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Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s8.t4: XXXIV. Arasalapuram

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s8.t4

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XXXIV. Arasalapuram

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112.1 *mukaiyuru

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Read *mukaiyūru*. (P.)

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The place may probably be identified as Mukaiyur in South Arcot District, although the stele bearing the inscription was found at Arasalapuram, about 30 km. away in the same district. See Table 4.3.

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**a. *mukai-y*** (n.) 'cave' (*TL*). The final *-y* may be regarded either as the paragogic suffix or a glide in this case.

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Cf. LT *kal mukai vayappuli* 'lion in the rocky cavern' (*Aiṅk.* 246:2).

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**b. uru** Read **ūru** (n.) 'village'. See **52.1.c** for further comments.

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**112.2 mēṟc[ē]ri-[ku]** (P.) in dative case. 'for (on behalf of) Mēṟcēri, the western quarter of the village'. **Cf. kīl- (kīl-) c-cēri** 'the eastern quarter of the village' (**113.1**).

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**a. mē(l)-** (adj.) 'western'. Cf. *mēl* 'west' (D. 5086).

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Sandhi: *-l* + *c-* > *-ṟc-*.

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Cf. LT *mēṟku* 'west' (*Tivā.* 850); *mēl* id. (*Piṅkala.* 3996; *Cūṭā.* 11:114)

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**b. cēri** (n.) 'village, hamlet, street, quarters' (D. 2007).

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Cf. LT *taṇ tuṟai ūṟaṉ em cēri vantu* 'he from the village with the cool waterfront having come to our hamlet' (*Aka.* 76:2); *cēri* 'village' (*Tivā.* 930; *Piṅkala.* 473, 475; *Cūṭā.* 5:35).

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Cf. (inscr.) *kaccippēṭṭu aimpaṇai-c-cēri* 'name of a quarter in Kaccippēṭu (Kanchipuram)'. (*Pallava Inscrs.* No. 90: Line 59, 8th cent. A.D.).

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**-ku** is the dative suffix occurring here in the sense of 'for, on behalf of'.

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Note the glide **-y-** and the *oṟṟu* **-k-** in the passage:

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***mēṟcēriku -y=āṭi-k-karukiya.***

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*-ku* seems to have been pronounced *-ki* here, influenced by the preceding front vowel *-i*, as indicated by the glide *-y-* following it. It is also probable that the shortened *-u* in-*ku* changed to the shortened *-i* (*kuṟṟiyal-ikaram*) before *-y*. (Cf. *Tol. Eḻu.* 35 & 410.)

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Cf. LT *aimpatteṭṭiyāṇṭu* 'fifty-eight years' (*Patiṟ. Patikam* 2, comm.).

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Cf. (inscr.) *nantivikkirama paṟmakki-yāṇṭu mūṉṟāvatu* 'in the third year of Nandi Vikramavarman (*Pallava Inscrs.* No. 115, 9th cent. A.D.).

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**112.3 āṭi** (v.) 'having fought'; adverbial participle of cause (in absolute construction) from **āṭu** 'to fight' (D. 347).

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**Analysis:** **āṭu** (stem) + **i** (suffix of the adverbial participle).

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Cf. LT *ahtu aṟintu āṭumiṉē* 'understand that and fight' (*Puṟa.* 97:25); *āṭal'pūcal* (fight)' (*Tivā.* 1686).

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Cf. (inscr.) *erumai-p-puṟattē-v= āṭi-p-paṭṭāṉ* 'he died fighting in a cattle raid' (*Pallava Inscrs.* No. 284, ca. 7th cent. A.D.).

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As the reference in the present inscription is to a cockfight, the verb *āṭu* may also be interpreted 'to play (as in sport)' or 'to win (as in a fight)'.

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Cf. LT *pantu eṟintu āṭi* 'having played throwing the ball' (*Aka.* 275:3); *iḷaiyaṉ eṉṟu ikaḻil peṟal aritu āṭē* 'victory (*āṭu*) will be hard to obtain if he is denigrated as young' (*Puṟa.* 104:6).

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**112.4 *karukiya* (*karukkiya*) (v.)** 'which was engraved'; adjectival past participle from *karuku* (*karukku*) (v.) 'to carve, engrave'.

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**Analysis:** *karuku* (stem) + *i* (past tense marker) + *y* (glide) + *a* (participial suffix). The consonant *-k-* is not doubled.

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*karukku* is not attested as a verb elsewhere, but is clearly connected with *karukku* (n.) 'engraving, carving' (D. 1280). See ***karu-iya* (17.2)** for further comments.

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Cf. (inscr.) *karukku* (n.) 'bas-relief' (*SII.* II: No. 1: Line 48, Cōḻa, 11th cent. A.D.).

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**112.5 *kōḻi*** (n.) 'cock, hen, fowl in general' (D. 2248).

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Cf. LT *kōḻi* 'cock, hen' (*Tivā.* 547; *Piṅkala.* 2346; *Cūṭā.* 3:58).

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Cf. (inscr.) *kōḻi kūvina ūr* 'village where the cock crowed (i.e., inhabited)' (*Epi. Car.* X: KI. 27).

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The expression denotes a 'fighting cock' whose figure is engraved on the stele. The stele is a memorial stone set up to commemorate the cockfight in which the cock presumably lost its life. See the next inscription (No. ***113***) which is also engraved on a memorial stone for a fighting cock.

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