Interesting evidence, esp. the Jaina Prakrit one. Could jagri and jigar(u)
be variant vernacularizations of Skt. yak.rt, plus additional Prakritic
changes (e.g. a > i after palatal, comparable to madhyama > majjihima?
Hans Henrich
On Aug 8, 2025, at 14:06, Uskokov, Aleksandar via INDOLOGY <
[email protected]> wrote:
Curiously skipping arguably the most famous reference of them all, in the
very opening of the *Bṛhad-āraṇyaka, *which raises the question of what
is often sheer randomness of how ai engines operate.
Best wishes,
Aleksandar
Aleksandar Uskokov
Senior Lector and Associate Research Scholar
South Asian Studies Council & Department of Religious Studies, Yale
University
203-432-1972 | [email protected]
"The Philosophy of the Brahma-sutra: An Introduction"
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------------------------------
*From:* INDOLOGY <[email protected]> on behalf of
Madhav Deshpande via INDOLOGY <[email protected]>
*Sent:* Friday, August 8, 2025 2:58 PM
*To:* Rolf Heinrich Koch <[email protected]>; Indology <
[email protected]>
*Subject:* Re: [INDOLOGY] Claude
For whatever it's worth, the DeepSeek AI provided the following textual
references:
1. Sanskrit (यकृत् / Yakṛt) – Ayurvedic Texts
The liver is extensively discussed in classical Ayurveda as part of the
*"Raktavaha
Srotas"* (blood-carrying channels).
Key References:
-
Charaka Samhita (चरकसंहिता, ~300 BCE–200 CE)
-
*Chikitsāsthāna 15/16* – Discusses liver disorders (
*yakṛd-dalyudara*, enlarged liver).
-
*Sūtrasthāna 28* – Lists *yakṛt* among major organs.
-
Sushruta Samhita (सुश्रुतसंहिता, ~4th century CE)
-
*Sharīrasthāna 4* – Describes the liver’s anatomical position.
-
*Nidānasthāna 7* – Diagnoses liver diseases (*yakṛt-plīhodara*).
-
Ashtanga Hridaya (अष्टाङ्गहृदय, 6th century CE)
-
*Sūtrasthāna 12* – Mentions *yakṛt* in the context of digestion.
Example Verse (Charaka):
*"यकृत्प्लीहानमुदरं गुल्मः..."*
*("Disorders of the liver, spleen, and abdomen...")*
— *Charaka Samhita, Chikitsāsthāna 15*
------------------------------
2. Pali (यकन / Yakana) – Buddhist Texts
The Pali Canon refers to the liver in medical and metaphorical contexts.
Key References:
-
Vinaya Piṭaka (विनयपिटक, Mahāvagga VI.14.6)
-
Prohibits monks from consuming animal livers (as part of strict
dietary rules).
-
Milindapañha (मिलिन्दपञ्ह, ~1st century BCE)
-
Compares the liver to a "storehouse of blood" in anatomical
discussions.
-
Pali Jātaka Tales (e.g., Jātaka 319)
-
Metaphorically uses *"yakana"* in descriptions of bodily suffering.
Example Passage:
*"Yakanaṃ hadayaṃ kilomakaṃ antogataṃ..."*
*("The liver, heart, and kidneys are inside...")*
— *Vinaya Piṭaka commentary*
------------------------------
3. Jain Prakrit (जिगर / Jigara) – Ardhamāgadhī & Śaurasenī
Jain texts in Prakrit use *"jigara"* (from Sanskrit *yakṛt*).
Key References:
-
Uttarādhyayana Sūtra (उत्तराध्ययन सूत्र, 5th–3rd century BCE)
-
Verse 36.75: Lists *jigara* among organs affected by karma.
-
Sūtrakṛtāṅga (सूत्रकृताङ्ग 1.6.27)
-
Forbids harming creatures "from liver to bones" (*jigara-aṭṭhi*).
-
Paiyalacchi (पैयलच्छी, 10th-century Prakrit lexicon)
-
Defines: *"Jigara = Yakṛt"* (यकृत्).
Example Verse (Sūtrakṛtāṅga):
*"जिगर-अट्ठी-मज्जाणं..."*
*("From liver to bones and marrow...")*
— *Sūtrakṛtāṅga 1.6.27*
------------------------------
4. Apabhraṃśa (जिगरु / Jigaru) – Medieval Jain & Medical Texts
The transitional form *"jigaru"* appears in late Prakrit/Apabhraṃśa.
Key References:
-
Bhavisayatta Kaha (भविसयत्त कहा, 8th–10th century CE)
-
A Jain story describing a king’s *"jigaru-roga"* (liver disease).
-
Ravidatta’s Medical Works (रविदत्त, ~9th century CE)
-
Uses *jigaru* in prescriptions for liver ailments.
Example Line:
*"जिगरु दुक्खु"* ("Liver pain")
— *Bhavisayatta Kaha*
------------------------------
Evolution Summary:
1.
Vedic Sanskrit: *Yakṛt (यकृत्)*
2.
Pali: *Yakana (यकन)*
3.
Early Prakrit: *Yakai (यकइ)*
4.
Later Prakrit (Jain): *Jigara (जिगर)*
5.
Apabhraṃśa: *Jigaru (जिगरु)*
6.
Modern Hindi/Urdu: *Jigar (जिगर)*
These references contain the use of *jigara *or *jigaru *from ancient
Jain Prakrit texts and Apabhraṃśa texts. The Deśīnāmamāla also lists it.
Assuming these textual references are accurate, the word *jigar/jigaru *goes
back to Prakrit/Apabhraṃśa ancestry. I wonder if we would still consider it
a borrowing from Persian.
Madhav M. Deshpandee
Professor Emeritus, Sanskrit and Linguistics
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Senior Fellow, Oxford Center for Hindu Studies
Adjunct Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India
[Residence: Campbell, California, USA]
On Fri, Aug 8, 2025 at 11:46 AM Madhav Deshpande <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Rolf,
I am not an expert in all these languages. But from the information
provided by Open.AI and Claude.AI, it seems to me that the Persian *jigar
*is cognate with Sanskrit *yakr̥t*. The reason I am reluctant to think *jagrī
*coming from Persian *jigar*, is that such a borrowing does not explain
the *ī *at the end of *jagrī*, and then we have to assume that somehow
the * i *of *jigar *changed to *a* of *jagrī*. That requires too many ad
hoc changes. On the other hand, in numerous modern IA languages, the *y *of
Sanskrit is replaced with *j*, and the *r̥ *is routinely pronounced as *rī
*in North India. The loss of final Sanskrit consonants is a common
feature of all Prakrit languages. Given these considerations, I see more of
a clear line of connection between Sanskrit *yakr̥t* and your *jagrī*,
than to the Persian word. This is my thinking.
Madhav
Madhav M. Deshpande
Professor Emeritus, Sanskrit and Linguistics
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Senior Fellow, Oxford Center for Hindu Studies
Adjunct Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India
[Residence: Campbell, California, USA]
On Fri, Aug 8, 2025 at 9:57 AM Rolf Heinrich Koch <
[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Madhav,
just learning the Open.ai system, I asked Open.ai exactly the same as you
did with Claude.ai.
This is the answer (which I cannot fully understand):
The Persian word *jigar* (جگر), meaning *“liver”*, has a well-established
history within the *Indo-Iranian branch* of the *Indo-European language
family*. Here’s the full etymological breakdown:
------------------------------
🔹 1. *Persian jigar (جگر) – meaning: liver*
-
In *Classical Persian*, *jigar* refers both to:
-
The *anatomical liver*, and
-
*Metaphorical qualities* like *courage*, * passion*, and *deep
emotion* — much like how “heart” is used in English.
------------------------------
🔹 2. *Etymology: from Middle and Old Iranian*
-
*Middle Persian*:
-
The word appears as *jigar* (same as modern) or * jekar*.
-
*Old Persian*:
-
The word is not directly attested, but is *reconstructed* based on
related Avestan and Indo-Iranian forms.
------------------------------
🔹 3. *Reconstructed Indo-Iranian and Proto-Indo-European (PIE) roots*
-
*Avestan* (East Iranian):
-
*yakarə* (liver) – a clear cognate.
-
*Proto-Iranian*:
-
Reconstructed as *jigar* or *jakar*, derived from an earlier
Indo-Iranian form.
-
*Proto-Indo-Iranian*:
-
Reconstructed as *yákṛt* (same as Sanskrit *yakṛt* = liver)
-
*Proto-Indo-European (PIE)* root:
-
**iék̂wṛ̥* → This is the PIE word for *“liver”*, and it gives rise
to many cognates across Indo-European languages.
------------------------------
🔹 4. *Cognates in other Indo-European languages*
Language Word for "liver" Notes
*Sanskrit* *yakṛt* (यकृत्) Exact Indo-Aryan match
*Avestan* *yakarə* East Iranian cognate
*Latin* *iecur* PIE root preserved (with changes)
*Ancient Greek* *hēpar* (ἧπαρ) Different root, not cognate (likely non-IE
origin)
*Old English* *lifere* → *liver* Possibly unrelated, or influenced by
metaphorical use ("life-organ")
------------------------------
🔹 5. *Semantic development in Persian*
-
In Persian and later Urdu and Hindi, *jigar* became * highly
metaphorical*:
-
*jigar-dil* = “liver-hearted” → brave
-
*jigar-pāra* (lit. “a piece of liver”) = a beloved person
-
*jigar khun hona* (“liver bleeding”) = intense grief
This is *cultural* — just as the *heart* became the seat of emotion in
European traditions, *the liver* was seen in Persianate culture as the
seat of * strong emotions*, especially *courage and deep love*.
------------------------------
✅ Summary:
-
*Jigar (جگر)* is *an authentic Iranian word*, descending from
*Proto-Indo-European
*iék̂wṛ̥* via *Indo-Iranian *yakṛt*.
-
It is *cognate with Sanskrit yakṛt*, Latin *iecur*, and Avestan
*yakarə*.
-
The *metaphorical richness* of the word in Persianate cultures
(courage, love, pain) is a *later cultural development*, not
etymological.
Would you like a linguistic family tree of this word across Indo-European
languages?
Am 08.08.2025 um 16:59 schrieb Madhav Deshpande via INDOLOGY:
https://claude.ai/share/2fe502db-185f-447d-b742-88e87ff1c17c
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Some interesting connections of the Persian word jigar to Sanskrit word
taker for liver.
Madhav Deshpande
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