𑀘𑀺𑀅

Prakrit

Alternative forms

• 𑀘𑁂𑀅 (cea) — Śaurasenī
• 𑀘𑁂𑀯 (ceva) — Ardhamāgadhī
• 𑀘𑀺𑀬 (ciya), 𑀘𑁂𑀬 (ceya), 𑀘𑁂𑀯 (ceva) — Jain Māhārāṣṭrī

Etymology

Inherited from Ashokan Prakrit 𑀘𑁂𑀯 (ceva). Cognate with Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀘𑁂𑀅 (cea), Ardhamagadhi Prakrit 𑀘𑁂𑀯 (ceva).

Particle

𑀘𑀺𑀅 (cia) (Devanagari चिअ, Kannada ಚಿಅ) (Māhārāṣṭrī) (enclitic)

1. precisely, only
   • c. 200 CE – 600 CE, Hāla, Gāhā Sattasaī 16:

     𑀅𑀫𑀅-𑀫𑀅 𑀕𑀅𑀡-𑀲𑁂𑀳𑀭 𑀭𑀅𑀡𑀻-𑀫𑀼𑀳-𑀢𑀺𑀮𑀅 𑀘𑀁𑀤 𑀤𑁂 𑀙𑀺𑀯𑀲𑀼
     𑀙𑀺𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁄 𑀚𑁂𑀳𑀺 𑀧𑀺𑀅𑀅𑀫𑁄 𑀫𑀫𑀁-𑀧𑀺 𑀢𑁂𑀳𑀺𑀁-𑀘𑀺𑀅 𑀓𑀭𑁂𑀳𑀺𑀁

     amaa-maa gaaṇa-sehara raaṇī-muha-tilaa caṃda de chivasu
     chitto jehi piaamo mamaṃ-pi tehiṃ-cia karehiṃ

     Sweet moon, crest jewel of the sky, beauty spot on the face of night,
     Touch me with the very same rays with which you’ve touched my most dearly beloved.

Descendants

• Konkani: -c (suffix used to denote emphasis)

  Devanagari script: -च

  Kannada script: -ಚ್

  Latin script: -ch

• Old Marathi:

  Devanagari script: -च (-ca), -चि (-ci)

  Modi script: -𑘓 (-ca), -𑘓𑘲 (-cī)

  • Marathi: -च (-ca)
    • → Hindi: -ईच (-īc) (dialectal)

Further reading

• Sheth, Hargovind Das T[rikamcand] (1923–1928) “चिअ”, in पाइअ-सद्द-महण्णवो [pāia-sadda-mahaṇṇavo, Ocean of Prakrit words] (in Hindi), Calcutta: [Published by the Author].
• Pischel, Richard, Jha, Subhadra (contributor) (1957) Comparative Grammar of the Prakrit Languages, Varanasi: Motilal Banarasidass, page 83
• Woolner, Alfred Cooper, An Introduction to Prakrit‎, Calcutta: Baptist Mission Press, 1917, page 105.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “caiva”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press