𑀓𑁂𑀭

Prakrit

Alternative forms

• -𑀓𑁂𑀭 (-kera) — as a suffix
• 𑀓𑁂𑀭𑀬 (keraya) — with -𑀬- (-ya-)
• *𑀓𑀸𑀭 (*kāra) — debated reconstruction based on some descendants

Etymology

Probably grammaticalized from Sanskrit कार्य (kārya, “effect, end, aim”) (from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kā́ryas (“to be done”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷór-yo-s, from the root *kʷer- (“to do, make”)), through metathesis of -āry- > -āyr- > -er-. Doublet of 𑀓𑀚𑁆𑀚 (kajja).

Adjective

𑀓𑁂𑀭 (kera) (Devanagari केर, Kannada ಕೇರ) (Sauraseni, Maharastri, Magadhi)

1. a suffix appended to nouns and particularly to pronouns to indicate possession

   Sauraseni ‎𑀫𑀫 (mama, “of me”, genitive of 𑀅𑀳𑀁 (ahaṃ)) + ‎𑀓𑁂𑀭 (kera) → ‎𑀫𑀫𑀓𑁂𑀭 (mamakera, “my, concerning me”)

Descendants

In many descendants, the -k- is lost since this word was considered to be fused with the preceding noun/pronoun, in which case the -k- was intervocalic and regularly lenited and, eventually, deleted.

Applied to all nouns:

• Eastern:
  • Maithili: केर (kēr)
  • Bengali: -এর (-er)
  • Assamese: -অৰ (-or)
  • Odia: -ର (-rô)
• Central:
  • Old Hindi: कर (kara), केरा (kerā), केरी (kerī) (indicating genitive of possession)
  • Old Gujarati: केर (kera)

Applied to only pronouns (Forms with -ār- can either be attributed to contamination with forms like 𑀅𑀫𑁆𑀳𑀸𑀡𑀁 (amhāṇaṃ, “our”, genitive of 𑀅𑀫𑁆𑀳𑁂 (amhe)), or to an unattested non-metathesized alternative form *𑀓𑀸𑀭 (*kāra), or some other phenomena):

• Gurjar Apabhramsa: महारउं, तुहारउं, अम्हारउं, तुम्हारउं
  • Old Gujarati: महारउं (mahāraüṃ), तुहारउं (tuhāraüṃ), अम्हारउं (amhāraüṃ), तुम्हारउं (tumhāraüṃ)
    • Gujarati: મારું (mārũ, “my”), તારું (tārũ, “thy, your”), અમારું (amārũ, “our”), તમારું (tamārũ, “your”)
• Sauraseni Apabhramsa: मेरय (meraya), तेरय (teraya), अम्हारय (amhāraya), तुम्हारय (tumhāraya)
  • Old Hindi: मेरा (merā), तेरा (terā), हमारा (hamārā) (with metathesis), तुम्हारा (tumhārā)
    • Hindi: मेरा (merā, “my”), तेरा (terā, “thy, your”), हमारा (hamārā, “our”), तुम्हारा (tumhārā, “your”)
    • Urdu: میرا (merā), تیرا (terā), ہَمارا (hamārā), تُمْہارا (tumhārā)
  • Punjabi: ਮੇਰਾ (merā), ਤੇਰਾ (terā)
  • Nepali: मेरो (mero), तेरो (tero), हाम्रो (hāmro), तिम्रो (timro)
  • Romani: miro, tiro, amaro, tumaro