THE ETYMOLOGIES OF THREE DIFFERENT NAMES OF WATER IN A HYMN OF THE ATHARVAVEDA

The paper analyzes three verses of a hymn of the Atharvaveda (3.13.2-4), which contain three folk etymologies of three different names of water. The choice of the hymn was suggested to the authoress by the fact that a few years ago she had dealt with the various names of water in the R̥gveda. Therefore, she thought she would check whether what she had written about the different meanings of water names in the R̥gveda was still valid in the Atharvaveda or whether there had been some change in people's beliefs or views. The analysis carried out by the authoress shows that the three different water names used in the Atharvaveda hymn described water in the same way they had depicted it in the R̥gveda. What is even more interesting, however, is that the authoress arrives at a “new” interpretation of the hymn in which folk etymologies play a specific role.