Etymology or Niruktam in Sanskrit

[MDSAAA48 at giasmd01.vsnl.net.in]

Is the equivalent for 'etymology' , niruktam, as it was understood in
Yaska's time? Kittel's Kannada dictionary explains nirukta = uttered,
explained; one of the vedAngas. Etymology was apparently of fundamental
value in understanding the orally transmitted vedic texts; its 'historicity'
seems to have been secondary.

According to Turner's headword, nirukta means 'spoken out, loud, distinct'
(ZatapathabrAhmaNa) In Old Gujarati, the lexeme niruta connotes: 'clear,
decided'
in Marathi, niruten 'certainly'; in MBH. nirukti = explanation of a word;
this is expanded further in Old Gujarati: nirati = news.
Searching for the word in Tamil lexemes provides: nira = to arrange in
order; nirai= to arrange in succession; Kannada, niRuge, niRege = putting
down, orderly arrangement.

If phonetics and semantics from texts can be arranged in an orderly way,
etyma result?

Regards, Kalyanaraman