Wheat

[N. Ganesan]

Wheat is "xOlam" in brahui. Tamil has "cO.lam" (maize, great millet,
sorghum vulgare). In addition, "kUlam" = grain, "kUlavaNikan" = grain
merchant, "kU.lam" = broken pieces of straw, of hemp (in tamil). Also,
"kUlam" is the "tax on grains and pulses". The famous author of
Manimekalai epic is a "kUla vaNikan". "kUli" means pay/wages
(originally paid in measures of grain). This "kUli" > coolie in
english. Central Dravidian has "kUli, kU.di" (grain, paddy).

In IVC, wheat was possibly called *kO.lam/kU.lam.  Brahui xOlam and
tamil cO.lam and central dravidian kuu.di can be easily derived from
this *kO.lam. Note that kUlam refers to "the grain, the wages, the tax
on grains" - all with economic significance.

(1) Kannada "na.l.lu" is reed. In tamil na.l-/na.du- means "center".
Tamil nAzi/nA.lam/nA.di = tube, vein. na.la/na.da > (skt) nada.
Another example: cOza > cO.la/cO.da, etc.,
(2) Dr. yaa.davar > Skt. yaadhava. Similar to these 2 examples,
Dr. *kO.lam > Punjab *gO.dum [Note 1] > Skt. gOdhUma. For the question
of how -a- in *kOLam changes to u/U in godhuma, consider beLa in
beLagaum transforming to veNu as veNugraama attested in mediaeval
insciptions. The skt. popular etymology of godhuuma is "cow smoke".
> From the Dr. *kO.lam, Burushaski seems to have borrowed the  word for
wheat: Dr. *kO.lam/kU.lam > *guliG > Bur. guriG, gureG (pl.).
Also, kannada gOdi < *gO.di < *kO.di < IVC *kO.lam  because
in dravidian, the noun endings -am and -i are interchangeable many
times. Likewise central Dr. kUli, kU.di < *kO.lam also.

If this working hypothesis stands, wheat might have been called
something like *kO.lam/kU.lam in IVC which explains the derivation of
Bur. gurig, Skt. godhUma, Kan. gOdi and the importance of
kuu.lam/kuulam in tamil literature.

Appreciations for your comments on this.

Regards,
N. Ganesan

Note 1: Substrates in OIA, EJVS, 1999, p. 23
-------
"*gOdi 'low red plant' (Southworth 1988, 1979, 1990) which is
quite different from the Panjab word *gO-dum > Vedic godhuuma
'cowsmoke' ".

For Panjab, Dr. *kOLam > *gO.dum > *gOdum is likely.


Note 2:
-------

kUlavatii river is given in Monier-Williams. Which purana
mentions this river? Is it a legendary or real one?

What is the traditional explanation of the name, godAvari?

Consider kUlam 'grains' and  *kOLam > ta. cOLam and brahui xolam.
Is *kOLaviri > *gODaavari > godAvari admissible?? (cf. kAvEri and
ta. kAviri).

NG








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