[INDOLOGY] Claude
Andrea Lorene Gutierrez
andreagutierrez at utexas.edu
Sat Aug 9 15:07:22 UTC 2025
We even see this Persian-Urdu jigar come into modern Tamil in the sherbet
type drink of Tamil Nadu, jigarthanda, which cools the heart/stomach/core,
in its popular understanding.
Dr. Andrea Gutiérrez
Assistant Professor of Instruction
Department of Asian Studies
The University of Texas at Austin
https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/asianstudies/faculty/alg3485
https://utexas.academia.edu/AndreaLoreneGutierrez
On Sat, Aug 9, 2025 at 8:15 AM Satyanad Kichenassamy via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
> Did anyone mention that today is World Sanskrit Day ?
>
> Le 09/08/2025 à 03:26, Madhav Deshpande via INDOLOGY a écrit :
> > Thanks Hans. That is a very good suggestion.
> >
> > Madhav
> >
> > Madhav M. Deshpande
> > Professor Emeritus, Sanskrit and Linguistics
> > University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
> > Senior Fellow, Oxford Center for Hindu Studies
> > Adjunct Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore,
> India
> >
> > [Residence: Campbell, California, USA]
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Aug 8, 2025 at 12:30 PM Hock, Hans Henrich <hhhock at illinois.edu>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Interesting evidence, esp. the Jaina Prakrit one. Could jagri and
> jigar(u)
> >> be variant vernacularizations of Skt. yak.rt, plus additional Prakritic
> >> changes (e.g. a > i after palatal, comparable to madhyama > majjihima?
> >>
> >> Hans Henrich
> >>
> >> On Aug 8, 2025, at 14:06, Uskokov, Aleksandar via INDOLOGY <
> >> indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Curiously skipping arguably the most famous reference of them all, in
> the
> >> very opening of the *Bṛhad-āraṇyaka, *which raises the question of what
> >> is often sheer randomness of how ai engines operate.
> >>
> >> Best wishes,
> >> Aleksandar
> >>
> >> Aleksandar Uskokov
> >>
> >> Senior Lector and Associate Research Scholar
> >>
> >> South Asian Studies Council & Department of Religious Studies, Yale
> >> University
> >>
> >> 203-432-1972 | aleksandar.uskokov at yale.edu
> >>
> >> "The Philosophy of the Brahma-sutra: An Introduction"
> >>
> >> https://www.amzn.com/1350150002/
> >> <
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.amzn.com/1350150002/__;!!DZ3fjg!7empG3RZB65PWHDWZivLaKrN86ZLoEMwKy9oIFuSdPC7-Wi-CY4O5u-3jVndiUib2RgecbhnxRofluIewH3spp2MW0kH$
> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> *Office Hours Sign-up:* https://calendly.com/aleksandar-uskokov
> >> <
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://calendly.com/aleksandar-uskokov__;!!DZ3fjg!7empG3RZB65PWHDWZivLaKrN86ZLoEMwKy9oIFuSdPC7-Wi-CY4O5u-3jVndiUib2RgecbhnxRofluIewH3spl0GFnt_$
> >
> >> ------------------------------
> >> *From:* INDOLOGY <indology-bounces at list.indology.info> on behalf of
> >> Madhav Deshpande via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info>
> >> *Sent:* Friday, August 8, 2025 2:58 PM
> >> *To:* Rolf Heinrich Koch <rolfheiner.koch at gmail.com>; Indology <
> >> indology at list.indology.info>
> >> *Subject:* Re: [INDOLOGY] Claude
> >>
> >> For whatever it's worth, the DeepSeek AI provided the following textual
> >> references:
> >>
> >> 1. Sanskrit (यकृत् / Yakṛt) – Ayurvedic Texts
> >>
> >> The liver is extensively discussed in classical Ayurveda as part of the
> *"Raktavaha
> >> Srotas"* (blood-carrying channels).
> >> Key References:
> >>
> >> -
> >>
> >> Charaka Samhita (चरकसंहिता, ~300 BCE–200 CE)
> >> -
> >>
> >> *Chikitsāsthāna 15/16* – Discusses liver disorders (
> >> *yakṛd-dalyudara*, enlarged liver).
> >> -
> >>
> >> *Sūtrasthāna 28* – Lists *yakṛt* among major organs.
> >> -
> >>
> >> Sushruta Samhita (सुश्रुतसंहिता, ~4th century CE)
> >> -
> >>
> >> *Sharīrasthāna 4* – Describes the liver’s anatomical position.
> >> -
> >>
> >> *Nidānasthāna 7* – Diagnoses liver diseases (*yakṛt-plīhodara*).
> >> -
> >>
> >> Ashtanga Hridaya (अष्टाङ्गहृदय, 6th century CE)
> >> -
> >>
> >> *Sūtrasthāna 12* – Mentions *yakṛt* in the context of digestion.
> >>
> >> Example Verse (Charaka):
> >>
> >> *"यकृत्प्लीहानमुदरं गुल्मः..."*
> >> *("Disorders of the liver, spleen, and abdomen...")*
> >> — *Charaka Samhita, Chikitsāsthāna 15*
> >>
> >> ------------------------------
> >> 2. Pali (यकन / Yakana) – Buddhist Texts
> >>
> >> The Pali Canon refers to the liver in medical and metaphorical contexts.
> >> Key References:
> >>
> >> -
> >>
> >> Vinaya Piṭaka (विनयपिटक, Mahāvagga VI.14.6)
> >> -
> >>
> >> Prohibits monks from consuming animal livers (as part of strict
> >> dietary rules).
> >> -
> >>
> >> Milindapañha (मिलिन्दपञ्ह, ~1st century BCE)
> >> -
> >>
> >> Compares the liver to a "storehouse of blood" in anatomical
> >> discussions.
> >> -
> >>
> >> Pali Jātaka Tales (e.g., Jātaka 319)
> >> -
> >>
> >> Metaphorically uses *"yakana"* in descriptions of bodily
> suffering.
> >>
> >> Example Passage:
> >>
> >> *"Yakanaṃ hadayaṃ kilomakaṃ antogataṃ..."*
> >> *("The liver, heart, and kidneys are inside...")*
> >> — *Vinaya Piṭaka commentary*
> >>
> >> ------------------------------
> >> 3. Jain Prakrit (जिगर / Jigara) – Ardhamāgadhī & Śaurasenī
> >>
> >> Jain texts in Prakrit use *"jigara"* (from Sanskrit *yakṛt*).
> >> Key References:
> >>
> >> -
> >>
> >> Uttarādhyayana Sūtra (उत्तराध्ययन सूत्र, 5th–3rd century BCE)
> >> -
> >>
> >> Verse 36.75: Lists *jigara* among organs affected by karma.
> >> -
> >>
> >> Sūtrakṛtāṅga (सूत्रकृताङ्ग 1.6.27)
> >> -
> >>
> >> Forbids harming creatures "from liver to bones" (*jigara-aṭṭhi*).
> >> -
> >>
> >> Paiyalacchi (पैयलच्छी, 10th-century Prakrit lexicon)
> >> -
> >>
> >> Defines: *"Jigara = Yakṛt"* (यकृत्).
> >>
> >> Example Verse (Sūtrakṛtāṅga):
> >>
> >> *"जिगर-अट्ठी-मज्जाणं..."*
> >> *("From liver to bones and marrow...")*
> >> — *Sūtrakṛtāṅga 1.6.27*
> >>
> >> ------------------------------
> >> 4. Apabhraṃśa (जिगरु / Jigaru) – Medieval Jain & Medical Texts
> >>
> >> The transitional form *"jigaru"* appears in late Prakrit/Apabhraṃśa.
> >> Key References:
> >>
> >> -
> >>
> >> Bhavisayatta Kaha (भविसयत्त कहा, 8th–10th century CE)
> >> -
> >>
> >> A Jain story describing a king’s *"jigaru-roga"* (liver disease).
> >> -
> >>
> >> Ravidatta’s Medical Works (रविदत्त, ~9th century CE)
> >> -
> >>
> >> Uses *jigaru* in prescriptions for liver ailments.
> >>
> >> Example Line:
> >>
> >> *"जिगरु दुक्खु"* ("Liver pain")
> >> — *Bhavisayatta Kaha*
> >>
> >> ------------------------------
> >> Evolution Summary:
> >>
> >> 1.
> >>
> >> Vedic Sanskrit: *Yakṛt (यकृत्)*
> >> 2.
> >>
> >> Pali: *Yakana (यकन)*
> >> 3.
> >>
> >> Early Prakrit: *Yakai (यकइ)*
> >> 4.
> >>
> >> Later Prakrit (Jain): *Jigara (जिगर)*
> >> 5.
> >>
> >> Apabhraṃśa: *Jigaru (जिगरु)*
> >> 6.
> >>
> >> Modern Hindi/Urdu: *Jigar (जिगर)*
> >>
> >> These references contain the use of *jigara *or *jigaru *from ancient
> >> Jain Prakrit texts and Apabhraṃśa texts. The Deśīnāmamāla also lists it.
> >> Assuming these textual references are accurate, the word *jigar/jigaru
> *goes
> >> back to Prakrit/Apabhraṃśa ancestry. I wonder if we would still
> consider it
> >> a borrowing from Persian.
> >>
> >> Madhav M. Deshpandee
> >> Professor Emeritus, Sanskrit and Linguistics
> >> University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
> >> Senior Fellow, Oxford Center for Hindu Studies
> >> Adjunct Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore,
> India
> >>
> >> [Residence: Campbell, California, USA]
> >>
> >>
> >> On Fri, Aug 8, 2025 at 11:46 AM Madhav Deshpande <mmdesh at umich.edu>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> Dear Rolf,
> >>
> >> I am not an expert in all these languages. But from the
> information
> >> provided by Open.AI and Claude.AI, it seems to me that the Persian
> *jigar
> >> *is cognate with Sanskrit *yakr̥t*. The reason I am reluctant to think
> *jagrī
> >> *coming from Persian *jigar*, is that such a borrowing does not explain
> >> the *ī *at the end of *jagrī*, and then we have to assume that somehow
> >> the * i *of *jigar *changed to *a* of *jagrī*. That requires too many ad
> >> hoc changes. On the other hand, in numerous modern IA languages, the *y
> *of
> >> Sanskrit is replaced with *j*, and the *r̥ *is routinely pronounced as
> *rī
> >> *in North India. The loss of final Sanskrit consonants is a common
> >> feature of all Prakrit languages. Given these considerations, I see
> more of
> >> a clear line of connection between Sanskrit *yakr̥t* and your *jagrī*,
> >> than to the Persian word. This is my thinking.
> >>
> >> Madhav
> >> Madhav M. Deshpande
> >> Professor Emeritus, Sanskrit and Linguistics
> >> University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
> >> Senior Fellow, Oxford Center for Hindu Studies
> >> Adjunct Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore,
> India
> >>
> >> [Residence: Campbell, California, USA]
> >>
> >>
> >> On Fri, Aug 8, 2025 at 9:57 AM Rolf Heinrich Koch <
> >> rolfheiner.koch at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> Dear Madhav,
> >>
> >> just learning the Open.ai system, I asked Open.ai exactly the same as
> you
> >> did with Claude.ai.
> >>
> >> This is the answer (which I cannot fully understand):
> >>
> >> The Persian word *jigar* (جگر), meaning *“liver”*, has a
> well-established
> >> history within the *Indo-Iranian branch* of the *Indo-European language
> >> family*. Here’s the full etymological breakdown:
> >> ------------------------------
> >> 🔹 1. *Persian jigar (جگر) – meaning: liver*
> >>
> >> -
> >>
> >> In *Classical Persian*, *jigar* refers both to:
> >> -
> >>
> >> The *anatomical liver*, and
> >> -
> >>
> >> *Metaphorical qualities* like *courage*, * passion*, and *deep
> >> emotion* — much like how “heart” is used in English.
> >>
> >> ------------------------------
> >> 🔹 2. *Etymology: from Middle and Old Iranian*
> >>
> >> -
> >>
> >> *Middle Persian*:
> >> -
> >>
> >> The word appears as *jigar* (same as modern) or * jekar*.
> >> -
> >>
> >> *Old Persian*:
> >> -
> >>
> >> The word is not directly attested, but is *reconstructed* based
> on
> >> related Avestan and Indo-Iranian forms.
> >>
> >> ------------------------------
> >> 🔹 3. *Reconstructed Indo-Iranian and Proto-Indo-European (PIE) roots*
> >>
> >> -
> >>
> >> *Avestan* (East Iranian):
> >> -
> >>
> >> *yakarə* (liver) – a clear cognate.
> >> -
> >>
> >> *Proto-Iranian*:
> >> -
> >>
> >> Reconstructed as *jigar* or *jakar*, derived from an earlier
> >> Indo-Iranian form.
> >> -
> >>
> >> *Proto-Indo-Iranian*:
> >> -
> >>
> >> Reconstructed as *yákṛt* (same as Sanskrit *yakṛt* = liver)
> >> -
> >>
> >> *Proto-Indo-European (PIE)* root:
> >> -
> >>
> >> **iék̂wṛ̥* → This is the PIE word for *“liver”*, and it gives
> rise
> >> to many cognates across Indo-European languages.
> >>
> >> ------------------------------
> >> 🔹 4. *Cognates in other Indo-European languages*
> >> Language Word for "liver" Notes
> >> *Sanskrit* *yakṛt* (यकृत्) Exact Indo-Aryan match
> >> *Avestan* *yakarə* East Iranian cognate
> >> *Latin* *iecur* PIE root preserved (with changes)
> >> *Ancient Greek* *hēpar* (ἧπαρ) Different root, not cognate (likely
> non-IE
> >> origin)
> >> *Old English* *lifere* → *liver* Possibly unrelated, or influenced by
> >> metaphorical use ("life-organ")
> >> ------------------------------
> >> 🔹 5. *Semantic development in Persian*
> >>
> >> -
> >>
> >> In Persian and later Urdu and Hindi, *jigar* became * highly
> >> metaphorical*:
> >> -
> >>
> >> *jigar-dil* = “liver-hearted” → brave
> >> -
> >>
> >> *jigar-pāra* (lit. “a piece of liver”) = a beloved person
> >> -
> >>
> >> *jigar khun hona* (“liver bleeding”) = intense grief
> >>
> >> This is *cultural* — just as the *heart* became the seat of emotion in
> >> European traditions, *the liver* was seen in Persianate culture as the
> >> seat of * strong emotions*, especially *courage and deep love*.
> >> ------------------------------
> >> ✅ Summary:
> >>
> >> -
> >>
> >> *Jigar (جگر)* is *an authentic Iranian word*, descending from
> *Proto-Indo-European
> >> *iék̂wṛ̥* via *Indo-Iranian *yakṛt*.
> >> -
> >>
> >> It is *cognate with Sanskrit yakṛt*, Latin *iecur*, and Avestan
> >> *yakarə*.
> >> -
> >>
> >> The *metaphorical richness* of the word in Persianate cultures
> >> (courage, love, pain) is a *later cultural development*, not
> >> etymological.
> >>
> >> Would you like a linguistic family tree of this word across
> Indo-European
> >> languages?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Am 08.08.2025 um 16:59 schrieb Madhav Deshpande via INDOLOGY:
> >>
> >> https://claude.ai/share/2fe502db-185f-447d-b742-88e87ff1c17c
> >> <
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://claude.ai/share/2fe502db-185f-447d-b742-88e87ff1c17c__;!!DZ3fjg!7empG3RZB65PWHDWZivLaKrN86ZLoEMwKy9oIFuSdPC7-Wi-CY4O5u-3jVndiUib2RgecbhnxRofluIewH3spllBBM6k$
> >
> >>
> >> Some interesting connections of the Persian word jigar to Sanskrit word
> >> taker for liver.
> >>
> >> Madhav Deshpande
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> INDOLOGY mailing listINDOLOGY at list.indology.infohttps://
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> >
> >>
> >> --
> >> Dr. R. H. Koch - Germany/Sri Lanka www.rolfheinrichkoch.wordpress.com <
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.rolfheinrichkoch.wordpress.com/__;!!DZ3fjg!7empG3RZB65PWHDWZivLaKrN86ZLoEMwKy9oIFuSdPC7-Wi-CY4O5u-3jVndiUib2RgecbhnxRofluIewH3spnf2lNt0$
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> INDOLOGY mailing list
> >> INDOLOGY at list.indology.info
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >>
> >>
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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>
> --
> **********************************************
> Satyanad KICHENASSAMY
> Professor of Mathematics
> Laboratoire de Mathématiques de Reims (CNRS, UMR9008)
> and GREI (EPHE-Paris and Sorbonne-Université)
> Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne
> F-51687 Reims Cedex 2
> France
> Web: https://www.normalesup.org/~kichenassamy
> **********************************************
>
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