Indo-Aryan aŋgōñcʰa [139]

139 aṅgōñcha m., aṅgōñchana- n. 'towel' lex. [Poss. áṅga-¹, uñchá- m. 'gleaning esp. of single grains' (for meaning 'sweeping together, wiping' cf. development of meaning under úñchati and prōñchati). But N. Bi. H. point to MIA. *aṅga-u{ñ}cha- (with aṅgōñcha- as late Sanskritization), poss. a MIA. form with *-vuñcha- anal. replacing puñcha- < prōñcha- (as suggested by Platts UD s.v. and P. Tedesco JAOS 77. 195). In either case loss of second nasal, through dissimilation, was early (contrast úñchati, prōñchati). In any case Bloch LM 286 wrongly < aṅgavastra.]