Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s1.5

v1.c3.s1.5

Ākhu.—The exact sense of this word is uncertain. Zimmer¹ renders it ‘mole,’ while Roth² prefers ‘mouse’ or ‘rat.’ It is frequently mentioned in the later Saṃhitās,³ and is known to the Rigveda,⁴ where, however, the word is regarded by Pischel⁵ as having acquired the secondary sense of ‘thief.’ This is denied by Hillebrandt.⁶