𑀦𑁄

Ashokan Prakrit

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ne

Proto-Indo-Iranian *ná

Sanskrit न (na)

Sanskrit उ (u)

Sanskrit नो (no)

Ashokan Prakrit 𑀦𑁄 (no)

Inherited from Sanskrit नो (no).

Particle

𑀦𑁄 (no)

1. nor, and not, indeed not; introduces a negated main clause
   • c. 258 BCE, Aśoka, Minor Rock Edict 1 Brahmagiri.3:

     𑀦𑁄 𑀢𑀼 𑀔𑁄 𑀩𑀸𑀠𑀁 𑀧𑁆𑀭𑀓𑀁𑀢𑁂 𑀳𑀼𑀲𑀁 𑀏𑀓𑀁 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀭𑀁

     no tu kho bāḍhaṃ prakaṃte husaṃ ekaṃ savacharaṃ

     • 1925 translation by Eugen Hultzsch

       But indeed I had not been very zealous for one year.

Alternative forms

Attested at Ahraura, Bahapur, Bairat, Brahmagiri, Gujarra, Nittur, Panguraria, Rajula-Mandagiri, Rupnath, Sahasram, Siddapura, Udegolam and Yerragudi.

Dialectal forms of 𑀦𑁄 (“and not”)
Variety	Location	Forms edit
Central	Rupnath	𑀦𑁄 (no)
	Bairat	𑀦𑁄 partial (no)
	Sahasram	𑀦𑁄 partial (no)
	Gujarra	𑀦𑁄 (no)
	Panguraria	𑀦𑁄 (no)
	Bahapur	𑀦𑁄 (no)
	Ahraura	𑀦𑁄 partial (no)
South	Yerragudi	𑀦𑁄 (no)
	Siddapura	𑀦𑁄 (no)
	Brahmagiri	𑀦𑁄 (no)
	Rajula-Mandagiri	𑀦𑁄 (no)
	Udegolam	𑀦𑁄 partial (no)
	Nittur	𑀦𑁄 partial (no)
	Gavimath	𑀡𑁄 (ṇo)
	Palkigundu	𑀡𑁄 (ṇo)

Map of dialectal forms of 𑀦𑁄 (“and not”)
𑀦𑁄 (no) (13) 𑀡𑁄 (ṇo) (2)

References

• Andersen, Paul Kent (1990) “no”, in Studies in the Minor Rock Edicts of Aśoka, Freiburg: Hedwig Falk, page 156