ܡܳܪܰܓܢܳܐ mrgnʾ māraḡnā a scourge of leathern thongs filled with sand and having sharp points
OP *māra-gna- "killing snakes", a compound formed by OP *māra- snake (MP, NP mār id.) and OP *-gna-, from the OP verbal root jan- to strike, smite, defeat (Kent 1953,184), Av. jan-, gan- id. (AirWb 490), both from IE *gwhen- to kill. — Off. Aram. mrgnʾ scourge, whip (Hinz 1975, 160, lit. "Schlangen-Züruckschlagen"); Md. mʾrgnʾ mārgnā stick to beat olives down (Median, and later inherited by Parthian, according to Widengren 1960, 94, whereas Nöldeke MG xxx believes that the Md. word is a loanword from Gr. μάραγνα). The OP word was early borrowed into Gr. μάραγνα whip, lash (Aeschyl. Coeph. 373; cf. Frisk II 173). As to the meaning, Hinz cit. quotes Benveniste RANL 76 (1966), 484 (but the reference is wrong): “proprement le bâton à tuer les serpents, dont se servaient les Mages. Ce mot est passé aussi en araméen, où il s'est conservé dans la langue des Mandéens au sens de bâton du prêtre” ● 1Rg 12, 11; 2Par 10, 11; ES 1, 471F; Bh Eth 256, 12; Bh LSt 134, 7; BA 6632; BB 1150u ◆ LS 402b; Hübschmann 1898–1899, 175 f.; PS Suppl. 200