Reconstruction:Ashokan Prakrit/𑀪𑀺𑀝𑁆

This Ashokan Prakrit entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Ashokan Prakrit

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent-

Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts?

Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi

Proto-Indo-Iranian *Habʰí

Sanskrit अभि- (abhi-)

Proto-Indo-European *wert-

Sanskrit वृत् (vṛt)

Sanskrit अभिवृत् (abhivṛt)aph.?

Ashokan Prakrit *𑀪𑀺𑀝𑁆 (*bhiṭ)

Uncertain.

Turner suggests a aphetic form from Sanskrit अभिवृत् (abhivṛt, “to approach; fight”) (verb अभिवर्तते (abhivartate)), from अभि- (abhi-) +‎ वृत् (vṛt).^[1] Presumably, the root is a back-formation from a participle *अभिवृत्त (*abhivṛtta) > *𑀪𑀺𑀝𑁆𑀝 (*bhiṭṭa), wherein the rhotic induces retroflexion and the initial is lost. Some parallels to the development exist:

Ashokan Prakrit *𑀪𑁂𑀚𑁆𑀚𑁆 (*bhejj, “to send”) < Sanskrit अभ्यज् (abhyaj, “to combine, unite”) < अभि- (abhi-) +‎ अज् (aj).
Ashokan Prakrit *𑀪𑀺𑀬𑀁𑀚𑁆 (*bhiyaṃj, “to wet”) < Sanskrit अभ्यञ्ज् (abhyañj, “to smear, anoint”) < अभि- (abhi-) +‎ अञ्ज् (añj).

Speculative cognates

Alternatively (and rather speculatively), Kuiper^[2] relates the term to:

*𑀫𑀺𑀟𑁆 (*miḍ), an alternate form of Sanskrit मिलति (milati, “to meet”) (with unknown etymology) with descendants such as Sindhi مِڙَڻُ / मिड़णु (miṛaṇu, “to crowd”), but this could just be a later sound change.
Sanskrit निबिड (nibiḍa, “thick, dense”).
Several Munda words, including Santali [script needed] (ibil, “dense, thick”), [script needed] (peṭe-peṭe, “crowded”); but also note Sanskrit पेटक (peṭaka, “multitude, meeting”).

Turner additionally mentions Vedic Sanskrit बीरिट (bī́riṭa, “crowd”).^[3]

Root

*𑀪𑀺𑀝𑁆 (*bhiṭ)

to meet; a throng
(by extension) to fight

Derived terms

Prakrit: 𑀪𑀺𑀟𑀇 (bhiḍaï, “to meet, fight”) (see there for further descendants)
Prakrit: 𑀪𑀻𑀟𑀇 (bhīḍaï, “to meet”) (see there for further descendants)
Prakrit: *𑀪𑁂𑀝𑁂𑀇 (*bheṭei)
- Northwestern Indo-Aryan:
  - Sindhi: [script needed] (bheṛo, “joined”)
  - Punjabi: ਭੇੜਨਾ (bheṛnā, “to close, compare”)
- Central Indo-Aryan:
  - Hindustani:
    - Hindi: भेड़ना (bheṛnā, “to close in”)
    - Urdu: بھیڑنا
Prakrit: 𑀪𑀺𑀝𑁆𑀝𑀺𑀚𑁆𑀚𑀇 (bhiṭṭijjaï, “to meet”), 𑀪𑀺𑀝𑁆𑀝𑀡 (bhiṭṭaṇa, “a present”)
- Eastern Indo-Aryan:
  - Bengali: ভেটা (bheṭa)
  - Assamese: ভেটিব (bhetibo)
  - Odia: ଭେଟିବା (bheṭibā)
  - Maithili: 𑂦𑂵𑂗𑂥 (bheṭab)
  - Old Awadhi: भेंटइ (bheṃṭaï)
- Northern Indo-Aryan:
  - Nepali: भेट्नु (bheṭnu), भेटाउनु (bheṭāunu)
- Northwestern Indo-Aryan:
  - Sindhi: [script needed] (bheṭaṇu, “to complete”)
  - Punjabi: ਭੇਟਣ (bheṭaṇ, “procuress”)
- Central Indo-Aryan:
  - Hindustani:
    - Hindi: भेटना (bheṭnā)
    - Urdu: بھیٹْنَا (bheṭnā)
  - Gujarati: ભેટવું (bheṭvũ)
- Southern Indo-Aryan:
  - Marathi: भेटणे (bheṭṇe)
- ⇒ Prakrit: 𑀪𑀺𑀝𑁆𑀝𑀸 f (bhiṭṭā, “a present”) (see there for further descendants)
Prakrit: 𑀪𑁂𑀮𑁂𑀇 (bhelei, “to mix”) (see there for further descendants)

References

^ Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “*BHIṬ”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 541
^ Kuiper, F. B. J. (1948) Proto-Munda Words In Sanskrit‎^[1], Amsterdam: N.V. Noord-Hollandsche Uitgevers Maatschappij, page 148
^ Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “PĪḌ”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 832

[1] Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “*BHIṬ”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 541

[2] Kuiper, F. B. J. (1948) Proto-Munda Words In Sanskrit‎^[1], Amsterdam: N.V. Noord-Hollandsche Uitgevers Maatschappij, page 148

[3] Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “PĪḌ”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 832

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