SV: Date of the Buddha and RV

[Erik Seldeslachts]

George Thompson wrote:
>
> This is simply not true. There are hundreds of words in the RV which appear
> to be borrowings from one or more non-Indo-Aryan languages. This material is
> well known and has been frequently discussed.

Having an untransparant etymology is not the same as having a non-Indo-Aryan
etymology. And 'hundreds' is really a gross exageration.

> Furthermore, I am astonished that E. Seldeslachts can so confidently assert:
> "Also conspiciously missing is an ancient layer of non-Indo-Aryan place-names
> and geographical names in the entire area of the Harappan civilisation."

This indeed seems the case. Such an ancient layer seems to me to be absent even in most of
the subcontinent North of the Tungabhhadra and Krishna rivers. I cannot however explain
this situation.

> I don't remember the exact date, but there was recent discussion on this very
> list about such non-Indo-Aryan place names, including a discussion of the
> name *ku'bhA* which, if I am not mistaken, Mr. Seldeslachts himself
> participated in!

Ku'bhA- probably belongs together with Avestan kaofa-, Old Persian kaufa- 'mountain
ridge'; 'hunch', IA *kubba- (CDIAL 3301) and kubhra'- to IE *keub-/*keubh-,
*kubho-s 'bent, curved'. Notice the voiced aspirated stop, which is a very typical
Indo-Aryan feature.
To me this seems an excellent Indo-Aryan etymology, but you may convince me with a
better explanation. Which 'non-Indo-Aryan language' are you thinking of in this case? Can
other names be ascribed to the same language or group of languages?

Erik Seldeslachts