𐨣𐨁𐨤𐨁𐨯𐨿𐨟

Ashokan Prakrit

Etymology

From Middle Iranian *ni-pista, from *pays- (“to write”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *payć-, from Proto-Indo-European *peyḱ-. Cognate with Old Persian 𐎴𐎡𐎱𐎡𐏁𐎫𐎠 (n-i-p-i-š-t-a /⁠nipištā⁠/), Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬉𐬯 (paēs), and Sanskrit पेश् (peś, “to adorn”).

Adjective

𐨣𐨁𐨤𐨁𐨯𐨿𐨟 (nipista) (Shahbazgarhi)

1. written
   • c. 256 BCE, Aśoka, Rock Edict 5 Shahbazgarhi:

     𐨀𐨩𐨁 𐨢𐨿𐨪𐨨𐨡𐨁𐨤𐨁 𐨣𐨁𐨤𐨁𐨯𐨿𐨟

     ayi dhramadipi nipista

     […] has this law-edict been written […]

Alternative forms

Attested at Shahbazgarhi.

Dialectal forms of 𑀮𑀺𑀔𑀺𑀢 (“written”)
Variety	Location	Forms edit
Central	Kalsi	𑀮𑀺𑀔𑀺𑀢 (likhita)
East	Dhauli	𑀮𑀺𑀔𑀺𑀢 (likhita)
Northwest	Shahbazgarhi	𐨣𐨁𐨤𐨁𐨯𐨿𐨟 (nipista), 𐨫𐨁𐨑𐨁𐨟 (likhita)
	Mansehra	𐨫𐨁𐨑𐨁𐨟 (likhita)
West	Girnar	𑀮𑀺𑀔𑀺𑀢 (likhita)
South	Brahmagiri	𑀮𑀺𑀔𑀺𑀢 (likhita)

Map of dialectal forms of 𑀮𑀺𑀔𑀺𑀢 (“written”)
𑀮𑀺𑀔𑀺𑀢 (likhita) (4) 𐨫𐨁𐨑𐨁𐨟 (likhita) (2) 𐨣𐨁𐨤𐨁𐨯𐨿𐨟 (nipista) (1)

References

• Cheung, Johnny (2007) “*pais-”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN