𑀯𑀘𑀦

Ashokan Prakrit

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ-

Sanskrit वच् (vac)

Proto-Indo-European *-nós

Sanskrit -अन (-ana)

Sanskrit वचन (vacana)

Ashokan Prakrit 𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)

Inherited from Sanskrit वचन (vacana). Cognate with Pali vacana.

Noun

𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana) n

1. word
   • c. 257 BCE, Aśoka, Separate Rock Edict 1 Dhauli.1-2:

     𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀸𑀦𑀁𑀧𑀺𑀬𑀲 𑀯𑀘𑀦𑁂𑀦 𑀢𑁄𑀲𑀮𑀺𑀬𑀁 𑀫𑀳𑀸𑀫𑀢 𑀦𑀕𑀮𑀯𑀺𑀬𑁄𑀳𑀸𑀮𑀓𑀸
     𑀯𑀢𑀯𑀺𑀬

     devānaṃpiyasa vacanena tosaliyaṃ mahāmata nagalaviyohālakā
     vataviya

     • 1925 translation by Eugen Hultzsch

       At the word of Devānāṁpriya, the Mahāmātras at Tosali, (who are) the judicial officers of the city, have to be told (thus).

   • c. 257 BCE, Aśoka, Queen's Pillar Edict Allahabad-Kosambi.1:

     𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀸𑀦𑀁𑀧𑀺𑀬𑀰𑀸 𑀯𑀘𑀦𑁂𑀦𑀸 𑀲𑀯𑀢 𑀫𑀳𑀫𑀢𑀸
     𑀯𑀢𑀯𑀺𑀬𑀸

     devānaṃpiyaśā vacanenā savata mahamatā
     vataviyā

     • 1925 translation by Eugen Hultzsch

       At the word of Devānāṁpriya, the Mahāmātras everywhere have to be told (this).

   • c. 258 BCE, Aśoka, Minor Rock Edict 1 Brahmagiri.1:

     𑀲𑀼𑀯𑀁𑀡𑀕𑀺𑀭𑀻𑀢𑁂 𑀅𑀬𑀧𑀼𑀢𑀲 𑀫𑀳𑀸𑀫𑀸𑀢𑀸𑀡𑀁 𑀘 𑀯𑀘𑀦𑁂𑀦 𑀇𑀲𑀺𑀮𑀲𑀺 𑀫𑀳𑀸𑀫𑀸𑀢𑀸 𑀆𑀭𑁄𑀕𑀺𑀬𑀁 𑀯𑀢𑀯𑀺𑀬𑀸 𑀳𑁂𑀯𑀁 𑀘 𑀯𑀢𑀯𑀺𑀬𑀸

     suvaṃṇagirīte ayaputasa mahāmātāṇaṃ ca vacanena isilasi mahāmātā ārogiyaṃ vataviyā hevaṃ ca vataviyā

     • 1997 translation by Romila Thapar

       From Suvarnagiri, on the order of his Highness the Prince, and the officers: good health to the officers of Isila who are to be instructed thus.

Alternative forms

Attested at Allahabad-Kosambi, Brahmagiri, Dhauli, Jaugada and Siddapura.

Dialectal forms of 𑀯𑀘𑀦 (“word”)
Variety	Location	Forms edit
Central	Allahabad-Kosambi	𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)
East	Dhauli	𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)
	Jaugada	𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)
South	Siddapura	𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)
	Brahmagiri	𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)

Map of dialectal forms of 𑀯𑀘𑀦 (“word”)
𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana) (5)

Descendants

• Prakrit: 𑀯𑀬𑀡 (vayaṇa) (see there for further descendants)

References

• Hultzsch, E[ugen Julius Theodor] (1925) Inscriptions of Aśoka (new edition), in Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, volume 1, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 159.
• Andersen, Paul Kent (1990) “vacana-”, in Studies in the Minor Rock Edicts of Aśoka, Freiburg: Hedwig Falk, page 168