Etymology of word 'gupta'

[Guest guest]

kishore,

 

As you know, 'gupta' is a Sanskrit word that means 'hidden, kept secret,

protected' and so. Panini derived it from 'go-paya' a denominative verb

meaning 'to act like a [cow]herdsman', 'to protect cows'. The root 'gup' is

very old, and has been used even in the Rig Veda. The word 'Gupta' has been

applied as a 'caste surname' to vaishyas from times at least as far as the

Mauryan empire, during which there were vaishya officials or regional rulers

(rashtriyas) like Pushyagupta, in Surashtra to the West of Avanti.

 

'Gupta' would be a more meaningful designation if we consider that all Vedic

Culture derived from ancient tribes of herdsmen and artisans, long before

the concept of castes was first used. Ancient populations joined as clans or

families in the 'Vish' (i.e. community, tribe), whose patron and protector

families were called 'vaishyas'. These families used to keep secret their

artistic or technical knowledge, to which only members of the clan should be

initiated - it was the 'guptavidya' (secret hability). So 'gupta' designated

the guardians of these secret cultural assets that gave each tribe its

peculiar value in ancient world economy.

 

Carlos E. G. Barbosa

 

 

-

kishore mohan

Monday, September 06, 2004 4:38 AM

Etymology of word 'gupta'

 

 

The word 'gupta' as a proper noun in India is ubiquitous. It is used

as a name- chitra gupta, vishnu gupta, chandra gupta(maurya)or as a

name of dynasty- the dynasty of guptas....

 

On the other hand, the modern name Gupta is being used a surname of

Vaishyas.

 

On searching the web for the etymology of this word, I found the

following:

 

HTTP://WWW.PLEXOFT.COM/SBF/G04.HTML

 

THE COMMON FAMILY NAME GUPTA, INCIDENTALLY, SEEMS TO HAVE A

DIFFERENT ETYMOLOGY. NOW HERE IS AN IRONY: ADLY WAS TRYING ALL

DURING THIS CONVERSATION TO DERIVE LARGE CHUNKS OF THE HINDI

VOCABULARY FROM ARABIC, BUT HE DIDN'T CLAIM GUPTA. AS IT HAPPENS,

THE ANCIENT RELIGIOUS NAME FOR MEMPHIS (THE ONE IN EGYPT, NOT THE

ENDURING ELVIS-WORSHIP CENTER IN TENNESSEE) WAS HA KA PTAH. IN THE

SEVENTH CENTURY, THE CONQUERING ARABS CORRUPTED THIS TO AGUPTA, AND

EVENTUALLY THE INITIAL A WAS ELIDED AS WELL. THE G WAS DEVOICED

AGAIN ON ENTERING ENGLISH AND SOME OTHER EUROPEAN LANGUAGES,

BECOMING OUR COPT[iC].

 

Hope the group can throw more light on this.

 

kishore

[Guest guest]

IndiaArchaeology , " ymalaiya " <ymalaiya>

wrote:

The use of the last name Gupta by the members of the merchant

community may be relatively new, perhaps last century or so.

 

Many of the merchant communities in North and Western India used the

term " Sah " (Sahu, Shah, Sha etc). Use of this term can found in 11-

12th cent sources (Sadhu in sanskrit), in some places it is still

common.

 

Yashwant

 

IndiaArchaeology , " kishore mohan "

<kishore_future> wrote:

> The word 'gupta' as a proper noun in India is ubiquitous. It is

used

> as a name- chitra gupta, vishnu gupta, chandra gupta(maurya)or as

a

> name of dynasty- the dynasty of guptas....

>

> On the other hand, the modern name Gupta is being used a surname

of

> Vaishyas.

>

> On searching the web for the etymology of this word, I found the

> following:

>

> HTTP://WWW.PLEXOFT.COM/SBF/G04.HTML

>

> THE COMMON FAMILY NAME GUPTA, INCIDENTALLY, SEEMS TO HAVE A

> DIFFERENT ETYMOLOGY. NOW HERE IS AN IRONY: ADLY WAS TRYING ALL

> DURING THIS CONVERSATION TO DERIVE LARGE CHUNKS OF THE HINDI

> VOCABULARY FROM ARABIC, BUT HE DIDN'T CLAIM GUPTA. AS IT HAPPENS,

> THE ANCIENT RELIGIOUS NAME FOR MEMPHIS (THE ONE IN EGYPT, NOT THE

> ENDURING ELVIS-WORSHIP CENTER IN TENNESSEE) WAS HA KA PTAH. IN

THE

> SEVENTH CENTURY, THE CONQUERING ARABS CORRUPTED THIS TO AGUPTA,

AND

> EVENTUALLY THE INITIAL A WAS ELIDED AS WELL. THE G WAS DEVOICED

> AGAIN ON ENTERING ENGLISH AND SOME OTHER EUROPEAN LANGUAGES,

> BECOMING OUR COPT[iC].

>

> Hope the group can throw more light on this.

>

> kishore

--- End forwarded message ---