Etymologies of Kubha lagh, eagh-, gevaya, and Laghulo.
Summary
In this linguistic note, the author proposes explanations for the name of the Kubha river, identified with the modern Kabul River. Drawing on Vedic, Avestan and later Sanskrit sources, the paper explores possible roots such as *kubh‑* meaning ‘to swell’, *kubhā* signifying ‘hump’ or ‘convexity’, and Iranian *kuh* for ‘mountain’. The author assesses earlier proposals, weighing phonetic changes and semantic plausibility. He suggests that the river may have been named for its swelling waters during seasonal floods or for its curved course through the Hindu Kush mountains. The note also briefly discusses the river’s appearance in epic geography and its importance for trade routes between India and Central Asia. Although inconclusive, the article provides a systematic review of the linguistic data and encourages further comparative research with Iranian languages.
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Conclusion
The note highlights the challenges of reconstructing hydronym etymologies in the absence of definitive evidence. By surveying Indo‑Aryan and Iranian lexical roots, it offers plausible hypotheses for the name Kubha while emphasising the need for broader philological comparison.