Beavers (and bikinis)

[S.Kalyanaraman]

Hi,

What is the ancient word for a garment?

I suggest an early IE word for a garment would have sounded like: 
vastra (RV); cf. va_taprami_[RV iv.58.7, where it is explained as
'outstripping the wind') also means an ichneumon L.] 

See the semantic cluster in INDIC languages:

Cloth; shield: vat.t.am cloth; (va_lir..ai vat.t.amum :Perun.. Ucaik. 42,208);
shield; (aiyiru vat.t.amo t.ehkuvalan tirippa : Tirumuru. 111);
vat.akam upper garment; (vat.akamun tukilun to_t.um : Ci_vaka. 462); a
superior kind of cloth (Cilap. 14,108, Urai.); skin ?< vastra; vat.aku skin
(Ta.lex.) vat.t.u small piece of cloth (Ta.);vat.t.ut.ai cloth tied round the
waist and reaching to the knee, garment (Ta.); bat. clothes (Ko.);pot.y id.
(To.); bat.t.a cloth, clothes (Te.); bat.t.e cloth (Ka.Kod..); clothes
(Kod..); cloth,clothes (Tu.); vastra (Skt.) > vattha (Pkt.)(DBIA 318). cf.
pat.t.u silk cloth, silk yarn, sackclothof Indian hemp (Ta.); pat.a cloth,
garment, painted cloth (Skt.); pat.t.a woven silk (Skt.)(DBIA 240-b).
vat.t.uvam pouch in which betel leaves, nuts, chunam, tobacco, etc. are kept,
medicine pouch,pocket inside a pouch or purse (Ta.); betel-purse, portemonnaie
(Ma.); bat.uve bag, purse, satchel
(Tu.)(DEDR 5234). vastra dress (RV.); vattha clothes (Pali.Pkt.); vat-a
(Si.)(CDIAL 11450). from vas,vaste to clothe; Idg.*ues, enlargement of *eu (:
Latin.ex-uo); vestis vest-(ment)(Latin); wasjan to clothe (Gothic); wasti
dress (Gothic); vattha cloth; clothing, garment, raiment; also collectively:
clothes; alla-vattha fresh, clean clothes; ahata-vattha new clothes;
dibba-vattha heavenly, i.e. exquisite dresses--pl.vattha_ni garments, clothes;
vattha hangings, tapestry; vattha--yuga a pair of
garments; vattha-sannidhi storing up of clothes (Pali.lex.)...panta_r.a end;
pantua_ end of cloth worn by a woman during her period (Or.)(CDIAL 8940).

http://sarasvati.simplenet.com/dictionary/6128TO.HTM

Dr. S> Kalyanaraman

____________________________________________________________________
Get your own FREE, personal Netscape WebMail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com.