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

Sanskrit अभि- (abhi-)

Proto-Indo-European *wert-

Sanskrit वृत् (vṛt)

Sanskrit अभिवृत् (abhivṛt)aph.?

Ashokan Prakrit *𑀪𑀺𑀝𑁆

Uncertain.

Turner suggests a apheretic 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”)
- Central Indo-Aryan:
  - Hindustani:
    - Hindi: भिड़ना (bhiṛnā)
    - Urdu: بھڑنا
  - Gujarati: ભીડવું (bhīḍvũ)
- Northwestern Indo-Aryan:
  - Punjabi: ਭਿੜਨਾ (bhiṛnā)
  - Sindhi: भिड़णु (bhiṛaṇu)
- Southern Indo-Aryan:
  - Old Marathi: 𑘥𑘲𑘚𑘜𑘹 (bhīḍaṇe)
    - Marathi: भिडणे (bhiḍṇe)
Prakrit: 𑀪𑀻𑀟𑀇 (bhīḍaï, “to meet”)
- Dardic:
  - Kashmiri: [script needed] (bīr, “crowd”)
- Central Indo-Aryan:
  - Hindustani:
    - Hindi: भीड़ (bhīṛ)
    - Urdu: بھیڑ (bheṛ)
- Northern Indo-Aryan:
  - Nepali: भीड (bhīḍ)
- Northwestern Indo-Aryan:
  - Sindhi: [script needed] (bhīṛa)
  - Punjabi: ਭੀੜ (bhīṛ, “crowd”), ਭੀੜਨਾ (bhīṛnā, “to close in”)
- Eastern Indo-Aryan:
  - Bengali: ভিড় (bhiṛ)
  - Assamese: ভিৰ (bhir)
- Southern Indo-Aryan:
  - Marathi: भीड (bhīḍ)
- Western Indo-Aryan:
  - Gujarati: ભીડ (bhīḍ)
Prakrit: *𑀪𑁂𑀝𑁂𑀇 (*bheṭei)
- Northwestern Indo-Aryan:
  - Sindhi: [script needed] (bheṛo, “joined”)
  - Punjabi: ਭੇੜਨਾ (bheṛnā, “to close, compare”)
- Central Indo-Aryan:
  - Hindustani: (“to close in”)
    - Hindi: भेड़ना (bheṛnā)
    - 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”)
  - Hindi: भेंट (bhẽṭ, “meeting”), भेटी (bheṭī)
  - Punjabi: ਭੇਂਟ (bheṇṭ)
  - Gujarati: ભેટ (bheṭ, “gift”)
  - Marathi: भेट (bheṭ, “meeting, present”)
Prakrit: 𑀪𑁂𑀮𑁂𑀇 (bhelei, “to mix”), 𑀪𑁂𑀮𑁆𑀮𑀇 (bhĕllaï)
- Central Indo-Aryan:
  - Hindustani:
    - Hindi: भेल (bhel, “mixture”)
    - Urdu: بھیل (bhel)
- Eastern Indo-Aryan:
  - Bengali: ভেল (bhel, “deception”)
  - Odia: ଭେଲ (bhela, “alloy, deception”)
- Northern Indo-Aryan:
  - Nepali: भेला (bhelā, “crowd”)
- Southern Indo-Aryan:
  - Marathi: भेळ (bheḷ, “mixture”), भेळणे (bheḷṇe, “to mix”), भेलणे (bhelṇe, “to mix”)
- Western Indo-Aryan:
  - Gujarati: ભેળ (bheḷ, “mixture”), ભેળું (bheḷũ, “mixed”), ભેળવવું (bheḷvavũ, “to mix”)

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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