http://tinyurl.com/yytzxq6h
The following Dravidian and Indo-Aryan etyma are linked by the cognate base word: mēī 'fisherman, basket-maker or plaiter (of baskets or fish nets)'.
The name of the famous Sarasvati Civilization site,Mohen-jo-daro is derived from the same root word: mohāṇā 'boatmen' (Lāhṇḍa) PLUS daro 'mound'. Another derivative from the same root semantics is मेंढा 'sheep, ram' rebus: medha'yajna, dhanam';med 'iron''copper'.
Related imagery as hieroglyphs/hypertexts of Indus Script are explained in this monograph.
mēda m. ʻ a mixed caste, any one living by a degrading occupation ʼ Mn. [→ Bal. mēd ʻ boatman, fisher- man ʼ. -- Cf. Tam. metavar ʻ basket -- maker ʼ &c. DED 4178] Pk. mēa -- m., mēī -- f. ʻ member of a non -- Aryan tribe ʼ; S. meu m. ʻ fisherman ʼ (whence miāṇī f. ʻ a fishery ʼ), L. mē m.; P. meũ m., f. meuṇī ʻ boatman ʼ. -- Prob. separate from S. muhāṇo m. ʻ member of a class of Moslem boatmen ʼ, L. mohāṇā m., ˚ṇī f.: see *mr̥gahanaka -- .(CDIAL 10320) Ta. mētaravar, mētavar a class of people who do bamboo work. Ka. mēda, mēdā̆ra, mādara man who plaits baskets, mats, etc. of bamboo splits, man of the basket-maker caste. Koḍ. me·dë man of caste who make baskets and leaf-umbrellas and play drums at ceremonies; fem. me·di.
Te. mēdara, mēdari the basket-maker caste, a basket-maker; of or pertaining to the basket-maker caste. Kuwi (S.) mētri, (Isr.) mētreˀ esi matmaker. / Cf. Skt. meda- a particular mixed caste; Turner, CDIAL, no. 10320.(DEDR 5090)
Hieroglyphs/hypertexts of Indus Script:
![Votive figure from Altyn-Depe (the Golden Hill), Turkmenistan. Altyn-Depe is an ancient settlement of the Bronze Age (3,000 - 2,000 B.C.E.) on the territory of ancient Abiver. It's known locally as the "Turkmen Stonehenge". União Soviética.:]()
1. The word plait is signified in Meluhha, Indian sprachbund by: मेढा mēḍhā m A stake, esp. as forked. 2 A dense arrangement of stakes, a palisade, a paling; A twist or tangle arising in thread or cord, a curl or snarl. *mēṇḍhī ʻ lock of hair, curl ʼ. [Cf. *mēṇḍha -- 1 s.v. *miḍḍa -- ]S. mī˜ḍhī f., ˚ḍho m. ʻ braid in a woman's hair ʼ, L. mē̃ḍhī f.; G. mĩḍlɔ, miḍ˚ m. ʻ braid of hair on a girl's forehead ʼ; M. meḍhā m. ʻ curl, snarl, twist or tangle in cord or thread ʼ. (CDIAL 10312) मेढा mēḍhā 'endless-knot' rūpaka medhā, 'yajña, dhanam' .meḍ 'iron' (Mu. Ho.). med 'copper' (Slavic languages)
melh, mr̤eka'goat' rebus: meluhha 'merchant' (from Malacca or āmalaka island); milakkhu'copper', mleccha'copper'.
āmalaka, Phyllanthus emblica.
"There are several different spellings of the site name and in this article we have chosen to use the most common form, Mohenjo-daro (the Mound of Mohen or Mohan), though other spellings are equally valid: Mohanjo-daro (Mound of Mohan =Krishna), Moenjo-daro (Mound of the Dead), Mohenjo-daro, Mohenjodaro or even Mohen-jo-daro. Many publications still state that Mohenjo-daro is located in India (presumably referring to ancient India), but since the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the site has been under the protection of the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan."
https://www.harappa.com/mohenjo-daro/mohenjodaroessay.html
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"The first postcard is from the early 1900s, probably around 1905 in Sindh Province. The fishermen are getting read to swim out into the water using a "boatless" technology which involves floating on large round ceramic vessels and using hand-held sweep nets on forked poles. These men are most probably from the Mohana community in Sindh, who have been traditionally associated with fishing, boating and sailing along the southern Indus River."
https://www.harappa.com/blog/indus-river-fishing-and-fishmongers-look-back
The following Dravidian and Indo-Aryan etyma are linked by the cognate base word: mēī 'fisherman, basket-maker or plaiter (of baskets or fish nets)'.
The name of the famous Sarasvati Civilization site,Mohen-jo-daro is derived from the same root word: mohāṇā 'boatmen' (Lāhṇḍa) PLUS daro 'mound'. Another derivative from the same root semantics is मेंढा 'sheep, ram' rebus: medha'yajna, dhanam';med 'iron''copper'.
Related imagery as hieroglyphs/hypertexts of Indus Script are explained in this monograph.
Location | Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan |
---|---|
Coordinates | ![]() ![]() |
Type | Settlement. |
Area | 250 ha (620 acres)[1] |
History | |
Founded | 26–25th century BCE |
Abandoned | 19th century BCE |
Cultures | Indus Valley Civilization |
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
Official name | Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro |
Criteria | Cultural: ii, iii |
Reference | 138 |
Inscription | 1980 (4th Session) |
Area | 240 ha |
mēda m. ʻ a mixed caste, any one living by a degrading occupation ʼ Mn. [→ Bal. mē
Te. mēdara, mēdari the basket-maker caste, a basket-maker; of or pertaining to the basket-maker caste. Kuwi (S.) mētri, (Isr.) mētreˀ esi matmaker. / Cf. Skt. meda- a particular mixed caste; Turner, CDIAL, no. 10320.(DEDR 5090)
Hieroglyphs/hypertexts of Indus Script:

Votive figure from Altyn-Depe (the Golden Hill), Turkmenistan. Altyn-Depe is an ancient settlement of the Bronze Age (3,000 - 2,000 B.C.E.) on the territory of ancient Abiver. It's known locally as the "Turkmen Stonehenge". União Soviética.
I suggest that this figure has inscribed Indus Script hypertexts read rebus related to metal smelting of elements.
Hieroglyph: kola 'woman' (Nahali) rebus: kol 'working in iron'
Hieroglyph: *mēṇḍhī ʻ lock of hair, curl ʼ. [Cf. *mēṇḍha -- 1 s.v. *miḍḍa -- ] S. mī˜ḍhī
f., °ḍho m. ʻ braid in a woman's hair ʼ, L. mē̃ḍhī f.; G. mĩḍlɔ, miḍ° m. ʻ braid of hair on a girl's forehead ʼ; M. meḍhā m. ʻ curl, snarl, twist or tangle in cord or thread ʼ.(CDIAL 10312) Ta. miṭai (-v-, -nt-) to weave as a mat, etc. Ma. miṭayuka to plait, braid, twist, wattle; miṭaccal plaiting, etc.; miṭappu tuft of hair; miṭalascreen or wicket, ōlas plaited together. Ka. meḍaṟu to plait as screens, etc. (Hav.) maḍe to knit, weave (as a basket); (Gowda) mEḍi plait. Ga.(S.3 ) miṭṭe a female hair-style. Go. (Mu.) mihc- to plait (hair) (Voc. 2850).(DEDR 4853) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron' (Santali.Mu.Ho.)
Hieroglyph: kuṭhi ‘vagina’ Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter furnace’ (Santali) kuṛī f. ‘fireplace’ (H.); krvṛi f. ‘granary (WPah.); kuṛī, kuṛo house, building’(Ku.)(CDIAL 3232) kuṭi ‘hut made of boughs’ (Skt.) guḍi temple (Telugu) kuṭhi ‘a furnace for smelting iron ore to smelt iron’; kolheko kuṭhieda koles smelt iron (Santali) kuṭhi, kuṭi (Or.; Sad. koṭhi) (1) the smelting furnace of the blacksmith; kuṭire bica duljad.ko talkena, they were feeding the furnace with ore; (2) the name of ēkuṭi has been given to the fire which, in lac factories, warms the water bath for softening the lac so that it can be spread into sheets; to make a smelting furnace; kuṭhi-o of a smelting furnace, to be made; the smelting furnace of the blacksmith is made of mud, cone-shaped, 2’ 6” dia. At the base and 1’ 6” at the top. The hole in the centre, into which the mixture of charcoal and iron ore is poured, is about 6” to 7” in dia. At the base it has two holes, a smaller one into which the nozzle of the bellow is inserted, as seen in fig. 1, and a larger one on the opposite side through which the molten iron flows out into a cavity (Mundari) kuṭhi = a factory; lil kuṭhi = an indigo factory (koṭhi - Hindi) (Santali.Bodding) kuṭhi = an earthen furnace for smelting iron; make do., smelt iron; kolheko do kuṭhi benaokate baliko dhukana, the Kolhes build an earthen furnace and smelt iron-ore, blowing the bellows; tehen:ko kuṭhi yet kana, they are working (or building) the furnace to-day (H. koṭhī ) (Santali. Bodding) kuṭṭhita = hot, sweltering; molten (of tamba, cp. uttatta)(Pali.lex.) uttatta (ut + tapta) = heated, of metals: molten, refined; shining, splendid, pure (Pali.lex.) kuṭṭakam, kuṭṭukam = cauldron (Ma.); kuṭṭuva = big copper pot for heating water (Kod.)(DEDR 1668). gudgā to blaze; gud.va flame (Man.d); gudva, gūdūvwa, guduwa id. (Kuwi)(DEDR 1715). dāntar-kuṭha = fireplace (Sv.); kōti wooden vessel for mixing yeast (Sh.); kōlhā house with mud roof and walls, granary (P.); kuṭhī factory (A.); koṭhābrick-built house (B.); kuṭhī bank, granary (B.); koṭho jar in which indigo is stored, warehouse (G.); koṭhīlare earthen jar, factory (G.); kuṭhī granary, factory (M.)(CDIAL 3546). koṭho = a warehouse; a revenue office, in which dues are paid and collected; koṭhī a store-room; a factory (Gujarat) koḍ = the place where artisans work (Gujarati)
Hieroglyph: sprig: ḍāla 5546 ḍāla1 m. ʻ branch ʼ Śīl. 2. *ṭhāla -- . 3. *ḍāḍha -- . [Poss. same as *dāla -- 1 and dāra -- 1 : √dal, √d&rcirclemacr; . But variation of form supports PMWS 64 ← Mu.]1. Pk. ḍāla -- n. ʻ branch ʼ; S. ḍ̠āru m. ʻ large branch ʼ, ḍ̠ārī f. ʻ branch ʼ; P. ḍāl m. ʻ branch ʼ, °lā m. ʻ large do. ʼ, °lī f. ʻ twig ʼ; WPah. bhal. ḍām. ʻ branch ʼ; Ku. ḍālo m. ʻ tree ʼ; N. ḍālo ʻ branch ʼ, A. B. ḍāl, Or. ḍāḷa; Mth. ḍār ʻ branch ʼ, °ri ʻ twig ʼ; Aw. lakh. ḍār ʻ branch ʼ, H. ḍāl, °lām., G. ḍāḷi , °ḷī f., °ḷũ n.2. A. ṭhāl ʻ branch ʼ, °li ʻ twig ʼ; H. ṭhāl, °lā m. ʻ leafy branch (esp. one lopped off) ʼ.3. Bhoj. ḍāṛhī ʻ branch ʼ; M. ḍāhaḷ m. ʻ loppings of trees ʼ, ḍāhḷā m. ʻ leafy branch ʼ, °ḷī f. ʻ twig ʼ, ḍhāḷā m. ʻ sprig ʼ, °ḷī f. ʻ branch ʼ.*ḍāla -- 2 ʻ basket ʼ see *ḍalla -- 2 .ḍālima -- see dāḍima -- .*ḍāva -- 1 ʻ box ʼ see *ḍabba -- .*ḍāva -- 2 ʻ left ʼ see *ḍavva -- .Addenda: ḍāla -- 1 . 1. S.kcch. ḍār f. ʻ branch of a tree ʼ; WPah.kṭg. ḍāḷ m. ʻ tree ʼ, J. ḍā'l m.; kṭg. ḍaḷi f. ʻ branch, stalk ʼ, ḍaḷṭi f. ʻ shoot ʼ; A. ḍāl(phonet. d -- ) ʻ branch ʼ AFD 207.टाळा (p. 196) ṭāḷā ...2 Averting or preventing (of a trouble or an evil). 3 The roof of the mouth. 4 R (Usually टाहळा) A small leafy branch; a spray or sprig. टाळी (p. 196) ṭāḷī f R (Usually टाहळी) A small leafy branch, a sprig.ढगळा (p. 204) ḍhagaḷā m R A small leafy branch; a sprig or spray. डगळा or डघळा (p. 201) ḍagaḷā or ḍaghaḷā m A tender and leafy branch: also a sprig or spray. डांगशी (p. 202) ḍāṅgaśī f C A small branch, a sprig, a spray. डांगळी (p. 202) ḍāṅgaḷī f A small branch, a sprig or spray. डाहळा (p. 202) ḍāhaḷā लांख esp. the first. 2 (dim. डाहळी f A sprig or twig.) A leafy branch. Pr. धरायाला डाहळी न बसायाला सावली Used. Rebus: ḍhāla 'large ingot' (Gujarati)
2. मेंढा mēṇḍhā m (मेष S through H) A male sheep, a ram or tup.
Tor. miṇḍ 'ram', miṇḍā́l 'markhor' (CDIAL 10310) Rebus: meḍ (Ho.); mẽṛhet 'iron' (Munda.Ho.).Rebus:

These rebus rendering semantics of blacksmith and merchant explain the choice of the signifier hieroglyph/hypertext on hundreds of Dilmun or Persian or Arabic Gulf seal inscriptions with Indus Script.
"There are several different spellings of the site name and in this article we have chosen to use the most common form, Mohenjo-daro (the Mound of Mohen or Mohan), though other spellings are equally valid: Mohanjo-daro (Mound of Mohan =Krishna), Moenjo-daro (Mound of the Dead), Mohenjo-daro, Mohenjodaro or even Mohen-jo-daro. Many publications still state that Mohenjo-daro is located in India (presumably referring to ancient India), but since the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the site has been under the protection of the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan."
https://www.harappa.com/mohenjo-daro/mohenjodaroessay.html

"The first postcard is from the early 1900s, probably around 1905 in Sindh Province. The fishermen are getting read to swim out into the water using a "boatless" technology which involves floating on large round ceramic vessels and using hand-held sweep nets on forked poles. These men are most probably from the Mohana community in Sindh, who have been traditionally associated with fishing, boating and sailing along the southern Indus River."
https://www.harappa.com/blog/indus-river-fishing-and-fishmongers-look-back