𑀤𑁂𑀯

Ashokan Prakrit

Etymology

Etymology tree

Sanskrit देव (deva)

Ashokan Prakrit 𑀤𑁂𑀯 (deva)

Inherited from Sanskrit देव (deva).

Noun

𑀤𑁂𑀯 (deva) m

1. (religion) god
   • c. 258 BCE, Aśoka, Minor Rock Edict 1 Brahmagiri.3-4:

     𑀇𑀫𑀺𑀦𑀸 𑀘𑀼 𑀓𑀸𑀮𑁂𑀦 𑀅𑀫𑀺𑀲𑀸 𑀲𑀫𑀸𑀦𑀸 𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲𑀸 𑀚𑀁𑀩𑀼𑀤𑀻𑀧𑀲𑀺
     𑀫𑀺𑀲𑀸 𑀤𑁂𑀯𑁂𑀳𑀺

     iminā cu kālena amisā samānā munisā jaṃbudīpasi
     misā devehi

     • 1925 translation by Eugen Hultzsch

       But men in Jambudvīpa, being during that time unmingled, (are now) mingled with the gods.

Declension

Declension of 𑀤𑁂𑀯 (deva)
	singular	plural
nominative	—	𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀸 devā
accusative	—	—
instrumental	—	𑀤𑁂𑀯𑁂𑀳𑀺 devehi
dative	—	—
ablative	—	—
genitive	—	𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀸𑀦𑀁 devānaṃ
locative	—	—

Alternative forms

Attested at Bahapur, Bairat, Brahmagiri, Gavimath, Nittur, Panguraria, Rupnath, Siddapura and Yerragudi.

Dialectal forms of 𑀤𑁂𑀯 (“god”)
Variety	Location	Lemmas	Forms edit
Central	Rupnath	𑀤𑁂𑀯 (deva)	𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀸 nom.pl (devā)
	Bairat	𑀤𑁂𑀯 (deva)	𑀤𑁂𑀯𑁂𑀳𑀺 ins.pl (devehi)
	Panguraria	𑀤𑁂𑀯 (deva)	𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀸 nom.pl (devā)
	Bahapur	𑀤𑁂𑀯 (deva)	𑀤𑁂𑀯𑁂𑀳𑀺 ins.pl (devehi)
South	Yerragudi	𑀤𑁂𑀯 (deva)	𑀤𑁂𑀯𑁂𑀳𑀺 ins.pl (devehi), 𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀸𑀦𑀁 gen.pl (devānaṃ)
	Siddapura	𑀤𑁂𑀯 (deva)	𑀤𑁂𑀯𑁂𑀳𑀺 ins.pl (devehi)
	Brahmagiri	𑀤𑁂𑀯 (deva)	𑀤𑁂𑀯𑁂𑀳𑀺 ins.pl (devehi)
	Nittur	𑀤𑁂𑀯 (deva)	?𑀤𑁂𑀯𑁂𑀳𑀺 ins.pl (devehi)
	Gavimath	𑀤𑁂𑀯 (deva)	𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀸 nom.pl (devā)

Map of dialectal forms of 𑀤𑁂𑀯 (“god”)
𑀤𑁂𑀯 (deva) (10)

Derived terms

• 𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀸𑀦𑀸𑀁𑀧𑁆𑀭𑀺𑀬 (devānāṃpriya, “beloved of the Gods”)

References

• Andersen, Paul Kent (1990) “deva-”, in Studies in the Minor Rock Edicts of Aśoka, Freiburg: Hedwig Falk, page 154