[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Archaeology, epigraphy and coins](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy) › [Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D.](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003) › c26.s19.t2 # Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c26.s19.t2: 6.19.2 Pause indicating that the following vowel is a diphthong Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c26.s19.t2 - **Language:** English ### 6.19.2 Pause indicating that the following vowel is a diphthong ### [c26.s19.t2.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s19.t2.1) | (i) | \*ar-itaṉ\* (\*Aritaṉ\*) | 8.2 | | (ii) | \*ar-iytaṉ\* (\*Ariytaṉ\*) | 18.2 | ### [c26.s19.t2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s19.t2.2) These are personal names of donors derived from Harīta (Pkt.). The pause between \*r\* and \*i\* in the first example seems to signal that the following vowel \*i\* should be read as the diphthong \*-iy\* as made explicit in the second example. Cf. also \*ariti\* (34.²) and \*ariyti\* (25.¹.b), personal names of donors, derived from Hariti or Haritī (Pkt.).⁷ (iii) \*par-acu\* (Paracu) 9.² ### [c26.s19.t2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s19.t2.3) ¹ E.g., \*kāviri-iṉ\*, \*yāṉai-um\*, etc., in the Velvikudi Plates (\*Pāṇṭiyar Ceppēṭukaḷ\*: No. 1, lines 93 and 57-58 respectively). ### [c26.s19.t2.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s19.t2.4) ² See section 6.18. ### [c26.s19.t2.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s19.t2.5) ⁷ See Commentary (8.2). ### [c26.s19.t2.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s19.t2.6) This is a personal name of a donor.¹ The pause between \*r\* and \*a\* seems to signal that the following vowel is to be read as the diphthong \*ai\*. Cf. (inscr.) pairs like \*aracu\* / \*araicu\* and \*uvaccaṉ\* / \*uvaiccaṉ\*; cf. LT \*amaiccu\* \< Pkt. \*amacca\*. ### [c26.s19.t2.7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s19.t2.7) ¹ See Commentary (9.2). --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s19.t2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s19.t2) · Pramāṇa