Reconstruction:Ashokan Prakrit/𑀩𑀽𑀲𑁆𑀢

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

Unknown. A comparison to Ancient Greek μύσταξ (mústax), βύσταξ (bústax, “upper lip; moustache”) is attractive on both semantic and phonetic grounds, but the source is unclear; it could be a Wanderwort, but a basic anatomical work obtaining such reach is unusual.

Noun

*𑀩𑀽𑀲𑁆𑀢 (*būsta) m^[1]

lip; mouth

Descendants

Dardic:
- Kashmiri:
  Arabic script: بُتھ (buth)
  
  Devanagari script: बुथ (buth)
  
  Sharada script: 𑆧𑆶𑆡𑇀 (buth)
Prakrit:
- Northwestern Indo-Aryan:
  - Punjabi:
    Gurmukhi script: ਬੂਥਾ (būthā)
    
    Shahmukhi script: بُوتھا (būthā)
  - Saraiki:
    Devanagari script: ॿूथा
    
    Shahmukhi script: ٻُوتھا (ḇūthā)
  - Sindhi: (“mouth”)
    Khudabadi script: 𑋕𑋤𑋎𑋣 (ḇūthu), 𑋕𑋤𑋎𑋠 (ḇūthā)
    
    Devanagari script: ॿूथु (ḇūthu), ॿूथा (ḇūthā)
    
    Arabic script: ٻُوٿُ (ḇūthu), ٻۇٿا (ḇūthā)
  - Kachchi: બૂથ (būth)

References

^ Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “*būsta”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 527

[1] Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “*būsta”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 527

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