The collected words below reveal a direct correlation between Middle Egyptian, Sanskrit, and Austronesian / Polynesian words for praise, worship, the number two and duality, and the realm of the gods. There is a hint that the Egyptians (and their precursors or primogenitors, i.e. "gods") were aware that there was a far side of the world and that the Earth was round based on traditions related to the Duat, which was the realm of night where the sun god Rā traveled aboard his solar barque from its setting position in the west through the underworld to emerge again in the east at dawn.
Middle Egyptian:
DŪA ([dwA] / dwꜣ)
𓂧𓍯𓀢 or 𓆓𓍯𓇼 or 𓇼𓀃 or 𓇼𓀢𓏛 or 𓇼𓄿 or 𓇼𓅱
DŪAT ([dwAt] / dwꜣt)
𓇼𓏏𓀢
"praise, worship", see also "netherworld"
DŪAT ([dwAt] / dwꜣt)
𓇽 or 𓇽𓏏𓉐 or 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓇽 or 𓂧𓍯𓏏𓇽
"netherworld, nether chamber (in tomb)"
DŪA ([dwA] / dwꜣ)
𓇼𓄿𓇳
"rise early"
DŪAU ([dwAw] / dwꜣw)
𓇼𓄿𓇳 or 𓇼𓅱𓇳𓏮
From:
𓂧 D ([Drt] / ḏrt) "red"
𓍯 ŪA (wA / wꜣ) "cord, lasso"
𓀢 "offer, praise, laud, respect, entreat, beseech"
𓇼 ([sbA] / sbꜣ, and [dwA] / dwꜣ) "star; Duat"
𓀃 ([dwA] / dwꜣ) "offer, beseech" or ([imn] / jmn) "hide, conceal"
𓏛 ([mDAt] / mḏꜣ-t) or ([mDAt] / mḏꜣt) - determinative for abstract concepts
𓄿 ([A] / ꜣ) - phonetic value only
𓇳 "sun" / "Rā" or "Rē"
𓅱 Ū ([w] / w) - phonetic value only
𓏮 - meaning only, Egyptian numeral "2"
𓏏 ([t] / t) - phonetic value only
𓇽 ([dwAt] / dwꜣt) "Duat; Netherworld"
𓉐 ([pr] / pr) "building, location"
From these written forms of DŪA it appears that in addition to being associated with religious activities of praise and worship, there is also an association with dawn and new days as well as duality (which interestingly as a word contains DUA in it, much like the Latin word DUA for "two" and the Sanskrit word for "two" DVAU (द्वौ)). Going back to the notion of the world having two sides, a light side and a dark side, the surface world of the living and the underworld where the solar barque journeys through the night during which time the sun god wages war against a serpentine primeval being known as Apep... there is conveyed a clear sense of duality in connection with not only the supernatural but also with negative space, i.e. a pit, hole, which are additional themes of both DUA and TUA in various dialects.
In Oceania, RUA (or LUA) as "pit" and "two" makes more sense in the present context. Even as LUE, which means to shake back and forth, there is a sense of duality and reciprocal action. Thus, "earthquake" LUELUE as a power under the world, underground, enters into multiple layers of dualism between back-and-forth motion as well as mirrored, reflected, or otherwise inverted counterparts to the overworld, or "Lalolagi" the world inhabited by mankind "under heaven".
============
Old Babylonian:
tuduga [INCANTATION] N (16x) Old Babylonian, Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, unknown wr. tu₆-dug₄-ga; tu₆-dug-ga; tu₆-dug₄ "incantation"
[1] 𒅲𒅗𒂵 tu₆-dug₄-ga
[2] 𒅲𒂁𒂵 tu₆-dug-ga
[3] 𒅲𒅗 tu₆-dug₄
(Personal note: I believe that TU₆ (𒅲) may be an initial phonetic element that is pronounced, which could mean the subsequent cuneiform DUG (𒂁) "clay pot" and DUG₄ (𒅗)₆ "to speak" carries the semantic value. The final GA (𒂵) may be phonetic. Taken as a whole, the cuneiform sequences produce DUNGGA or TUNGGA similar to the Sanskritic TUNGGA (तुङ्ग) below. As an incantation is essentially a prayerful utterance, an activity customarily linked with praise and worship, I believe these phonetic resemblances are not just coincidental. Given the theme of high elevation and a link to a very precise 4x8 syllable / 32 syllable metre, it is clear that worship upon a mountain or high temple is implied and in the shape of formulaic utterances entrenched in the sacred numbers four and eight - i.e. iambic tetrameter. Specifically, a lunar-solar religion seems linked to these underlying themes as high places draw the worshipful agents nearer to the sky and the celestial bodies above.)
=======
Sanskrit:
DVAU (द्वौ)
"two, both, double"
(Personal note: DVAU and DWAW have a one-to-one correlation on phonological structure.)
TUNGGA (tuGga / तुङ्ग)
"mountain , red kamlaa tree [Mallotus philippensis - Bot.], turmeric, top, throne, strong, planet's apsis, peak, night, metre of 4x8 syllables, Mercury, lotus stamina, lofty, height, gaurI, erect, elevation, cocoa-nut, chief, tall, high, prominent"
TUNGGĀ (tuGgA / तुङ्गा)
"white thorn tree [Acacia polyacantha - Bot.]"
TUNGGATĀ (tuGgatA / तुङ्गता)
"sublimity"
TUNGĪSHA (tuGgIza / तुङ्गीश)
"Shiva, moon; Krishna, sun; son"
=====
Malay:
DOA "prayer; incantation; magical formula"; see also DUA.
DONGA - see DOA.
DONGAK "tilt the head upwards; tilting the head forward and upward--said of a man looking skyward (mĕndongak ka-langit; tĕrdongak muka-nya ka-langit); of a buffalo sniffing the air; of a man up to his mouth in water; etc. See also rongak, chongak, lĕnggak, dangok, dĕngak, dangak. Example usage--Hantu dongak: a name for the Spectre Huntsman (hantu pĕmburu) who is believed to hunt looking skywards.
DUA "two; prayer; incantation; magical formula"; see also DOA.
DUADUA "two by two"
=====
Compare Polynesian (synthesis of Sāmoan, Māori, etc.):
KOA - see TOA / TOKA.
KUA - see TUA / TUHA.
LUA - see RUA.
RUA "two; hole; pit; duplicate; double; a cave for storing root crops; the setting-place of the sun; a parent of many children; a full house"
TOA / TOKA "brave, fierce, strong; praiseworthy"
TUA "to utter the name of a person; to bewitch, to lay under a spell; to invoke; to perform ceremonies of worship; to trust in the protection of"
TUA "a religious word, sometimes used for ATUA (god), and implying indefinite power and infinity; the further side of a solid body; on the further side; the back"
TUATUA "a ridge"
TUHA "to correspond with, to be in accordance or harmony with; to be equal or corresponding in rank or status; to be befitting, appropriate, esp. because of one's rank or status"
TUE "expressing great joy or exultation"
TUĒ "to shout out 'Tue!'"
Comments