Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c22.s3.t6: 3.3.6 Lexical items of doubtful etymology
Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c22.s3.t6
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3.3.6 Lexical items of doubtful etymology
c22.s3.t6.1
There are a few lexical items in the Corpus, whose derivation from Dravidian or Indo-Aryan is in doubt.⁴ Some representative types are noticed below.
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⁴ These are listed separately in the Etymological Index: Doubtful Items (Appendix VI) indicating alternative derivations from both sources. Each lexical item is also discussed in detail in the relevant entry in the Commentary.
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(i) There are a few lexical items where either derivation is equally plausible:
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(e.g.) *aiyaṉ* 'lord, master'; cf. Dr. *ai* (D. 196a); IA *ayya* < *ārya*. *cantaṉ* 'a personal name'; cf. Dr. *cantam* (D. 2328); IA *caṁda* < *candra*.
c22.s3.t6.5
| Sanskrit | Ardhamāgadhī forms | Loanwords in the Corpus | Remarks |
| *Elision of the intervocalic consonant:* | | | |
| 1. *āditya* | *āicca* | *āy(c)ca-* | lit., 'sun'; in *āy(c)ca(y)yaṉ* 'a personal name'. |
| 2. *vācin / vādin* | *vāyi* | *-vāyi* | in *attu-vāyi* (read *atta-vāyi*) 'one who expounds the meaning (of scriptures)'; cf. *attha-vāya* (AMg.). |
| *Change of the aspirate bh > h:* | | | |
| 3. *ibha* | *iha* | *iva-* | in *iva-kunṟa(m)* 'Elephant Hill', a place name. (cf. *āṉaimalai*, the present name of the hill.) |
| *Change of the nasal n > ṇ:* | | | |
| 4. *nāga* | *ṇāga* | *ṉākaṉ* | a personal name ' |
| 5. *nandi* | *ṇaṃdi* | *-ṉanti* | in *vaccanaṉti*, N. of a Jaina monk |
c22.s3.t6.6
Table 3.3. Ardhamāgadhī loanwords in the Corpus.
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| Sanskrit | Loanwords in Early Vaṭṭeḻuttu Inscriptions | Meaning |
| *anaśana* | *aṉacaṉa(m)* | 'abstinence from food' |
| *ācārya* | *ācāriyar* | 'preceptor' |
| *ārādhana* | *ārātaṉi* | lit., 'worship', a Jaina term for 'fast unto death' |
| *kuśala* | *kucalaṉ* | N. of a donor |
| *rāja-* | *irācar* | 'kings' |
| *namōstu* | *namōttu* | 'let there be salutation' |
| *nishīdikā* | *nicitikai* | 'seat of penance' (Jaina) |
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Table 3.4. Sanskrit loanwords in Early Vaṭṭeḻuttu inscriptions in the Corpus.
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(ii) There are some items which are generally regarded as derived from IA, but for which plausible Dr. etymologies can be suggested:
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(e.g.) *akaram* 'Brāhman village'; cf. Dr. *nakar* (D. 3568); IA *aggahāra* < *agrahāra*.
*ta(c)caṉ* 'carpenter, mason'; cf. Dr. *tai* / *tacc-* (D. 3473); IA *taccha* < *takshan*.
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(iii) Borrowing and re-borrowing:
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(e.g.) Dr. **catiya* > IA *satiya* > Ta. *atiyaṉ* 'a clan name'.
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(iv) Borrowed into both:
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(e.g.) Dr. *nāka* (IA *nāga*) appears to be the name of an ancient autochthonous race of South Asia borrowed into both Dr. and IA.