The History of Indian Literature c9.417

c9.417

³⁵² Where the Kinnaras and their wives appear as 'heavenly choristers,' as, *e.g.*, in the Meghadúta, Raghuvaṅśa, and Mahá-Bhárata, I conjecture the word to be a popular etymological adaptation from the Greek κινυρά, although the latter is properly only used of mournful, plaintive tones: *kiṃnara* itself is formed after the model of *kiṃpurusha*.