Dear all,

  I feel the entire search for a Sanskrit etymon be a red herring. 19th century reports on the chimaerical kadimakara, as far as I have been able to track, always make reference to the mythology of the Dieri/Diyari people in the area of Lake Eyre, and therefore not in "Northern Australia." Peter K. Austin's Dictionary of Diyari (https://www.academia.edu/2491259/A_Dictionary_of_Diyari_South_Australia) gives markara as the name of a fish, Macquaria Ambigua; the element kati enters into the composition of the Diyari name for Lake Eyre, Katithandra. So perhaps it is all a coincidence? I doubt that a Sanskrit kandhi=*"ocean" attested only in lexica could have spread in South East Asia, although, who knows. If possible, though, I would ask Dr. Bailey to ask his friend to share with us the list of Sanskrit lexical items in northern Australian languages, I would love to know which those are.

  namaskaromi,

  Diego Loukota