atharī

atharī f. (occurs only as a plural in the Vedas; -ryaḥ) The

finger. E. This word is given as an irregular derivation

from at ‘to go constantly’; but it is more probable that

it is derived, with aff. ari, from an obsolete rad. ath

which seems to have had the same meaning as at (cf.

aṭ and aṭh), but is found only in atharī, atharvan and their

derivatives, implying quickness or agility. The same etymo-

logical connexion between words meaning ‘finger’ and ‘fire’

may be perceived in other derivations from a radical in the

sense of ‘to go’ f. i. in aṅguli or aṅguri, agrū and agni, aṅgiras,

from aṅg. It reappears distinctly in the denom. athary and

its derivatives atharya, atharyu qq. vv.

atharī́ f. point (of an arrow).

atharí, is or atharī́, f. (said to be fr. √ at, to go, or fr. an obsolete √ ath), flame [Gmn.; ‘the point of an arrow or of a lance’, NBD.; ‘finger’, Naigh.], RV. iv, 6, 8.

atharī́ (accord. to some) an elephant, RV. iv, 6, 8.

atharī́, f., Flamme (von athar, s. d. folg.).

-ías {302,8}.

atharī́ f. etwa Spitze (eines Pfeils oder einer Lanze ).

atharī́ , vgl. Pischel, Ved. Studien I, 99 ff.

Atharī. — This word occurs only in the Rigveda,¹ and the

sense is doubtful. Roth,² followed by most interpreters,

renders it ‘point of a lance,’ but Pischel³ thinks that it means

‘an elephant.’ [Footnote] 1) iv. 6, 8. [Footnote] 2) St. Petersburg Dictionary, s.v. [Footnote] 3) Vedische Studien, 1, 99.