Oak and the Tribe of the Buddha

[jkirk]

Hello Indologers,

This is a query that came to the Buddha-L list, and as I too am wondering
about this translation of shakya--any comment, anyone?

Thanks,
Joanna Kirkpatrick
==================================



> Dear list members,
> 
> Here's a quotation from the new book _Oak:  The Frame
> of Civilization_, by William Bryant Logan, Norton, 2005,
> page 24:
> 
> 'The name of the historic Buddha, Shakyamuni, means
> "the sage of the oak tree people".'
> 
> This surprised me, and I haven't been able to find any
> corroboration on the internet or in my library.  I'm not
> an expert on Pali or Sanskrit, so I can't judge the
> accuracy of this statement.  The book is not a scholarly
> volume, so there aren't footnotes  -- otherwise I'd just
> look at his references and I might have my answer already.
> 
> Was the Shakya tribe/clan really named after oak trees?
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Greg Bungo