𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲

Ashokan Prakrit

Etymology

Etymology tree

Sanskrit मनुष्य (manuṣya)

Sanskrit मनुष (manuṣa)

Sanskrit पुरुष (puruṣa)influ.

Ashokan Prakrit 𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲 (munisa)

Inherited from Sanskrit मनुष्य (manuṣya, “man”), मनुष (manuṣa, “man”), with contamination from पुरुष (puruṣa, “man”). Compare Ashokan Prakrit 𑀧𑀼𑀮𑀺𑀲 (pulisa).

Noun

𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲 (munisa) m

1. man
   • 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

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

Declension

Declension of 𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲 (munisa)
	singular	plural
nominative	—	𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲, 𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲𑀸 munisa, munisā
accusative	—	—
instrumental	—	—
dative	—	—
ablative	—	—
genitive	—	—
locative	—	—

Alternative forms

Attested at Brahmagiri, Gujarra, Nittur, Sahasram, Siddapura and Yerragudi.

Dialectal forms of 𑀧𑀼𑀮𑀺𑀲 (“man, male”)
Variety	Location	Lemmas	Forms edit
Central	Delhi-Topra	𑀧𑀼𑀮𑀺𑀲 (pulisa)
	Rampurva	𑀧𑀼𑀮𑀺𑀲 (pulisa)
	Lauriya-Nandangarh	𑀧𑀼𑀮𑀺𑀲 (pulisa)
	Lauriya-Araraj	𑀧𑀼𑀮𑀺𑀲 (pulisa)
	Bairat	𑀫𑀸𑀦𑀽𑀲 (mānūsa)	?𑀫𑀸𑀦𑀽𑀲𑀸 nom.pl (mānūsā)
	Allahabad-Kosambi	𑀧𑀼𑀮𑀺𑀲 (pulisa)
	Sahasram	𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲 (munisa)	𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲𑀸 nom.pl (munisā)
	Gujarra	𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲 (munisa)	𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲 nom.pl (munisa)
	Panguraria	𑀫𑀦𑀼𑀲 (manusa)	𑀫𑀦𑀼𑀲𑁂𑀳𑀺 ins.pl (manusehi)
	Bahapur	𑀫𑀸𑀦𑀽𑀲 (mānūsa)	𑀫𑀸𑀦𑀽𑀲𑀸 nom.pl (mānūsā)
East	Dhauli	𑀧𑀼𑀮𑀺𑀲 (pulisa)
South	Yerragudi	𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲 (munisa)	𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲𑀸 nom.pl (munisā)
	Siddapura	𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲 (munisa)	?𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲𑀸 nom.pl (munisā)
	Brahmagiri	𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲 (munisa)	𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲𑀸 nom.pl (munisā)
	Nittur	𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲 (munisa)	𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲𑀸 nom.pl (munisā)
	Gavimath	𑀫𑀸𑀡𑀼𑀲 (māṇusa)	𑀫𑀸𑀡𑀼𑀲𑁂𑀳𑀺 ins.pl (māṇusehi)
	Palkigundu	𑀫𑀸𑀡𑀼𑀲 (māṇusa)	𑀫𑀸𑀡𑀼𑀲𑁂𑀳𑀺 ins.pl (māṇusehi)

Map of dialectal forms of 𑀧𑀼𑀮𑀺𑀲 (“man, male”)
𑀫𑀼𑀦𑀺𑀲 (munisa) (6) 𑀧𑀼𑀮𑀺𑀲 (pulisa) (6) 𑀫𑀸𑀡𑀼𑀲 (māṇusa) (2) 𑀫𑀸𑀦𑀽𑀲 (mānūsa) (2) 𑀫𑀦𑀼𑀲 (manusa) (1)

References

• Andersen, Paul Kent (1990) “munisa-”, in Studies in the Minor Rock Edicts of Aśoka, Freiburg: Hedwig Falk, page 164