𑀫𑀙

Ashokan Prakrit

Etymology

From Sanskrit मत्स्य (mátsya), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *mátsyas, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *mátsyas. Cognate with Pali maccha.

Noun

𑀫𑀙 (macha /maccha/) m (Delhi-Topra)

1. fish
   • c. 257 BCE, Aśoka, Major Rock Edict 13 lines 11-13:

     𑀢𑀻𑀲𑀼 𑀙𑀸𑀢𑀼𑀁𑀫𑀸𑀲𑀻𑀲𑀼 𑀢𑀺𑀲𑀸𑀬𑀁 𑀧𑀼𑀁𑀦𑀫𑀸𑀲𑀺𑀬𑀁 𑀢𑀺𑀁𑀦𑀺 𑀤𑀺𑀯𑀲𑀸𑀦𑀺 𑀘𑀸𑀯𑀼𑀤𑀲𑀁 𑀧𑀁𑀦𑀤𑀲𑀁 𑀧𑀝𑀺𑀧𑀸𑀤𑀬𑁂 𑀥𑀼𑀯𑀸𑀬𑁂 𑀘𑀸 𑀅𑀦𑀼𑀧𑁄𑀲𑀣𑀁 𑀫𑀙𑁂 𑀅𑀯𑀥𑀺𑀬𑁂 𑀦𑁄 𑀧𑀺 𑀯𑀺𑀓𑁂𑀢𑀯𑀺𑀬𑁂

     tīsu chātuṃmāsīsu tisāyaṃ puṃnamāsiyaṃ tiṃni divasāni cāvudasaṃ paṃnadasaṃ paṭipādaye dhuvāye cā anuposathaṃ mache avadhiye no pi viketaviye

     Fish are inviolable, and must not be sold, on the three Chāturmāsīs [and] on the Tishyā full-moon during three days, [viz.] the fourteenth, the fifteenth, [and] the first [tithī], and invariably on every fast-day.

Derived terms

• *𑀫𑀘𑁆𑀙-𑀇𑀓𑀸 f (*maccha-ikā)
  • Khasa Prakrit:
    • Kachchi: મછી (machī)
  • Paisaci Prakrit:
    • Punjabi: ਮੱਛੀ (macchī) / مَچھّی (machhī)
    • Sindhi: مڇِي / मच्छी
  • Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀫𑀘𑁆𑀙𑀻 (macchī)
    • Hindustani:

      Hindi: मच्छी (macchī)

      Urdu: مچھی (macchī)

• *𑀫𑀘𑁆𑀙-𑀓 m (*maccha-ka)
  • Maharastri Prakrit: *𑀫𑀘𑁆𑀙-𑀅 (*maccha-a)
    • Old Marathi: 𑘦𑘰𑘭𑘰 (māsā)
      • Marathi: मासा (māsā)
• *𑀫𑀘𑁆𑀙-𑀮-𑀇𑀓𑀸 f (*maccha-la-ikā)
  • Ardhamagadhi Prakrit:
    • Awadhi: मछरी (machrī)
  • Magadhi Prakrit: 𑀫𑀰𑁆𑀘𑀮𑀻 (maścalī)
    • Bhojpuri: मछरी (machᵊrī)
  • Maharastri Prakrit: *𑀫𑀘𑁆𑀙-𑀮-𑀇𑀆 (*maccha-la-iā)
    • Konkani: मासोळी (māsoḷī)
    • Old Marathi:

      Devanagari script: मासळी (māsaḷī), मासोळी (māsoḷī)

      Modi script: 𑘦𑘰𑘭𑘯𑘲 (māsaḷī), 𑘦𑘰𑘭𑘻𑘯𑘲 (māsoḷī)

      • Marathi: मासळी (māsḷī), मासोळी (māsoḷī)
  • Sauraseni Prakrit: *𑀫𑀘𑁆𑀙-𑀮-𑀇𑀕𑀸 (*maccha-la-igā)
    • Gujarati: માછલી (māchlī)
    • Hindustani:

      Hindi: मछली (machlī)

      Urdu: مچھلی (machlī)

Descendants

• Ardhamagadhi Prakrit: 𑀫𑀘𑁆𑀙 (maccha)
• Magadhi Prakrit: 𑀫𑀰𑁆𑀘 (maśca)
  • Assamese: মাছ (mas)
  • Bengali: মাছ (mach)
  • Chakma: 𑄟𑄌𑄴 (māc)
  • Odia: ମାଛ (mācha)
  • Rohingya: mas
  • Sylheti: ꠝꠣꠍ (masó)
• Khasa Prakrit:
  • Nepali: माछा (māchā)
• Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀫𑀘𑁆𑀙 (maccha)
  • Hindustani: macch

    Hindi: मच्छ

    Urdu: مَچھ

  • Old Marathi: 𑘦𑘔 (macha), 𑘦𑘓𑘿𑘔 (maccha)
• Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀫𑀘𑁆𑀙 (maccha)
  • Hindustani:

    Hindi: मच्छ (macch)

    Urdu: مچھ (macch)

  • Romani: maćho
    • Traveller Norwegian: makjo

References

• Sen, Sukumar (1960) A Comparative Grammar of Middle Indo-Aryan, Linguistic Society of India, page 47.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “mátsya”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press