A Cheetah in a Camphor Tree Grove: Etymological Notes on Indo-Iranian Words for Camphor

Kulikov, Leonid

doi:10.22034/hunara.2023.181445

A Cheetah in a Camphor Tree Grove: Etymological Notes on Indo-Iranian Words for Camphor

Document Type : Original Research

Author

Leonid Kulikov

Université Catholique de Louvain; Ghent University

https://doi.org/10.22034/hunara.2023.181445

Abstract

This paper focuses on the etymology of Indo-Iranian words for camphor, particularly on Skt. karpūra-, briefly referring also to Gr. κέρβερος ‘Cerberus’. I argue that this form (of non-Indo-European origin) was modified due to secondary re-etymologization under a group of phonetically similar words with partly similar meanings (‘spotted, dappled’ etc.), some of which may refer to cheetah.

Keywords

Indo-Iranian

Cheetah

Camphor

Etymology