Brahui

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Etymology

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Derived from Proto-Dravidian *cumV- (to carry on head).[1] Cognate with Tamil சும (cuma, to bear, carry).[2]

McAlpin, taking the "serious" meaning as primary, relates it to Middle Elamite [script needed] (su-um-mu-h /⁠summuh⁠/, I committed myself), New Elamite [script needed] (su-um-mu-un /⁠summun⁠/, offering obligation).[3] However, in earlier work, he connected it to Elamite [script needed] (su-man-ra, one who makes others work (hard)), which is more semantically plausible.[4]

Adjective

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کُبین (kuben)

  1. heavy
  2. difficult
  3. weighty, serious
  4. serious-minded, sedate, dignified
  5. dear, expensive
  6. precious
  7. dirty
  8. haunted

Derived terms

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References

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  1. ^ Krishnamurti, Bhadriraju (2003) The Dravidian Languages (Cambridge Language Surveys), Cambridge University Press, →ISBN.
  2. ^ Burrow, T., Emeneau, M. B. (1984) “2677”, in A Dravidian etymological dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, →ISBN.
  3. ^ McAlpin, David (2022) “*ḱum”, in “Modern colloquial eastern Elamite”, in Al-Burz, volume 14, number 1, pages 64–123
  4. ^ McAlpin, David (2015) “Brahui and the Zagrosian Hypothesis”, in Journal of the American Oriental Society,[1], volume 135, number 3, pages 551–586

Further reading

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  • Bray, Denys (1934) “kubēn”, in The Brahui Language[2], Calcutta, India: Superintendent Government Printing, Part II: The Brāhūī Problem; Part III: Etymological Vocabulary, page 171
  • Ali, Liaquat, Kobayashi, Masato (2024) “kuben”, in Brahui Texts: Glossed and Translated Short Stories and Folktales[3], Tokyo: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, page 712