Rv/Mittani

[Subrahmanya S.]

This message was posted on Indology more than 2 years ago -
Here are some excerpts from
"The Emergence of the Indo-Iranians: The Indo-Iranian
languages." Harmatta, In History of Civilizations of Central Asia.
Ed: A.H.Dani and V.M.Masson

Harmatta writes {begin quote}"
In the scanty linguistic material of the Kassites three important
terms denoting deities occur: Suriyas,Maruttas and Bugas corresponding
to the Old Indian names Surya, Marut and Bhaga. Surya and Marut are unknown
in Old Iranian; this fact clearly points to the borrowing by the Kassites
of these names from the Proto-Indian. Thus, linguistic evidence speaks
clearly for the assumption that the people of war-charioteers, which had
induced the Kassites to invade Babylonia, belonged to the Proto-Indians."
.........
"...Proto-Indian linguistic influence was considerable on the vocabulary
of horse breeding, horse training, social life and training as shown by
the following list of Proto-Indian terms borrowed by the Hurrians and
other peoples of Western Asia.
Horse breeding and horse training:
    azvani 'horse driver';azva 'horse'. This term was borrowed by
    Heiroglyphic Hittite in the form azuwa, by Hebrew in the form of the
    radical s-w-s(<*azvas) becoming sus and by Akkadian with metathesis
    *azvas s-w-s > s-s-w giving sisu.
    *vazhanasya Gen.'ground', vartani 'round', babhru 'brown', palita 'grey'
    pingala 'red', *aika -'one', tri 'three', panca 'five', sapta 'seven',
    nava 'nine', vart 'to turn', rathya 'part of the chariot'
Social life:
    marya 'member of the charioteer aristocracy', *mizdha 'wage',
    magha 'gift,present', mani 'necklace', rukma 'jewel', khadi 'bracelet'
Religion:
    Mitra, Varuna, Indra, Nasatya, Agni (in Hittite ritual texts)
    'names of gods'
(Phonetic forms which are earlier than Vedic Indian are marked with an *)

Also many personal names are known; they enlarge considerably our knowledge
of the Proto-Indian vocabulary. There were heated debates to the extent
and importance of the Proto-Indian ethnic elements in Mesopotamia. In the
present writers opinion recent research tends to underestimate or even
to deny the role played by the Proto-Indians in Mesopotamia in general
and in the Mittani kingdom in particular." {end quote}
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