Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit rohiṇī, a feminine form associated with rohita, red.
For the mansion, the dictionary explains the name through the reddish appearance of Aldebaran. It also records rohiṇī as a feminine of rohin, associated with growing; that separate lexical connection should not replace the stated colour explanation of the stellar name.
Monier-Williams (1899): rohita / rohiṇī — University of Hyderabad digital edition ↗
How we know · epistemology
Lexical attestation, ritual tradition and a stated coordinate convention
The name’s colour explanation and cart representation are lexically documented; its deity identity is a ritual association. The dictionary’s multiple meanings do not license treating every word related to growth as the origin of this asterism’s name.
Monier-Williams (1899): rohita / rohiṇī — University of Hyderabad digital edition ↗Taittiriya Nakshatra Sukta — Sanskrit text, Rajagopal Iyer transcription ↗
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