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Yes, all-nighter neighbourhood parties centred around prayer and group singing of religious music have been an integral part of Hindu religious practice for a long time. They are literally called “jaagran” (‘keeping awake’) or “jagraataa” (‘night-wake’).


Wouldn't you know it, when Christians do the same thing, it's called a vigil, from the Latin for.. being awake!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigil_(liturgy)

I wonder if jaagra- and vig- come from the same root? Wouldn't that be fun.

I'm thinking of the derived word "vigor" which means strength and energy, apparently the PIE root is *weg- from which we also get "awake".

So this is very likely a cognate!

Edit: the related word, turns out, is excited, not vigil.


That would have been fun! But in this case it doesn't work. The PIE root is *h₁ger-

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E...


Except this appears to be a mistake! (Read on, it isn't)

If we follow the Sanskrt we get the cognate jaagarti: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/जागर्ति#Sanskrit

Which lists the root as *h₁ger- (“to be awake, to awaken”).

But that root is missing from Wiktionary, which isn't a good sign, but compare:

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-Eur...

Although tracing this forward I see the obvious derivatives (vajra, vaaja) and it would be peculiar, but not unheard of, for the word to take two mutations.

I'm basically on a random walk at this point, but here's that missing root again https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ἐγείρω#Ancient_Greek and I am once again left wondering...

Exitare! Ok. Nope completely different roots. Someone should really write up *h₁ger- it's pretty important...




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