𑀬𑁄𑀦

Ashokan Prakrit

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Persian 𐎹𐎢𐎴 (y-u-n /⁠yauna⁠/), ultimately from Ancient Greek Ἴων (Íōn, “an Ionian”).

Noun

𑀬𑁄𑀦 (yona) (Dhauli, Girnar, Jaugada, Kalsi)

1. a Greek

Alternative forms

Attested at Dhauli, Girnar, Jaugada and Kalsi.

Dialectal forms of 𑀬𑁄𑀦 (“a Greek”)
Variety	Location	Forms edit
Central	Kalsi	𑀬𑁄𑀦 (yona)
East	Dhauli	𑀬𑁄𑀦 (yona)
	Jaugada	𑀬𑁄𑀦 (yona)
Northwest	Shahbazgarhi	𐨩𐨆𐨣 (yona)
	Mansehra	𐨩𐨆𐨣 (yona)
West	Girnar	𑀬𑁄𑀡 (yoṇa), 𑀬𑁄𑀦 (yona)

Map of dialectal forms of 𑀬𑁄𑀦 (“a Greek”)
𑀬𑁄𑀦 (yona) (4) 𐨩𐨆𐨣 (yona) (2) 𑀬𑁄𑀡 (yoṇa) (1)

Descendants

• → Pali: yona, yonā
• → Tamil: சோனகர் (cōṉakar), சோனி (cōṉi), சோனத்தி (cōṉatti)
• → Sanskrit: यवन (yavana)
  • → Bengali: যবন (jobon)
  • → Hindi: यवन (yavan)
  • → Tamil: யவனர் (yavaṉar)
  • → Middle Chinese: 耶槃那 (MC yae ban na)
  • → Thai: ยวน (yuuan)
    • → Burmese: ယွန်း (ywan:)
  • → Urdu: یون (yavan)

References

• Sen, Sukumar (1960) A Comparative Grammar of Middle Indo-Aryan, Linguistic Society of India, page 39.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “yavaná”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press