𑀧𑁄𑀢𑀓

Ashokan Prakrit

Etymology

From 𑀧𑁄𑀢 (pota /⁠potta⁠/) + Middle Indo-Aryan -𑀓- (-ka-), from Sanskrit पौत्र (paútra).

Noun

𑀧𑁄𑀢𑀓 (potaka /pottaka/)

1. son's son, grandson
   • c. 237 BCE, Aśoka, Major Rock Edict 5, Delhi-Topra lines 7-9:

     […] 𑀇 𑀏𑀴𑀓𑀸 𑀘𑀸 𑀲𑀽𑀓𑀮𑀻 𑀘𑀸 𑀕𑀪𑀺𑀦𑀻 𑀯 𑀧𑀸𑀬𑀫𑀻𑀦𑀸 𑀯 𑀅𑀯𑀥𑀺𑀬𑀸 𑀧𑁄𑀢𑀓𑁂 𑀧𑀺 𑀘 𑀓𑀸𑀦𑀺 𑀆𑀲𑀁𑀫𑀸𑀲𑀺𑀓𑁂 […]

     […] i eḷakā cā sūkalī cā gabhinī va pāyamīnā va avadhiyā potake pi ca kāni āsaṃmāsike […]

Alternative forms

Attested at Delhi-Topra.

Dialectal forms of 𑀧𑁄𑀢𑁆𑀭 (“son's son”)
Variety	Location	Forms edit
Central	Delhi-Topra	𑀧𑁄𑀢𑀓 /pottaka/ (potaka]] /pottaka/</spa)
West	Girnar	𑀧𑁄𑀢 /potta/ (pota]] /potta/<span class="Brah" lang="inc-ash), 𑀧𑁄𑀢𑁆𑀭 (potra)

Map of dialectal forms of 𑀧𑁄𑀢𑁆𑀭 (“son's son”)
𑀧𑁄𑀢𑀓 (potaka) (1) 𑀧𑁄𑀢 (pota) (1) 𑀧𑁄𑀢𑁆𑀭 (potra) (1)

Descendants

• Sauraseni Prakrit: *𑀧𑁄𑀢𑁆𑀢-𑀕 (*potta-ga)
  • Hindustani:

    Hindi: पोता (potā)

    Urdu: پوتا (potā)

References

• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “paútra”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press