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.

Declension

Declension of 𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)
	singular	plural
nominative	—	—
accusative	—	—
instrumental	𑀯𑀘𑀦𑁂𑀦 vacanena	—
dative	—	—
ablative	—	—
genitive	—	—
locative	—	—

Alternative forms

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

Dialectal forms of 𑀯𑀘𑀦 (“word”)
Variety	Location	Lemmas	Forms edit
Central	Allahabad-Kosambi	𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)
East	Dhauli	𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)
	Jaugada	𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)
South	Siddapura	𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)	𑀯𑀘𑀦𑁂𑀦 ins.sg (vacanena)
	Brahmagiri	𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)	𑀯𑀘𑀦𑁂𑀦 ins.sg (vacanena)
	Udegolam	𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)	𑀯𑀘𑀦𑁂𑀦 ins.sg (vacanena)
	Nittur	𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana)	?𑀯𑀘𑀦𑁂𑀦 ins.sg (vacanena)

Map of dialectal forms of 𑀯𑀘𑀦 (“word”)
𑀯𑀘𑀦 (vacana) (7)

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