पवस्त

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *pawástam (covering, envelope). Cognate with Old Persian 𐎱𐎠𐎺𐎿𐎫𐎠 (p-a-v-s-t-a /⁠pavastā⁠/, thin clay envelope), whence Persian پوست (pust, hide). Also compare पुस्तक (pustaka), a borrowing from Middle Iranian. The Indo-Iranian word most likely traces back to a combination of *pa-was-ta-, the former component from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó (off, away) (compare अप (apa, away, back; down)), and the latter from Proto-Indo-European *wes- (to dress) (compare वस्ते (vaste, to put on, invest, wear)). The form of the former component as प-, rather than the expected अप-, is explained as a preserved archaism from Old Indo-Aryan.[1][2]

Alternatively, Cheung connects the word to Proto-Iranian *paus- (to dress, clothe, cover) (whence Persian پوشیدن (pušidan, to wear clothes)), deriving both from an unidentified substrate.[3] This is less likely, considering the word's Vedic presence and existence of a plausible Indo-Iranian etymology.

Pronunciation

Noun

पवस्त • (pavásta) stemn

  1. a covering, garment
    • c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 10.27.7:
      अभूर्वौक्षीर्व्यु आयुरानड्दर्षन्नु पूर्वो अपरो नु दर्षत् ।
      द्वे पवस्ते परि तं न भूतो यो अस्य पारे रजसो विवेष ॥
      abhūrvaukṣīrvyu āyurānaḍdarṣannu pūrvo aparo nu darṣat.
      dve pavaste pari taṃ na bhūto yo asya pāre rajaso viveṣa.
      Thou wast, thou grewest to full vital vigour: an earlier saw, a later one shall see thee.
      Two canopies, as ’twere, are round about him who reacheth to the limit of this region.
    • c. 1200 BCE – 1000 BCE, Atharvaveda 4.7.6:
      पवस्तैस् त्वा पर्य् अक्रीणन् दूर्शेभिर् अजिनैर् उत ।
      प्रक्रीर् असि त्वम् ओषधे ऽभ्रिखाते न रूरुपः ॥
      pavastais tvā pary akrīṇan dūrśebhir ajinair uta.
      prakrīr asi tvam oṣadhe ʼbhrikhāte na rūrupaḥ.
      [People] have traded you for garments, woven cloths, and deer-skins.
      O Plant, dug up with a pickaxe, you are a thing of sale; do not cause us harm!

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of पवस्त
singular dual plural
nominative पवस्तम् (pavástam) पवस्ते (paváste) पवस्तानि (pavástāni)
पवस्ता¹ (pavástā¹)
accusative पवस्तम् (pavástam) पवस्ते (paváste) पवस्तानि (pavástāni)
पवस्ता¹ (pavástā¹)
instrumental पवस्तेन (pavástena) पवस्ताभ्याम् (pavástābhyām) पवस्तैः (pavástaiḥ)
पवस्तेभिः¹ (pavástebhiḥ¹)
dative पवस्ताय (pavástāya) पवस्ताभ्याम् (pavástābhyām) पवस्तेभ्यः (pavástebhyaḥ)
ablative पवस्तात् (pavástāt) पवस्ताभ्याम् (pavástābhyām) पवस्तेभ्यः (pavástebhyaḥ)
genitive पवस्तस्य (pavástasya) पवस्तयोः (pavástayoḥ) पवस्तानाम् (pavástānām)
locative पवस्ते (paváste) पवस्तयोः (pavástayoḥ) पवस्तेषु (pavásteṣu)
vocative पवस्त (pávasta) पवस्ते (pávaste) पवस्तानि (pávastāni)
पवस्ता¹ (pávastā¹)
  • ¹Vedic

Descendants

  • Pali: potthaka (with Middle Indo-Aryan -ka-)
  • Prakrit: 𑀧𑁄𑀢𑁆𑀣 (pŏttha)
  • Prakrit: 𑀧𑁄𑀢𑁆𑀣𑀬 (pŏtthaya) (with Middle Indo-Aryan -ka-)
    • Sindhi: پوٿو (potho, lump of rag for smearing)

References

  1. ^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎[1] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 105
  2. ^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1963) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary]‎[2] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 238
  3. ^ Cheung, Johnny (2007) Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 303