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Old 31st July 2017, 08:10 AM   #22
A. G. Maisey
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Join Date: May 2006
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Kronckew, with apologies, the word "lingus" and the word "lingam" come from different roots.

Lingus is Latin, as you note, and comes from Old Latin, very probably initially from Proto Italian. I suspect the Sanscrit origin would be "lidhe"; to lick or to lap. Note Javanese krama inggil "lidhah" :- "tongue".

Lingam is standard English, coming from the Sanscrit "Linga" : a sign, emblem, token etc, in the context of Hindu belief, a sign etc inferring Shiva. This is general Hindu belief, not limited to SEA.

In the context of Hindu belief the lingam is a holy symbol, I personally find the profane and/or disrespectful treatment of any holy symbols to be in rather bad taste.

The Javanese words "linggis" and "linggam" share a similar physical form, and may share a similar etymological root, but if this is so, I feel that root would be found in Javanese usage.

The Javanese spelling convention used to create a hard "g" sound is to double the "g", "ng" in a Javanese word acquires a sound similar to the "ng" in "sing'. Thus "lingam" becomes "linggam" in Javanese.
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