In researching a model airplane that I'm planning to build, I found that it was named for the star, Adhara. In researching the name further, it appears to be the Sanskrit word for "lip."

Since it's one of the "Dog Stars," (Canis Major) we got us a US Coast Guard seaplane named for a star called, "Dog Lips?"

Where, oh where did I go wrong?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: <Asa Lovejoy>,

LOL - I had to read your post several times before I got what you were saying. That is funny!

Well I'm too dense to comprehend, so...happy building?

WM

I am also too dense to comprehend, which is why I posted this. I hope Zmj or one of the other Sanskrit-savvy folks will give me the proper etymology of "Adhara."

I'm not Sanskrit savvy but try this ...... or this.

Adhara (ε Canis Majoris) = Azârâ عذارا

Fr.: Adhara

A binary star, in the constellation Canis Major, 470 light-years distant from Earth. The main star possesses an apparent magnitude of +1.5 and belongs to the spectral classification B2 II. The +7.5 magnitude companion star is 7.5" apart from the main star.

Adhara, from Ar. adhârâ "virgins," plural of adhrâ' "virgin".

Azârâ, from Ar. Adhara.

JT's Arabic etymology ('virgins') seems the preferred one. The dh is a voiced dental fricative /ð/. There is a Sanskrit word adhara, and it means 'lower, inferior; (lower) lip; nadir; pudendum muliebre', and it may be connected with the verbal root adhR 'to hold, support; be contained'. The Sanskrit word I associate with lips, oSTha, is a grammatical term oSThaja 'labial'.

[Couldn't get the dotted characters to display, so I used the old Kyoto transliteration method.]