गर्दभ

Of unclear origin.

Perhaps a derivation from the possibly onomatopoeic root गर्द् (gard, “to cry”), with a suffix formed by analogy to the one in ऋषभ (ṛṣabha, “bull”).^[1]

An alternative theory considers the word as a Dravidian borrowing, formed as *गर्द (garda) + an Indo-European animal suffix *भ (bha) as seen in ऋषभ (ṛṣabha) above; compare Tamil கழுதை (kaḻutai), Kuvi ଗା୕ଡ଼୍ଦେ (gāṛde), Duruwa (garad).^[2] However, the formal mismatch between the Dravidian and Sanskrit forms, the Sanskrit word's Vedic status, the gratuitous attachment of a bound suffix of supposed Indo-European origin to a loaned word, and the fact that donkeys were well-known to steppe tribes (including the Indo-Iranians), casts doubt on this derivation.^[1][3]

Possibly related to Tocharian B kercapo (“donkey”), perhaps via a borrowing from Sanskrit to Tocharian, though further details are uncertain.^[3]

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɡɐɾ.dɐ.bʱɐ́/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɐɾ.d̪ɐ.bʱɐ/

गर्दभ • (gardabhá) stem, m

1. ass, donkey

• Dardic:
  • Khowar: گوردوغ (gordóġ)
• Pali: gadrabha
• Prakrit: 𑀕𑀤𑁆𑀤𑀳 (gaddaha) (see there for further descendants)
• → Bengali: গর্দভ (gordobh), গর্ধভ (gordhobh) (semi-learned)
• → Telugu: గర్దభము (gardabhamu)
• →? Proto-Tocharian: *kercäpā
  • Tocharian B: kercapo

• Monier Williams (1899) “गर्दभ”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, , new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 349/2.
• Apte, Macdonell (2022) “गर्दभ”, in Digital Dictionaries of South India [Combined Sanskrit Dictionaries]