"kuyava" and "ku (was "Re: solution to the "kuyava' etymology)

[Palaniappa]

In a message dated 98-01-20 07:53:15 EST, bhk at HD1.VSNL.NET.IN writes:

<< This root kuy- is related to PD *ku: 'crow, cry, shout, call' etc. How in
the world can it be the basis of kuy-awa..'potter' on this root? >>

In Telugu Verbal Bases, the etymology of Te. kUyu to howl, cry, as animals,
birds; to make outcry; to shout; call, prate; kUyi n. an outcry for help, an
appeal, protection, etc. are traced to PDr. *kUy-/*kU-.  The connection of
this root with potter can be understood in light of his function as a priest.
Tamil literature provides clear linkage between the two.

Even today, in Tamil, the most common word for "calling/summoning/inviting
somebody" is "kUppiTu". This is derived from "kU" or as Krishnamurthy has
indicated *ku. Consider the following examples:

katumen2a karaintu vam en2a kUuy (porunarARRuppaTai 101)

Here the king calling/inviting the bards is expressed by "kUuy".

kalam cey kammiyar varuka en2ak kUuy (maNimEkalai 25.124)

Here calling/inviting smiths is expressed by "kUuy"

tAyil tUvA kuzavi pOla
OvAtu kUum nin2 uTaRRiyOr nATE  (puRanAnURu 4.18-19)
Here the crying for succour (indicated using "kUum") by the people of the
country of king's enemies is compared to the hungry(not eating) child without
the mother.

Thus "KU" is used in connection with calling/inviting/seeking succour. It is
also used in the context of worshipping. The following poem by nammAzvAr makes
its use in worship very clear.

pukazunal oruvan2 en2kO
poruvilcIrp pUmiyen2kO
tikazumtaN paravai en2kO
tIyen2kO vAyu en2kO
nikazum AkAcam en2kO
nILcuTar iraNtum en2kO
ikazvil ivvan2aittum en2kO
kaNNanaik kUvumARE           (nAlAyirat. 2930)

Here the poet says, "Can I say he is one to be praised or he is the earth or
he is the ocean or he is the fire or he is the wind or he is the sky or he is
both the sun and the moon or he is all of these? How can I praise/adore
krSNa?". In the last line the word used to denote "praise/adore" is "KUvu".

In a poem by ANTAL, she says the following,

"kUTTiliruntu kiLiyeppOtum
kOvintA kOvintA enRU azaikkum
UTTuk koTAtu ceRuppan2Akil
ulakaLantAn2 enRu uyarak kUvum...   (nalAyirat. 625)

Here the devotee separated from kRSNa is getting mad at the parrot that keeps
praising kRSNa. She says, "Staying inside the cage, the parrot will always
call/praise "O Govinda! O Govinda". When I punish it by not giving food, it
will call/praise loudly saying "He who measured the world". Here, the words
"azai" and "kUvu" are used synonymously.

It is in this sense "kuyavan2" might mean one who
calls/summons/invites/praises the divinity in his role as priest. It looks as
though "kuyavan2" was the potter-priest while "veLkO" or "vETkO" could have
been the potter-warrior/chieftain.

In RV 103.8, the negative interpretation "one who babbles" does not seem
appropriate to be applied to just one of many non-RV-Aryan enemies, who all
must be speaking non-RV-Aryan languages. On the other hand, if the name was
Dravidian, they would not call themselves by such negative epithets. As I had
mentioned in another posting, the earliest attestation of "kuyavan2" occurs in
a "priestly" context. As the Sanskritization of the society increased, the
origin of the name from  a priestly role was probably forgotten and both
"vELar" and "kuyavan2" being treated synonymously in all aspects.

Any comments will be appreciated.

Regards

S. Palaniappan