nagasvaram/nadasvaram

[Guest guest]

Dear Netters,

 

I am grateful to Naga Ganesan, Ashok Thangamuthu, Bala Umasankar,

Chandan Narayan, and others who kindly responded to my query about

the nadasvaram/nagasvaram.

 

I consulted one of the papers suggested by Mr. Ganesan. Here is an

excerpt:

---------------------

Ethnomusicology, January 1980

Colloquy

The South Asian Double Reed Aerophone Reconsidered

 

(P. 151)

The absence of connection between nÁgasvara and snakes has

evidently bothered some South Indian musicologists, but instead of

trying to trace the historical or etymological factors that might

underlie this, they have attempted to modify its name to nÁdasvara

(lit. sound-tone or sound-note), a specious but more dignified name

from the Sanskrit point of view. Raghavan (1949:158) has, however,

pointed out that this name is not supported by historical evidence.

---------------------

 

Apparently, the scholar V. Raghavan does not think 'nadasvaram' is a

long-standing word.

 

I can only agree with Jairazbhoy's analysis.

 

Thank you,

 

Dileep

[Guest guest]

> Ethnomusicology, January 1980

> Colloquy

> The South Asian Double Reed Aerophone Reconsidered

>

> (P. 151)

> The absence of connection between nÁgasvara and snakes has

> evidently bothered some South Indian musicologists, but instead of

> trying to trace the historical or etymological factors that might

> underlie this, they have attempted to modify its name to nÁdasvara

> (lit. sound-tone or sound-note), a specious but more dignified name

> from the Sanskrit point of view. Raghavan (1949:158) has, however,

> pointed out that this name is not supported by historical evidence.

> ---------------------

>

> Apparently, the scholar V. Raghavan does not think 'nadasvaram' is a

> long-standing word.

>

 

The foll. may be taken into consideration:

 

The -D-/-d- changes in Sanskrit and Tamil words

can be taken into account: 1) kaTavu/katavu (in Tamil

orthography, but pronounced as kaDavu/kadavu)

2) yATavar(tamil)/yAtavar(tamil)/yAdava(skt.)

(= shepherds, pronounced yAdavar) etc.

 

Perhaps, nAdasvaram, ('reed' instrument) was named after

nADa/nALam (tamil) = 'reed'.

 

Regards,

N. Ganesan