Linguistic Research - Rocket Fuel for Traveling Back in Time
I began to use linguistic research after reading Gypsies – Wanderers of the World by Bart McDowell. The author traced the route the Roma people took from their homeland in Northwestern India to Europe over the course of several centuries. He did this by studying loan words in modern Romany – those words the Roma picked up from the languages of countries new to them as they made their way through them.
To study the Angkorian civilization I analyze the meaning of key Sanskrit words in inscriptions, and Sanskrit and Pali loan words in modern Khmer. I use Sir Monier Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit dictionary, Robert Kirk Headley’s dictionary of modern Khmer, and, to trace loan words in modern Khmer back to the original Sanskrit, Saveros Pou’s Lexique de Sanskrit-Khmer-Francais. I also use the Chuon Nath Khmer dictionary; the librarians at Siem Reap’s three scholars’ libraries kindly translate entries for me (see the Appendix in What the Queens Wore for how to find these libraries). In Through the Eyes of a Queen – the Women of the Royal Court at Angkor I devote an entire chapter to how I use linguistic research.
You’ve already seen an example of how I use it when doing textile research – I think the Khmer word, “hol” (ikat) came from the Sanskrit (and Gujarati), “paṭola”. Here are more examples.
Another author theorized that the word, “pidan” came from the Sanskrit, “vitāna” (“awning, canopy or cover”). “Pidan” is an English word, a loan word from Khmer. But where did the Khmer get it from? A pidan is part of the Khmer practice of Theravada Buddhism, not Mahayana Buddhism; I reasoned that the word came to the Khmer from Pali, not Sanskrit. I found the Pali word pidhāna – “cover”. I traced this back to the Sanskrit pidhāna – “covering”.
At Angkor Wat, I could tell by the amount of chorabab in the devatās’ skirts that they were the lowest in rank of any of the female figures. And I could tell by what I saw them doing that they were temple and palace staff. But, what evidence was there? The fourth definition of the Sanskrit word, devatā. “… with divinity, i.e. with a god (gods) or among the gods…”. The gods’ attendants. Or the god-kings’. A senior Buddhist monk told me that palace servants are called, “devatā” to this day, at the palace in Phnom Penh. When I recorded the 50 patterns worn by the Angkorian elite I found a man wearing what might be early paṭola. I could tell exactly who he was because he was sitting in a group of men next to Sūryavarman II – he was a courtier. But I saw a similar pattern worn by a devatā. Hers was probably block print. If I had not already identified her (using Sanskrit) as a servant, I might have mistakenly concluded that she was wearing what might be early paṭola.
I could tell by the amount of chorabab in the skirts of the women guarding the inner sanctum at Angkor Wat that they were the highest in rank of any of the female figures. Higher even than the queens. But, who were they? My Indian friends called them, dvārapāla – door keepers. A Sanskrit word. By definition, dvārapāla are almost always yaksha. These are female figures, so they’re yakshī. Earth spirits (which are exactly what we would expect to find here). So some of what we see them wearing might be mythical. Sure enough, I found one with ornaments in her hair that match those on her belt; although they’re metal, they float, ethereally, in the air. Some of these figures wear brocade sashes stacked one on top of the other. This too might be mythical clothing. Sure enough, we do not see either Sūryavarman II or his queens wearing sashes stacked one on top of the other.
If you would like to study the Angkorian civilization, get at least one year of Classical (not Vedic) Sanskrit under your belt first. (Learning Sanskrit will help you more than learning Khmer.) This is the best advice I can give you. I wish you great success.