[INDOLOGY] Claude
Dominik Wujastyk
wujastyk at gmail.com
Mon Aug 11 03:50:47 UTC 2025
There's at least one precedent that I know of for a Persian loanword in
late Sanskrit and Hindi medical texts, and that is the Persian word dil
"heart" in the context of Bhāvamiśra's *Bhāvaprakāśa* (16 cent), where it
appears as *tila*, cited alongside the well-known Ayurvedic Man image in
the Wellcome Library
<https://wellcomecollection.org/works/dfcp3k9d/images?id=jx88y9hv>, see my
discussion in DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/157342109X423793 pages 237-238,
and note the same word (*dila*) occurring in a 1903 printed book by
Muralīdharaśarman. It is likely that such loan examples could be
multiplied especially in late Āyurvedic works. Also, for *dil*, see,
e.g., Mahādevadeva's *Hikmatprakāśa* (tr. and study by Meulenbeld,
https://indianmedicine.nl/article/view/24744 and
https://indianmedicine.nl/article/view/24745), vol.2, pp. 157--158 et
passim (and hṛdaya/hṛd in other passages). (Mahādevadeva doesn't seem to
use jigar/jagrī for liver, always yakṛt).
DSAL #10394 <https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/soas_query.py?page=601> has
already been mentioned, which is characteristically rich but doesn't clear
causal relations up much. Mayrhofer's EWA, also mentioned, vol. 2, p. 391,
discusses the form as *yakar*, which does look much more like /jagar/ etc.
and calls the forms Indo-Iranian. In KEWA, 3, 1, "yakṛt" he had already
noted the similarity with Iranian forms, as well as the difficulty in
making real connections with such forms.
Best,
Dominik
--
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University of Alberta
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3.01
On Sat, 9 Aug 2025 at 09:08, Andrea Lorene Gutierrez via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
> 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://
>> list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology <
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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$
>> >
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> _______________________________________________
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>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
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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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