ivy's berries

[sarin at erols.com]

>Actually, the mention of Meru is fortuitous; I was going to ask a question
>about this.  Recently a student asked me about the origin of the name Sumeru.
>I suspect that perhaps it is Su-Meru, and that what we have to look for is
>Meru.  But I don't have the resources here to look into it.  Is this
>etymologically Skt?  Somehow - although my sense for this is not very good -
>it doesn't "feel" like Skt to me, although this is of course without value
>historically.  Any idea about the origins of the names (Su)Meru?
>Jonathan Silk
>silk at wmich.edu
>
>PS:  The student thought the name was Japanese, so partly I *could* answer
>his question!

For that matter, does the word have anything to do with Sumer?  Often
wondered if there is any connection with Sumer and all the Rajasthani
cities like Jaiselmer, Ajmer etc. on the other side of the Indus from
Mesopotamia.  Apparently the Bhattis who founded Jaiselmer in the 12th c.
had returned after some centuries in the middle east, so the 'mer' may have
come in late with them. How old is the word Sumer anyway and does the
original pronunciation rhyme with modern Ajmer?

Amita Sarin