Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c40.s2.5

v2.c40.s2.5

Pāṇini explained in 5.4.94 that ayas stands for metal in general, but when qualified, it could mean a specific metal such as kālāyasa, black metal or iron, lohitāyasa, red metal or copper. Thus ayas was taken both as a genus (jāti) as well as species (saṃjñā). Unless qualified otherwise, ayas sometimes meant iron. The world *lauha* meaning iron evolved much later. It could have originated either from *loha* (red) meaning that which is extracted from the red ore of hematite; alternatively, it could have been a verbal derivative from *lu* which means to cut, sever, or divide, *lauha* meaning something which cuts, severs or divides. The second postulate receives some support from the fact that *lavitra* meaning a sickle (3.2.184) is related to the verb *lū*.