Difficulties of Sanskrit drapsá- ‘drop’ from Proto-Indo-European *dherebh- /*dhrebh-(so-): ‘analogical (original) ps’?

The second opinion of Mayrhofer (۱۹۹۲, pp. ۷۵۴-۷۵۵) on Sanskrit (Skr.) drapsá- differsfrom his first opinion on this word (۱۹۶۳, pp. ۷۱-۷۲). In his second etymology, Mayrhofer(۱۹۹۲, ibid.) traces back the original meanings of Skr. drapsá- to Proto-Indo-European(PIE.) *dreb- ‘to tremble, quiver’; under one condition, Avestan (Av.) drafša-, the equivalentof Skr. drapsá-, is from PIE. *dreb- as well (ibid., p. ۷۵۴). This marks the scholar’swithdrawal of his first opinion on the different meanings of Skr. drapsá- from more than oneolder root, its meaning ‘drop’ from PIE. *dhrebh-so- (Mayrhofer, ۱۹۶۳, ibid.). Mainreferences of the old etymology of Mayrhofer (ibid.) are Uhlenbeck’s (۱۸۹۸/۱۸۹۹, p. ۱۳۱)reconstructed *dhrabzha-, and Pokorny’s (۱۹۵۹, p. ۲۵۷) PIE. *dherebh- ‘to harden’. Thepresent study aims to illuminate an issue that is missing from the debates: meaning ‘drop’ ofSkr. drapsá- from PIE. *dherebh- / *dhrebh-so- / *dhrabzha- results with the origin of itscluster -ps- from an ‘analogical original ps’ alternating with ‘analogical ps’, while the‘analogical (original) ps’ in Skr. drapsá- contradicts the most attested meaning of this word,viz. ‘drop’. Unfortunately, we still prefer to refer to the old etymology of Pokorny (ibid.,۲۵۷; ۲۱۱); consequently, etymology of Av. drafša- (out of it Middle Persian drafš, NewPersian derafš) remains rather floating. Arguments on the doubtfulness of ‘analogical(original) ps’ in Skr. drapsá- ‘drop’ serve also as an introduction to the plausibility of Av.drafša- and Skr. drapsá- from PIE. *dreb- (from PIE. *der-۳ ‘to run’) + *-s-, as opposed totheir equally doubtful origin from PIE. *drep- (from PIE. *der-۴ ‘to cut’) + *-s-.

Keywords:

etymology , drapsá- , *dherebh- , *dhrebh-so- , *dhrabzha- , ‘analogical (original)ps’ , *drep- , *dreb- , drafša-.