पञ्जर

Of uncertain origin.

Often taken to be from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ǵ- (“to attach, fix, fasten”); however, the nasal found in पञ्जर is difficult to reconcile with that found in supposed relatives like Latin pangō (“to fasten, fix, set”).

Turner, in light of the word's relatives in vernacular Indo-Aryan, assumes an older form *पृञ्जर (pṛñjara), from अनवपृग्ण (anavapṛgṇa, “not closely united, but spreading all around”), from अन- (ana-, “not, un-”) +‎ अव (ava, “away, down”) +‎ पृग्ण (pṛgṇa), the latter component from the root पृच् (pṛc, “to mix, fill, give lavishly”).

Probably related to Persian پنجره (panjare, “window”).

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /pɐɲ.d͡ʑɐ.ɾɐ/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈpɐɲ.d͡ʑɐ.ɾɐ/

पञ्जर • (pañjara) stem, n

1. a cage, aviary, dove-cot, net
2. a skeleton, the ribs
3. name of particular prayers and formularies

पञ्जर • (pañjara) stem, m

1. the body
2. the Kali Yuga
3. a purificatory ceremony performed on cows
4. (variant lecto पञ्जल) a kind of bulbous plant

• Monier Williams (1899) “पञ्जर”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 575/2.
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (2001) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎ (in German), volume 3, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 297
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1963) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 188