monier-Williams in his SED says, teh word 'purusha' is "probably from 
the root 'prI'," so are the origins of this word 'purusha' clear yet?

My questions have to do with the Narayana myth and its relation to 
Purusha in the Vedic texts.  In one of your articles (Aryan and 
non-Aryan Names: Data for the linguistc situation, c. 1900-500 BC), you 
also mention that words beginning with 'nAr-' may have unclear IA 
etymology.  Would that be applicable to 'nArAyana' as well?

I woudl greatly appreciate your advice on this matter.  Thanks.

Sincerely,

Richa Clements



Quoting Michael Witzel <witzel at FAS.HARVARD.EDU>:
>
> Well, Kuiper (sic) has again listed a number of this and related
> suffixes in his 1991 book:
>
> Aryans in the Rigveda, Amsterdam: Rodopi 1991
>
> See pages 45-47:  -ASa, -ISa, -USa (UNICODE: -??a, ??a-,  ??a-) ;
> also: ?la, a?a, ?a, nas, ya, ra, ?a, ha.
>
> Emu?a is a bit more complex, also in view of Kupier's (partial)
> retraction 1991: 18; 2.
>
> Cheers, M. WItzel
>
>
> On Feb 22, 2010, at 5:18 AM, John Peterson wrote:
>
>> VYAKARAN: South Asian Languages and Linguistics Net
>> Editors:  Tej K. Bhatia, Syracuse University, New York
>>          John Peterson, University of Osnabrueck, 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:
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>>
>> Clancy,
>>
>> The only person I know who might have an answer to this question is
>> David Stampe in Hawaii, who not only knows his way around Proto-
>> Munda but also Proto-Mon-Khmer: stampe at hawaii.edu
>>
>> Otherwise: Are you sure it really is Munda? I have seen references
>> on /u?a/ being Proto- (or Para-?) Munda (I believe it was /Emu?a/
>> in a work by Kuijper) but I don't recall if there was any
>> justification (linguistic or otherwise) for that assumption. I'm
>> just curious, as I don't know of anything even remotely similar to
>> it in the modern languages.
>>
>> Best,
>> John
>>
>> Zitat von "Clements, Joseph Clancy" <clements at INDIANA.EDU>:
>>
>>> VYAKARAN: South Asian Languages and Linguistics Net
>>> Editors:  Tej K. Bhatia, Syracuse University, New York
>>>           John Peterson, University of Osnabrueck, 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:
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>>>
>>> I'm looking for any information regarding the meaning and history
>>> of the Proto/Para-Munda affix -usha ('u' here is short; 'sh' is a
>>> retroflex sibilant). Any information or leads would be greatly
>>> appreciated.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Clancy
>>>
>>> J. Clancy Clements, Professor
>>> Director of Undergraduate Studies
>>> Depts. of Linguistics & Spanish and Portuguese
>>> Ling: MM322, IUB, 1021 E. Third St.
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>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> "Stability in language is synonymous with rigor mortis." - Ernest
>> Weekley (1865-1954)
>>
>> John Peterson
>> Institut für Linguistik
>> Universität Leipzig
>> Beethovenstraße 15
>> D-04107 Leipzig
>> Germany
>>
>> Phone: (+49) (0)341 97-37643
>> Fax:   (+49) (0)341 97-37609
>>
>> http://www.SouthAsiaBibliography.de/
>
> ============
> Michael Witzel
> witzel at fas.harvard.edu
> <www.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/mwpage.htm>
>
> Dept. of Sanskrit & Indian Studies, Harvard University
> 1 Bow Street,
> Cambridge MA 02138, USA
>
> phone: 1- 617 - 495 3295, 496 8570, fax 617 - 496 8571;
> my direct line:  617- 496 2990
>
>
>
>