Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c26.s21: 6.21 Orthographic changes in loanwords
Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c26.s21
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Contents
- c26.s21.t1 6.21.1 Loss of voicing — 4 parts
- c26.s21.t2 6.21.2 Loss of aspiration — 1 part
- c26.s21.t3 6.21.3 Loss of anusvāra ṁ — 1 part
- c26.s21.t4 6.21.4 Loss of h — 1 part
- c26.s21.t5 6.21.5 Substitution of sibilants — 2 parts
- c26.s21.t6 6.21.6 Intervocalic - p- > -v- — 1 part
- c26.s21.t7 6.21.7 IA non-initial -n > Ta. -ṇ — 1 part
- c26.s21.t8 6.21.8 IA final -ā > Ta. -ai — 1 part
6.21 Orthographic changes in loanwords
c26.s21.1
Loanwords from Indo-Aryan are mostly adapted to the Tamil phonetic pattern resulting in the following types of orthographic changes.³
c26.s21.2
³ The examples given here are selective to illustrate the types of orthographic variations. See the Etymological Indexes (Appendices V & VI) for more examples.
6.21.1 Loss of voicing
c26.s21.t1.1
| | IA | Inscrl. form | Ref. No. |
| *g > k* | *gaṇaka* | *kaṇaka-* | 40.2 |
| | *gaṇi* | *kaṇi* | 1.1 |
c26.s21.t1.2
| | IA | Inscrl. form | Ref. No. |
| *g* > *k* | *gōpa* | *kōpaṉ* | 84.4.b |
| | *nigama* | *nikama-* | 3.4 |
| | *gōtraja* | *kōtiracaṉ* | pottery inscription¹ |
| *j* > *c* | *rāja-* | *irācar* | 111.1 |
| *d* > *t* | *dānaṁ* | *tāṉa* | 19.4 |
| | *dēva* | *tēvaṉ* | 84.4.d |
| | *dēvadattā* | *tevvaitattu* | pottery inscription² |
| *b* > *p* | *kuṭumbika* | *kuṭumpikaṉ* | 55.2.b |
c26.s21.t1.3
¹ From Arikamedu. R.E.M. Wheeler *et al.* 1946: Pl. XLI: No. 9. See also No. 2, Table 1.5 and Fig. 1.19B in this vol.
c26.s21.t1.4
² Ibid. Fig. 47.19. Revised reading in I. Mahadevan 1973: No. III, Fig. 3.
6.21.2 Loss of aspiration
c26.s21.t2.1
| *gh* > *k* | *ghaṭikā* | *kaṭikai* | 88.3 |
| *ch* > *c* | *kacchapa* | *kaccavaṉu* | 119.2.a |
| *jh* > *(c)c* | *upajjha* | *upa(c)caṉ* | 9.1 |
| *ṭh* > *ṭṭ* | *adhiṭṭhāna* | *atiṭṭāṉam* | 63.6 |
| *th* > *(t)t* | *sattha*, *sātha* | *cā(t)taṉ* | 55.5.d |
| | | *cāttaṉ* | 85.4.b |
| *dh* > *t* | *adhiṭṭhāna* | *atiṭṭāṉam* | 63.6 |
| | *ārādhana* | *ārātaṉi* | 115.6 |
| *ph* > *p* | *phāṇita* | *pāṇita-* | 42.1.a |
| *bh* > *p* | *bhadanta* | *patantaṉ* | 60.3 |
| | *bhūti* | *pūti* | 81.2.a |
6.21.3 Loss of anusvāra ṁ
c26.s21.t3.1
| | *dānaṁ* | *tāṉa* | 19.4 |
6.21.4 Loss of h
c26.s21.t4.1
| | *iha* | *iva-* (< **i-a*) | 60.1.a |
| | *hariti* | *ariti* | 34.2 |
| | *hārita* | *āritaṉ* | 60.5 |
6.21.5 Substitution of sibilants
c26.s21.t5.1
| *s* > *c* | *kusala* | *kucalaṉ* | 108.2 |
| | *satti* | *catti* | 119.2.b |
c26.s21.t5.2
| | IA | Inscri. form | Ref. No. |
| *s > c* | *sattha*, *sātha* | *cā(t)taṉ* | 55.5.d |
| | | *cāttaṉ* | 85.4.b |
| *s > y* | *kāsapa* | *kāyapaṉ* | 61.4.b |
| | *tisa* | *tiyaṉ* | 47.1.a |
| *s > Ø* | *satiya* (< **catiya*) | *atiyaṉ*(LT *atiyaṉ*) | 59.2.a |
6.21.6 Intervocalic - p- > -v-
c26.s21.t6.1
| | *gapiti* (< **gāpiti*) (Sinh. Pkt.) | *kāviti* | 3.5 |
6.21.7 IA non-initial -n > Ta. -ṇ
c26.s21.t7.1
| | *anaśana* | *aṇa-caṇa(m)* | 116.2 |
| | *ārādhana* | *ārātaṇi* | 115.6 |
| | *dāna(ṁ)* | *tāṇa* | 19.4 |
6.21.8 IA final -ā > Ta. -ai
c26.s21.t8.1
| | *ghaṭikā* | *kaṭikai* | 88.3 |