Reconstruction:Ashokan Prakrit/𑀥𑁄𑀢𑁆𑀢

This Ashokan Prakrit entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Ashokan Prakrit

Etymology

Possibly a contraction of Sanskrit धौत (dhauta, “washed”), from the root धाव् (dhāv) (phonologically, compare जित (jita) → Prakrit 𑀚𑀺𑀢𑁆𑀢 (jitta)). This could also further be related to Sanskrit धौतक (dhautaka, “made of silk”) and धौतकट (dhautakaṭa, “bag of coarse cloth”).

Turner also posits that this term could be inherited from Sanskrit धोत्र (dhotra, “rope, cord”).

Noun

*𑀥𑁄𑀢𑁆𑀢 (*dhotta) m

1. cloth

Descendants

• Ardhamagadhi Prakrit:
  • Assamese: ধুতি (dhuti)
  • Bengali: ধুতি (dhuti)
• Sauraseni Prakrit:
  • Nepali: धोती (dhotī)
  • Rajasthani: धोती
  • Kachchi: ધોત્યો (dhotyo)
  • Gujarati: ધોતી (dhotī)
  • Hindustani:
    • Hindi: धोती (dhotī)
    • Urdu: دھوتی (dhotī)

References

• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “dhotta”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press