د ك ص

Root entry · 4 derived lemmas

This entry discusses a debated name for a river in India, with significant scholarly disagreement regarding its origin and linguistic validity. The primary focus is on the etymology and existence of the name 'Duknakṣ' and its variations, with extensive commentary on the phonology of Arabic and the geography of India.

Derived headwords

دَكْنَكَصname

1.
Name of a river in Indiaclassical
A name for a river located in India, as reported by Ibn 'Abbād.

دَكْنَكَصُوصname

1.
Variant name of a river in Indiaclassical
A variant spelling or pronunciation of the river name, mentioned by Ibn 'Azīz.

دَكْنَكَوصname

1.
Variant name of a river in Indiaclassical
Another variant spelling or pronunciation of the river name, noted in some manuscripts.

كُنْكname

1.
Name of a famous Indian riverclassical
The actual name of a prominent river in India, suggested as the correct name if 'Duknakṣ' is a corruption.

Parallel reading

وهو اسم نهر بالهند، قاله ابن عباد في المحيط، نقلا عن الخليل.

It is the name of a river in India, according to Ibn 'Abbād in Al-Muḥīṭ, quoting Al-Khalīl.

وقال ابن عزيز، كزبير، في كتابه ديوان الأدب وميدان العرب: دكنكصوص، وفي بعض النسخ: دكنكوص، وكأنه وهم منهما.

And Ibn 'Azīz said, using the pattern of 'zuabir', in his book Diwān al-Adab wa Maydān al-'Arab: 'Duknakṣūṣ', and in some copies: 'Duknakūṣ', and it seems to be an error from them.

ونص الصاغاني في العباب: في هذا الكلام نظر من وجوه.

And Al-Ṣāghānī stated in Al-'Ubāb: 'There is room for consideration in this statement from several aspects.'

أولا: أن الخليل لم يذكره.

Firstly: Al-Khalīl did not mention it.

وثانيا: لأن الصاد ليس في لغة غير العرب، واصطلحوا على أن يقولوا للمائة صد كقد، وكذلك إلى التسعمائة أي نهصد.

And secondly: Because the letter ṣād is not in the language of non-Arabs, and they agreed to say for 'hundred' 'ṣad' as in 'qad', and similarly up to 'nine hundred' meaning 'tis'u-mi'ah' (using 'ṣad' instead of 'sīn').

وثالثا: أني شرقت وغربت في الهند والسند نيفا وأربعين سنة، وشاهدت أكثر أنهارها، وبلغني أسماء ما لم أشاهد منها، وهي تربى على تسعمائة نهر فلم أر هذا النهر، ولم أسمع به.

And thirdly: I traveled east and west in India and Sindh for over forty years, and I witnessed most of its rivers, and I was informed of the names of those I did not witness, and there are over nine hundred rivers, yet I did not see this river, nor did I hear of it.

غير أن لهم نهرا عظيما إذا زاد الماء يكون عرضه فرسخا، وإذا نقص يكون مثلي عرض دجلة في زيادة الماء.

However, they have a great river whose width is a farsakh when the water increases, and when it decreases, it is twice the width of the Tigris when the Tigris is at its peak.

وكفار الهند يحجون إليه من أقطار الهند فيتبركون به، ويحلقون عنده رؤوسهم ولحاهم ويسرحون فيه موتاهم على السرر، رجاء تمحيص ذنوبهم على زعمهم.

And the infidels of India make pilgrimage to it from all parts of India, seeking blessings from it, and they shave their heads and beards there, and they send their dead on litters into it, hoping for the expiation of their sins, according to their claim.

ومن أحرقوه من موتاهم يذرون حممه ورماده فيه.

And of their dead whom they cremate, they scatter their embers and ashes into it.

وهو من أشهر أنهارهم، واسمه كنك فإن كان وقع فيه التحريف، وإلا فليس في الهند نهر اسمه دكنكص.

It is one of their most famous rivers, and its name is Kank; if the corruption occurred in this, otherwise, there is no river in India named Duknakṣ.