𑀘𑀼

Ashokan Prakrit

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *sóder.?

Sanskrit तु (tu)

Ashokan Prakrit 𑀢𑀼 (tu)?

Proto-Indo-European *-kʷe

Proto-Indo-Iranian *-ča

Sanskrit च (ca)?

Sanskrit तु (tu)?

Ashokan Prakrit 𑀘𑀼 (cu)

Either a palatalised form of 𑀢𑀼 (tu, “but”) or from Sanskrit च (ca, “and”) +‎ Sanskrit तु (tu, “but”).

Particle

𑀘𑀼 (cu)

1. but

Alternative forms

Attested at Bairat, Brahmagiri, Calcutta-Bairat, Delhi-Topra, Dhauli, Gavimath, Jaugada, Kalsi, Nittur, Panguraria, Rajula-Mandagiri, Rupnath, Sahasram, Siddapura, Udegolam and Yerragudi.

Dialectal forms of 𑀢𑀼 (“but”)
Variety	Location	Forms edit
Central	Kalsi	𑀘𑀼 (cu)
	Delhi-Topra	𑀘𑀼 (cu)
	Rupnath	𑀘𑀼 (cu)
	Bairat	𑀘𑀼 partial (cu)
	Sahasram	𑀘𑀼 (cu), 𑀘 (ca)
	Calcutta-Bairat	𑀘𑀼 (cu)
	Panguraria	𑀘𑀼 (cu), 𑀘 (ca)
	Bahapur	𑀘 (ca)
	Ahraura	𑀘 (ca)
East	Dhauli	𑀢𑀼 (tu), 𑀘𑀼 (cu)
	Jaugada	𑀢𑀼 (tu), 𑀘𑀼 (cu)
Northwest	Shahbazgarhi	𐨟𐨂 (tu), 𐨕𐨂 (cu)
	Mansehra	𐨟𐨂 (tu), 𐨕𐨂 (cu)
West	Girnar	𑀢𑀼 (tu)
South	Yerragudi	𑀢𑀼 (tu), 𑀘𑀼 (cu)
	Siddapura	𑀢𑀼 (tu), 𑀘𑀼 (cu)
	Brahmagiri	𑀢𑀼 (tu), 𑀘𑀼 (cu)
	Rajula-Mandagiri	𑀢𑀼 (tu), 𑀘𑀼 (cu)
	Udegolam	𑀢𑀼 (tu), 𑀘𑀼 (cu)
	Nittur	𑀢𑀼 (tu), 𑀘𑀼 (cu)
	Gavimath	𑀘𑀼 (cu)

Map of dialectal forms of 𑀢𑀼 (“but”)
𑀘𑀼 (cu) (16) 𑀢𑀼 (tu) (9) 𑀘 (ca) (4) 𐨕𐨂 (cu) (2) 𐨟𐨂 (tu) (2)

Further reading

• Andersen, Paul Kent (1990) “cu”, in Studies in the Minor Rock Edicts of Aśoka, Freiburg: Hedwig Falk, page 150
• Hultzsch, E[ugen Julius Theodor] (1925) Inscriptions of Aśoka (new edition), in Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, volume 1, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 240.