𐨬𐨅𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨭𐨁

Gandhari

Etymology

From an earlier form *Vayaspasi, ultimately from Scythian *Bagaspasa (literally “servant of God/the Lord”), composed of a cognate of Khotanese vvūv (“lord”), from Iranian *Baga (cf. Old Persian 𐏎 (Baga)) + a cognate of Khotanese spaśś (“to look”), spaśa (“observer”).^[1]

Compare with the other Indo-Scythian proper names 𐨬𐨅𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨭𐨁𐨀 (veśpaśia) and 𐨤𐨁𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨯𐨿𐨪𐨁 (piśpasri), and with the Indo-Scythian titles 𑀯𑀺𑀰𑁆𑀯𑀲𑀺𑀓 (viśvasika) and 𑀯𑀺𑀰𑁆𑀯𑀰𑀺𑀓 (viśvaśika).

Proper noun

𐨬𐨅𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨭𐨁 (veśpaśi)^[2]^[3]

(Epigraphic Gandhari) a male given name from Scythian: Vespasi, an Indo-Scythian satrap

References

^ Harmatta, Janos (1999) “Languages and scripts in Graeco-Bactria and the Saka Kingdoms”, in Harmatta, Janos, Puri, B. N., Etemadi, G. F., editors, History of civilizations of Central Asia‎^[1], volume 2, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House, →ISBN, pages 398-406
^ Prinsep, H. T. (1844) Note on the Historical Results, Deducible from Recent Discoveries in Afghanistan‎^[2], London: W. H. Allen & Co., archived from the original on 9 December 2022, page Plate XVI
^ Jongeward, David, Errington, Elizabeth, Salomon, Richard, Baums, Stefan (2012) “Catalog and Revised Text and Translations of Gandhāran Reliquary”, in Gandhāran Buddhist Reliquaries‎^[3], Seattle: Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project, →ISBN, pages 240-242

[1] Harmatta, Janos (1999) “Languages and scripts in Graeco-Bactria and the Saka Kingdoms”, in Harmatta, Janos, Puri, B. N., Etemadi, G. F., editors, History of civilizations of Central Asia‎^[1], volume 2, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House, →ISBN, pages 398-406

[2] Prinsep, H. T. (1844) Note on the Historical Results, Deducible from Recent Discoveries in Afghanistan‎^[2], London: W. H. Allen & Co., archived from the original on 9 December 2022, page Plate XVI

[3] Jongeward, David, Errington, Elizabeth, Salomon, Richard, Baums, Stefan (2012) “Catalog and Revised Text and Translations of Gandhāran Reliquary”, in Gandhāran Buddhist Reliquaries‎^[3], Seattle: Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project, →ISBN, pages 240-242

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