yAn2ai 'elephant'

[Guest guest]

Saw some time ago in Agathiyar about the

derivation of yAn2ai. Prof. Pa. AruLi

of Tamil university says in a book

that "yA" meaning 'black' gives birth to

the name "yAn2ai".

 

Here are my thoughts, appreciate your

inputs on the name, yAn2ai.

 

There are pairs connecting -l- and -n2-.

a)V. S. Rajam's book connects

til- with tiRRi, tin2ai, tIn2i.

b) In Kongu dialect, nalai- is

used in place of nan2ai-.

c) cilampi/cilanti 'spider' comes

from cila- 'to issue forth'.

Signifies the spider web,

This cil- 'to issue forth'

is seen also in 'cin2ai' (pregnant).

d) mulai 'breast' and mun2ai 'tip'.

e) mEl/mEn2i 'body'.

f) vali 'to stretch' and van2ai 'to work

on clay making pottery'.

g) nil 'stand' and nin2aivu 'memory'

h) vAl "white, bright' and vAn2 'sky'

 

Considering these -l-/-n2- pairs,

yAn2ai is fromed from yAl- = toGkutal

'to hang' which refers to the trunk

of the elephant. In Sanskrit

karam, hasti also refers to the trunk.

 

yAn2 changes to njAn2, nAn2 in tamil

later. Note nAlvAy refers to elephant

in tamil.

 

Hence, the submission that

yAn2ai is formed from the verb, yAl-

"to hang" refering to the elephant trunk.

 

Your thoughts are appreciated,

N. Ganesan

 

PS: njAlam 'world' may refer to

the hanging nature of the world in space.

aal 'the banyan' comes also from yAl-

refering to the aerial roots. See

Parpola volume explaining vaTa is

dravidian, with vaTam = 'rope' in tamil.