Etymology of CT word Ta. "kaliGkam" = cloth - 2

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Even though the Tamil Lexicon and M-W agree on such things as the name of a

province and on general references to plants such as cucumbers/melons and

birds, we do not find any reference to cloth or garment in the Skt. entries.

 

I propose an etymology for the Tamil word "kaliGkam" in the sense of

cloth/garment. This is based on the semantics of "to make/create". In this

regard we will consider two words "kalai" and "paNi".]

 

We observe that the word Ta. "kalai" meaning "cloth or garment"

occurs in classical texts.

E.g. in CilappatikAram:17:25-1:

referring to the stealing of nappin2n2ai's garment by mAyOn2 (krishna)

on the banks of tozun2ai (yamuna):

" taiyal kalaiyum vaLaiyum izantE

kaiyil oLittAL mukam en2kO yAm "

 

Medieval commentator aTiyArkku nallAr repeats the same word in his commentary

without interpreting that word ("kalaiyum..."). The 20th century commentator

Venkatasami Nattar says "kalai" here means "garment".

However the MTL does indeed mention that "kalai(3)" among other things means

"cloth, garment".

 

kalai(3)

 

otl kalai kalai 03 1. stag, buck; 2. male black monkey; 3. shark; 4. capricorn

of the zodiac;

5. cf. mekhala , cloth, garment; 6. saddle of a horse

 

Though MTL entry above asks the reader to compare Ta. kalai with Skt. mekhala,

we find that the Skt. word mekhala itself has no clear etymology, actually no

etymology at all is offered by M-W. Moreover there is no well established

precedence for separating, as suugested above by MTL, a portion of a Skt. word

to form a Tamil word.

[A small digression: It is much easier to offer a Dravidian etymology for

Skt. mekhala: Ta. mE + Ta. kalai where mE = above; kalai = girdle or jewelry.

i.e. something worn above. As per M-W, Ramayana is among the earliest Sanskrit

works to employ the term mekhala = "girdle" . We have contemporaneous classical

Tamil texts employing that word . We find Ta. mEkalai occurring in ParipATal

and cilappatikAram

 

pari07x047: mEkalai kAjnci vAkuvalayam

cil12x11-1: Ay pon2 aric cilampum cUTakamum mEkalaiyum ArppAarppa ]

 

 

The fundamental concept is that early Tamil etymons for products of handcraft

are frequently derived from the root kal- = to appear, to be produced or to

make.

Ta. kalam or kalan2 mean jewel, pot, ship, weapon et al. Cf.DEDR #1305: Ta.

kalam = vessel, plate, utsensil, earthenware, ship; …Te. kalamu = ship; ? Br.

kalanD = broken earthern pot, any old pot ? cf. 1301 Ta. kallai = plate made

of leaves; Kui. kali= leaf-cup; Malt. kale = id.

 

We can see the root root kal- in

DEDR entry #1300 Ta. kala = to appear, come into being..Te. kalugu = ..be

produced; kaligincu = to cause, produce, effect, bring about. <and so on> …

Kuwi. kalg = = to get, become, accrue.

 

So we can be certain that the Tamil etymon kalai is also from the same root

kal- with the derivative suffix -ai.

We can see that Ta. kaliGkam = cloth also derives from kal- with the

derivative compound suffix -iGkam. We can cite an almost identical parallel

for that with a derivation from a homophonous root:

DEDR # 1309

Ta. kaliGku, kaliJcu, kaluGku = sluice or water, weirs for surplus vents;

kaliGkilu = sluice-weirs

Ma. kaluGku = culvert;

Te. kaluju = sluice, floodgate; kaliGga = sluice.

 

Though DEDR has not suggested any related etymons I would propose that this

entry be related to DEDR #1478 kAl = to flow attested in Ta., Ma., Te., To.,

Go., and Kur. DEDR also draws attention to the entry #1480 where Ta. kAl =

irrigation channel etc. We can see that the sluice etymons Ta. kaliGku or Te.

kaliGga are derived from an allomorph of this root kal- = to flow by applying a

derivative compound suffix -iGk(am).

Another example that establishes the use of this derivative suffix -iGk(a/u/am)

is:

 

Ta. paLiGku = 1. crystal, crystal quartz. 2. mirror 3. The planet Venus 4.

camphor .

 

It is attested in the post-cangkam classical text tirukkkuRaL (verse# 706:

"aTuttau kATTum paLigku pOl").

Though the MTL suggests its derivation from Pkt. phalika < Skt. sphaTika. It

does not withstand even the slightest scrutiny, as is the case with many of

the overenthusiastic etymologies of MTL. Burrow and Emeneau have in their DEDR

ignored wholesale many MTL etymologies. That entry is surrounded left and

right in the lexicon by words derived from the Dr. root listed in DEDR# 4012.

paLapaLa = to glitter, shine; paLapaLappu = glitteriness, lustre….Ka. paLakane,

paLaJce et al. So we may safely conclude that Ta. paLiGku is derived from its

root by applying the suffix -iGku.

 

Thus we may conclude that Ta. kaliGkam = cloth is derived from the root

listed in DEDR #1300 kal = to produce or to be produced.

 

 

To further strengthen this I would like to draw attention to the etymon

Ta. paNi = jewel, garment, silk cloth, workmanship.

 

>From the MTL/Cologne MTL:

paNi

 

otl paNi paNi < paNNu-tal 03 1. act, action, performance; 2. work, service,

trade, art, pursuit; 3. services to a deity, as by a devotee; services to a

temple, as construction of buildings, etc.; 4. bowing, reverencing; 5.

expanding, spreading; 6. difficult task; 7. object of enjoyment; 8. jewel;

ornament; 9. decoration with flowers; 10. silk cloth; 11. drum; 12.

workmanship; 13. row, class, order

 

 

It is straightfoward to see this derived as a verbal noun from the verb in DEDR

#3884:

Ta. paNNu = to make, effect, produce, adorn; paN(Nu) = to do anythinmg with

consideration anð skill….

 

The word "paNi" in the sense of jewel/cloth is attested in the nighaNtu

piGkalantai ca. 9th century CE.

Another word from the same root, "paNati" meaning "jewes , ornament" is quoted

by the Madras Tamil Lexicon as attested in the epic "peruGkatai" (peruGkatai:

makata: 3:27). It is informative to see the whole MTL entry:

otl paNati paNati 1. workmanship; 2. action; 3. creation; 4. jewels, ornament;

5. fancy, delusion

 

We have seen that:

1. There seems no preliminary evidence for associating Kalinga province, or the

Sasnkrit word Kalinga in any other sense, with the classical occurrence of the

Tamil word kaliGkam in the sense of cloth.

2. The Ta. "kaliGkam" may be seen as derived from a Dravidian root meaning "

to produce or to be produced".

3. That word's morphology is Dravidian is established by existence of words

such as kaliGku = weir and paLiGku = crystal/mirror.

4. There are words such as Ta. kalai, paNi in the sense of "cloth"; the word

"paNati" that means jewel. They all can be seen derived from roots meaning

"to produce".

 

Based on the above we may conclude with reasonable certainty that the classical

Tamil word kaliGkam in the sense of cloth is completely native and suggestions

connecting its etymology with Skt. KaliGka may have no sound basis.

 

 

Regards

P.Chandrasekaran.

 

 

 

 

 

(Will continue)

 

Regards

P.Chandrasekaran

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, Periannan Chandrasekaran <perichandra>

wrote:

> ...

> [Previous mail:

> ...

>...

>

> Based on the above we may conclude with reasonable certainty that

the classical

> Tamil word kaliGkam in the sense of cloth is completely native and

suggestions

> connecting its etymology with Skt. KaliGka may have no sound basis.

>

>

> Regards

> P.Chandrasekaran.

>

>

>

>

>

> (Will continue)

 

This is an accidental inclusion of previous mail's

ending.

Please ignore this. The final part has been posted.

 

Regards

P.Chandrasekaran

 

>

>

>

>

>

>

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