From: selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (C.R.Selvakumar - Electrical Engineering)
Subject: Tamil, Sanskrit, North Indian Languages, Kinship
Keywords: Tamil, Sanskrit, North Indian languages, Kinship
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 23:24:34 GMT



The last article in this series was #11 discussing the word "kaala = time, 
season, period'. This is article #10A which is an extension to the 
article #10. In article #10 we saw the word "gOlaa" = 'round, ball'. 

This is in the series of postings I am making to 
show certain common linguistic heritage for the whole of India. 
I am trying to present words which are likely to be used in the
villages and rural areas. 

I strongly believe that a careful consideration of these words
and understanding how they are related, one may gain   
a more wholesome view of India's true heritage.

The word for todays posting is "guDaa" = 'globe, ball'

The North Indian words I may refer to below are from the compilation by
Sir Ralph Turner: Ref

R.L.Turner, " A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo_Aryan Languages"
              Oxford University Press.,New York,  1966


R.L.Turner's entry No. 4181 

Sanskrit : guDa = globe, ball ( used in M.Bh) 
         : guDikaa = kernel (used in Varahamihira Brhatsamhita)
         : gulI = pill (lex.)
         : gulikaa = globule ( used in Kaadambari)

Prakrit: guDiaa = 'pellet'                Pali: guLa = 'cluster'
       : gulia , guliaa = 'ball'        : gulikaa = 'little ball'   

Assamese: guri = 'minute particle'           Kashmiri: -------
        : guraa, gulI = 'sinker on fishing 
                        net or line'
Bengali  :gur(/d) = 'globe, mouthful'        Punjabi :-------
Oriya   : gur(/d)aa, guLaa = 'pill'          Sindhi  :---------
        : guLI = 'round clod'
        :gor(/d)i ='pebble'                  W.Pahri : ---------

Sinhalese: guLiya = 'pill, ball, lump'       Lahndaa :

Marathi :                Hindi   : guriyaa = ' glass bead'
                                 : gulaa = 'ball, bullet' 
                                 : gulla = small pellet'
Gujarathi:               Mythili : guriaa = 'bead'
                         Bhojpuri: --------------
Nepali  :                Bihari  : --------------

For words in other languages please see article #10 on gOla. Almost all indian
languages have a word related to gOlaa or gOlI or guLI etc. 

R.L.Turner's acknowledgement of root: Asks us to confer with gOla and
                     gOTTa. Both are of dravidian origin. 

My comments: This is only an addendum to article #10. The forms clearly
           show ( note the variation r/l/D/T) the connection with 
           Tamil "kOLam"= 'round, ball, globular thing, globe' 
           and "koTTai = seed',
           "kOli = bead, glass bead, small marble ball (children play thing)'
           "kuLikai = pill" etc. 

           Turner's entry 7246 shows a word
           "nimbagulikaa = berry of Melia azadirachta" where "nimba" 
           and "gulikaa" are its parts. [ Sindhi : nimUrI, Hindi: nibaulI,
           nibolI, nibaurI, Gujarathi : liboLI, Marathi: niboLI, nibuLI]
           The word gulikaa is used as a berry. [ nimba is used as a 
           febrifuge ( = to relieve fever)]
           It is also interesting to note that the children in Tamil
           Naadu commonly use the term "kOli kaai" where "kOli = 
           small marble/glass 
           ball' and "kaai = unripened fruit or berry". kaai = berry is
           common usage. This Tamil usage also clearly points out to the
           root sense of the word "kOli" is 'round, ball-like'.
           Tamil 'kuLikai' is mostly used in the sense of a 
           medicinal pill ( kuLi indicates a round thing. This belong to
           a large class of words denoting 'round, bend, circular, turn'
           and that it is a Tamil root is in no doubt).

          [Those who are interested: Please read this along with my 
           article on gOla and my responses
          to Prof. Chandra, Kuram T. Narayana and the article by Dorai
          Sitaram and my response to Dorai Sitaram ]

Thanks for listening,

anbudan (= with regards)
Selva Selvakumar                         (selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca)