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6/19/2025, 8:48:32 PM
>>17776504
>Only in the later Vedic texts
The meaning "slave" cannot be a later development. The meaning is required to have been present in Proto-Indo-European since the word has Attic/Ionic Greek cognates δοῦλος (doûlos) "male slave", δούλη (doúlē) "female slave" and Mycenaean Greek cognates 𐀈𐀁𐀫 (do-e-ro /dohelos/) "male slave", 𐀈𐀁𐀨 (do-e-ra) /dohelā/ "female slave".
The development backwards from Greek looks like
Attic/Ionic doûlos "slave"
< Mycenaean do-e-ro /dohelos/ "slave"
< Proto-Greek *dohelos "slave"
< Proto-Indo-European *dos- "slave" (the shared root with Sanskrit dā́sa "slave")
The attached screenshot is from Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen (1992-2001) by Manfred Mayrhofer.
>dā́sā-
>m. A hostile tribe towards the Ā́rya, enemy, hostile demon; slave, servant (RV +, also dā́s- [dā́s- further in RV 6,21,11 dā́sva? cf. AiGr II2, Nachtr. 29, otherwise GeRV II 120, Bai, Dict 155b]; Av = °sí-, slave, maid; MK 1356ff., Mylius [with literature], A. Hildebrandt, ZII 3 [1924] 15ff. = KS 242ff., Hale, Asura 159ff., A. Parpola, StudOr 64 [1988] 209, Ann. [122, 219ff.];
>dā́sī- (f. s.) servile, barbaric, demonic (RV). - Mi., ni., Pā. dāsa- h. as slave, servant, etc. (Tu 6316 [see reference], TuAdd 6316f.). - Ir., Jav.
>Only in the later Vedic texts
The meaning "slave" cannot be a later development. The meaning is required to have been present in Proto-Indo-European since the word has Attic/Ionic Greek cognates δοῦλος (doûlos) "male slave", δούλη (doúlē) "female slave" and Mycenaean Greek cognates 𐀈𐀁𐀫 (do-e-ro /dohelos/) "male slave", 𐀈𐀁𐀨 (do-e-ra) /dohelā/ "female slave".
The development backwards from Greek looks like
Attic/Ionic doûlos "slave"
< Mycenaean do-e-ro /dohelos/ "slave"
< Proto-Greek *dohelos "slave"
< Proto-Indo-European *dos- "slave" (the shared root with Sanskrit dā́sa "slave")
The attached screenshot is from Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen (1992-2001) by Manfred Mayrhofer.
>dā́sā-
>m. A hostile tribe towards the Ā́rya, enemy, hostile demon; slave, servant (RV +, also dā́s- [dā́s- further in RV 6,21,11 dā́sva? cf. AiGr II2, Nachtr. 29, otherwise GeRV II 120, Bai, Dict 155b]; Av = °sí-, slave, maid; MK 1356ff., Mylius [with literature], A. Hildebrandt, ZII 3 [1924] 15ff. = KS 242ff., Hale, Asura 159ff., A. Parpola, StudOr 64 [1988] 209, Ann. [122, 219ff.];
>dā́sī- (f. s.) servile, barbaric, demonic (RV). - Mi., ni., Pā. dāsa- h. as slave, servant, etc. (Tu 6316 [see reference], TuAdd 6316f.). - Ir., Jav.
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