𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭

Ashokan Prakrit

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *sem-

Proto-Indo-Iranian *sam-

Sanskrit सम्- (sam-)

Proto-Indo-European *wet-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *wétos

Proto-Indo-European *-ós

Proto-Indo-Iranian *watsás

Sanskrit वत्स (vatsa)

Sanskrit वत्सर (vatsara)

Sanskrit संवत्सर (saṃvatsara)

Ashokan Prakrit 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara)

Inherited from Sanskrit संवत्सर (saṃvatsara).

Noun

𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara) m

1. (especially in the singular) year

Alternative forms

Attested at Brahmagiri, Gavimath, Gujarra, Nittur, Panguraria, Rajula-Mandagiri, Sahasram, Siddapura and Yerragudi.

Dialectal forms of 𐨬𐨮 (“year”)
Variety	Location	Forms edit
Central	Kalsi	𑀯𑀲 (vasa), 𑀯𑀱 (vaṣa), 𑀯𑀰 (vaśa)
	Delhi-Topra	𑀯𑀲 (vasa)
	Lumbini	𑀯𑀲 (vasa)
	Nigali-Sagar	𑀯𑀲 (vasa)
	Rupnath	𑀙𑀯𑀙𑀭 sg (chavachara)
	Bairat	𑀯𑀲 pl; partial (vasa)
	Sahasram	𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀮 sg (saṃvachala), 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀭 sg (savachara), 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 pl; partial (saṃvachara)
	Gujarra	𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 partial (saṃvachara)
	Barabar	𑀯𑀲 (vasa)
	Calcutta-Bairat	𑀯𑀲 pl (vasa)
	Panguraria	𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 sg; partial (saṃvachara), 𑀯𑀲 pl (vasa)
	Bahapur	𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀮 sg (saṃvachala), 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀭 sg (savachara), 𑀯𑀲 pl (vasa)
East	Dhauli	𑀯𑀲 (vasa)
	Jaugada	𑀯𑀲 (vasa)
Northwest	Shahbazgarhi	𐨬𐨮 (vaṣa)
	Mansehra	𐨬𐨮 (vaṣa)
West	Girnar	𑀯𑀲 (vasa), 𑀯𑀭𑁆𑀲 (varsa)
South	Yerragudi	𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 sg (saṃvachara), 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀭 sg (savachara)
	Siddapura	𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 sg (saṃvachara), 𑀯𑀲 pl (vasa)
	Brahmagiri	𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 sg (saṃvachara), 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀭 sg (savachara), 𑀯𑀲 pl (vasa)
	Maski	𑀯𑀲 pl; partial (vasa)
	Rajula-Mandagiri	𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 sg (saṃvachara)
	Nittur	𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 sg (saṃvachara), 𑀯𑀲 pl (vasa)
	Gavimath	𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 sg (saṃvachara), 𑀯𑀲 pl (vasa)

Map of dialectal forms of 𐨬𐨮 (“year”)
𑀯𑀲 (vasa) (17) 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara) (9) 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀭 (savachara) (4) 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀮 (saṃvachala) (2) 𐨬𐨮 (vaṣa) (2) 𑀙𑀯𑀙𑀭 (chavachara) (1) 𑀯𑀰 (vaśa) (1) 𑀯𑀱 (vaṣa) (1) 𑀯𑀭𑁆𑀲 (varsa) (1)

Usage notes

Turner notes that 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) is almost always used in the plural (except when in a compound, which is where we find the lemma form usually), while the singular form is supplied by 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara). This suppletion is similar to the situation in Rigvedic Sanskrit, where संवत्सर (saṃvatsara) (and once परिवत्सर (parivatsara)) is the singular and हिमा (himā) is the plural.

However, some Southern inscriptions attest 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara) in the plural as well. See Alternative forms for a detailed breakdown.

Further reading

• Andersen, Paul Kent (1990) “saṃvachara-”, in Studies in the Minor Rock Edicts of Aśoka, Freiburg: Hedwig Falk, page 172