The Composition of the Words

DYAUSH-PITAR and PṚTHVĪ-MATIR

Joannes Richter

Translation Deity Symbol

“Father sky” DYAUSH Sky-god PITAR Father
"Mother Earth" PṚTHVĪ Earth-god MATIR Mother
Table 1 The etymology of DYAUSH-PITAR and PṚTHVĪ-MATIR

Abstract
Max Müller's etymology for the words Dyaus Pita begins as a composition of word for abstract
ideas. Studying Müller's concept I understood the pentagrams in the 2-dimensional alphabets with 5
linguistic categories as the “abstract ideas”, which transformed Indo-European father-god Dyaus
Pita to the sky-god DYAUS as a Father (PITAR).
The etymology of a word describes its origin and development throughout history. Initially the sky-
god's name DYAUS did not imply "shining" or "radiance", as it is described in Müller's
documentation. Instead the words DYAUS or TIÆWS for the sky-god, FAÐIR or PITAR for
“father” and MATIR or MÓÐIR for “mother” may have been composed from 5 letters D, Y, A, U,
S, representing 5 different linguistic categories (linguals, palatals, labials, gutturals, dentals).
Dyauspitar's consort is Prithvi, the earth goddess, and together they are the archetypal parents in
the Ṛg·veda. As Pṛthvī Mātā ("Mother Earth") she is complementary to Dyaus Pita ("Father Sky").
Originally PṚTHVĪ-MĀTĀ ("Mother Earth") may also have been spelled: PṚTHVĪ-MATIR.
Although the pentagrams are imperfect the original naming conventions may be applied to setup a
quadruple set of pentagrams DYAUSH-PITAR (Sky-Father) and PṚTHVĪ-MATIR (Earth-Mother).
The pentagrams as compositions of words
Max Müller (1823–1900) was a German-born philologist and Orientalist, who lived and studied in
Britain for most of his life. He was one of the founders of the western academic disciplines of
Indian studies and religious studies.
Müller devoted himself to the study of this language, becoming one of the major
Sanskrit scholars of his day. He believed that the earliest documents of Vedic culture
should be studied to provide the key to the development of pagan European religions,
and of religious belief in general. To this end, Müller sought to understand the most
ancient of Vedic scriptures, the Rig-Veda. Müller translated the Rigveda Samhita book
written by the 14th century Sanskrit scholar Sayanacharya from Sanskrit to English1 .

According to Max Müller (1823–1900) "gods" began as words constructed to express

abstract ideas, but were transformed into imagined personalities. Thus the Indo-
European father-god appears under various names: Zeus, Jupiter, Dyaus Pita. For
Müller all these names can be traced to the word "DYAUS", which he understood to
imply "shining" or "radiance". This leads to the terms "deva", "deus", "theos" as generic
terms for a god, and to the names "Zeus" and "Jupiter" (derived from deus-pater). In this
way a metaphor becomes personified and ossified.

Max Müller's etymology for the words Dyaus Pita begins as a composition of word for abstract
ideas. Studying Müller's concept I understood the pentagrams in the 2-dimensional alphabets with 5
linguistic categories as the “abstract ideas”, which transformed Indo-European father-god Dyaus
Pita to the sky-god DYAUS as a Father (PITAR).
The etymology of a word describes its origin and development throughout history. Initially the sky-
god's name DYAUS did not imply "shining" or "radiance", as it is described in Müller's
documentation. Instead the words DYAUS or TIÆWS for the sky-god, FAÐIR or PITAR for
“father” and MATIR or MÓÐIR for “mother” may have been composed from 5 letters D, Y, A, U,
S, representing 5 different linguistic categories (linguals, palatals, labials, gutturals, dentals).
In the perfect pentagrams, which represent the 5 linguistic categories the 5 letters symbolized the
complexity of the Almighty Power: the sky-god DYAUS or TIÆWS and the parents FAÐIR and
MATIR.
The 5 categories are documented in A Practical Grammar of the Sanskrit Language (1857)2 , but the
linguals are named cerebrals:
In the first arrangement of the alphabet all the consonants, excepting the semivowels,
sibilants, and h, were distributed under the five heads of gutturals, palatals, cerebrals,
dentals, and labials.

A respectable number of 5-letter-words represented all 5 linguistic categories to symbolize

“Allmighty Power”. In Sanskrit DYAUS PITAR represents 2 “Allmighty” symbols.

1 Max Müller (1823 – 1900) - Sanskrit studies

2 Author: Sir Monier Monier-Williams
The alphabetical letters
The Deva-nágarí character, in which the Sanskrit language is written, is adapted to the
expression of almost every known gradation of sound ; and every letter has a fixed and
invariable pronunciation. There are fourteen vowels (or without Iŗí * thirteen) and
thirtythree simple consonants. To these may be added the nasal symbol, called
Anusvára, and the symbol for a final aspirate, called Visarga (see rule 6). They are here
exhibited in the dictionary order. All the vowels, excepting a, have two forms ; the first
is the initial, the second the medial or non-initial.

We are now to show that all the forty-seven letters, vowels, semi vowels, and
consonants, may be referred to one or other of these five grand classes, according to the
organ principally concerned in their pronunciation, whether the throat, the palate, the
upper part of the palate, the teeth, or the lips.3

• 14 vowels: A, Á, I, Í, U, Ú, Ri, Ri, Lri, Lri, E, Ai, O, Au

• 5 gutturals: K , Kh, G, Gh, Ṉ,
• 5 palatals: C, Ch, J, Jh, Ṅ,
• 5 cerebrals: Ṭ,Ṭh, Ḍ, Ḍh, Ṇ,
• 5 dentals: T, Th, D, Dh, N,
• 5 labials: P, Ph, B, Bh, M.
• 4 Semivowels: Y, R, L, V4
• 3 Sibilants: Ṥ, Sh, S
• 1 Aspirate: H

Fig. 1 The Deva-nágarí character, in which the Sanskrit language is written

source: A Practical Grammar of the Sanskrit Language ( 1857 ) - Sir Monier Monier-Williams

3 A Practical Grammar of the Sanskrit Language ( 1857 ) - Sir Monier Monier-Williams

4 The semivowels y, r, I, v (called antahstha because in the first arrangement of the alphabet they stand between the
other consonants and the sibilants) are formed by a vocal breathing, which is only half interrupted, the several
organs being only slightly touched by the tongue. They are, therefore, soft or sonant consonants, approaching nearly
to the character of vowels ; in fact, half vowels, half consonants.
The etymology of DYAUS-PITAR and PṚTHVĪ MATIR
In order to classify the letters we may use the following definitions, which do not match the
European and Hebrew classifications5 :
• 14 vowels: A, Á, I, Í, U, Ú, Ṛi, Ṛi, Lṛi, Lṛi, E, Ai, O, Au
• 5 gutturals: K , Kh, G, Gh, Ṉ,
• 5 palatals: C, Ch, J, Jh, Ṅ,
• 5 cerebrals: Ṭ,Ṭh, Ḍ, Ḍh, Ṇ,
• 5 dentals: T, Th, D, Dh, N,
• 5 labials: P, Ph, B, Bh, M.
• 4 Semivowels: Y, R, L, V6
• 3 Sibilants: Ṥ, Sh, S
• 1 Aspirate: H

Dyaus-Pitar (“Father Sky”)

Notably the origin of the the Latin word Jupiter seems to be based on Ju-PITER and not on Ju-
PATER, which is missing a palatal letter I. This had been documented by Sir Monier Monier-
Williams in A Practical Grammar of the Sanskrit Language (1857):
Observe —Pitŗi seems to be corrupted from PÁTŖI, ' a protector' (pá, ' to protect'). The
cognate languages have preserved the root in πατήρ, pater, ' father,' &c. The Latin
Jupiter, however, is literally Dyu-PITAR, or rather DYAUSH-PITAR, ' father of
heaven.' It is clear that bases like dátŗi, pitŗi, &c, originally ended in ar.

a. Observe—*naptŗi, 'a grandson' (though said to be derived from na and pitŗi, 'not the
father'), is declined like dátŗi.

The translation DYAUSH-PITAR, -> 'father of heaven' may also be interpreted as “father sky”,
which may be understood as an analogy to “Mother Earth”.

Pṛthvī Mātā ("Mother Earth")

Dyauspitar's consort is Prithvi, the earth goddess, and together they are the archetypal
parents in the Ṛg·veda. As Pṛthvī Mātā ("Mother Earth") she is complementary to
Dyaus Pita ("Father Sky").[1] In the Rigveda, Earth and Sky are primarily addressed in
the dual as Dyavapṛthivi (DYAVAPṚTHIVĪ).[2]

PṚTHVĪ-MĀTĀ ("Mother Earth") may also have been spelled: PṚTHVĪ-MATIR.

This may be setup a quadruple set of pentagrams:
Translation Deity Symbol
“father sky” DYAUSH Sky-god PITAR Father
"Mother Earth" PṚTHVĪ Earth-god MATIR Mother
Table 2 The etymology of DYAUSH-PITAR and PṚTHVĪ-MATIR

5 Sir Monier Monier-Williams in A Practical Grammar of the Sanskrit Language (1857)

6 The semivowels y, r, I, v (called antahstha because in the first arrangement of the alphabet they stand between the
other consonants and the sibilants) are formed by a vocal breathing, which is only half interrupted, the several
organs being only slightly touched by the tongue. They are, therefore, soft or sonant consonants, approaching nearly
to the character of vowels ; in fact, half vowels, half consonants.
Summary
Max Müller's etymology for the words Dyaus Pita begins as a composition of word for abstract
ideas. Studying Müller's concept I understood the pentagrams in the 2-dimensional alphabets with 5
linguistic categories as the “abstract ideas”, which transformed Indo-European father-god Dyaus
Pita to the sky-god DYAUS as a Father (PITAR).
The etymology of a word describes its origin and development throughout history. Initially the sky-
god's name DYAUS did not imply "shining" or "radiance", as it is described in Müller's
documentation. Instead the words DYAUS or TIÆWS for the sky-god, FAÐIR or PITAR for
“father” and MATIR or MÓÐIR for “mother” may have been composed from 5 letters D, Y, A, U,
S, representing 5 different linguistic categories (linguals, palatals, labials, gutturals, dentals).
Dyauspitar's consort is Prithvi, the earth goddess, and together they are the archetypal parents in
the Ṛg·veda. As Pṛthvī Mātā ("Mother Earth") she is complementary to Dyaus Pita ("Father Sky").
Originally PṚTHVĪ-MĀTĀ ("Mother Earth") may also have been spelled: PṚTHVĪ-MATIR.

Although the pentagrams are imperfect the original naming conventions may be applied to setup a
quadruple set of pentagrams DYAUSH-PITAR (Sky-Father) and PṚTHVĪ-MATIR (Earth-Mother).
Contents
Abstract.................................................................................................................................................1
The pentagrams as compositions of words...........................................................................................2
The alphabetical letters....................................................................................................................3
The etymology of DYAUS-PITAR and PṚTHVĪ MATIR ..................................................................4
Dyaus-Pitar (“Father Sky”)..............................................................................................................4
Pṛthvī Mātā ("Mother Earth")..........................................................................................................4
Summary...............................................................................................................................................5