# 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭
## Ashokan Prakrit
### Etymology

Inherited from Sanskrit संवत्सर (saṃvatsara).

### Noun

𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara /saṃvacchara/) m
* (especially in the singular) year

#### Usage notes

Turner notes that 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) is almost always used in the plural (except when in a compound, which is where we find the lemma form usually), while the singular form is supplied by 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara). This suppletion is similar to the situation in Rigvedic Sanskrit, where संवत्सर (saṃvatsara) (and once परिवत्सर (parivatsara)) is the singular and हिमा (himā) is the plural.
However, some Southern inscriptions attest 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara) in the plural as well. See Alternative forms for a detailed breakdown.

#### Alternative forms

Attested at Bairat, Brahmagiri, Gavimath, Gujarra, Nittur, Panguraria, Rajula-Mandagiri, Siddapura and Yerragudi.
Dialectal forms of 𐨬𐨮 (“year”) :
| Variety | Location | Lemmas | Forms |
| Central | Kalsi | 𑀯𑀱 (vaṣa), 𑀯𑀲 (vasa), 𑀯𑀰 (vaśa) | |
| Central | Delhi-Topra | 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | |
| Central | Lumbini | 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | |
| Central | Nigali-Sagar | 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | |
| Central | Rupnath | 𑀙𑀯𑀙𑀭 (chavachara) | 𑀙𑀯𑀙𑀭𑁂 nom.sg (chavachare) |
| Central | Bairat | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara), 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | $^?$𑀯𑀲𑀸𑀦𑀺 acc.pl (vasāni), 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭𑁂𑀁 nom.sg (saṃvachareṃ) |
| Central | Sahasram | 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀮 (savachala), 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀮 (saṃvachala) | 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀮𑁂 nom.sg (savachale), $^?$𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀮𑀸𑀦𑀺 acc.pl (saṃvachalāni) |
| Central | Gujarra | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara) | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭𑁂 nom.sg (saṃvachare), $^?$𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭𑀸𑀦𑀺 acc.pl (saṃvacharāni) |
| Central | Barabar | 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | |
| Central | Calcutta-Bairat | 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | 𑀯𑀲 pl (vasa) |
| Central | Panguraria | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara), 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | $^?$𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭𑁂 nom.sg (saṃvachare), 𑀯𑀲𑀸𑀦𑀺 acc.pl (vasāni) |
| Central | Bahapur | 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀮 (savachala), 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀮𑁂 nom.sg (savachale), 𑀯𑀲𑀸𑀦𑀺 acc.pl (vasāni) |
| East | Dhauli | 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | |
| East | Jaugada | 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | |
| Northwest | Shahbazgarhi | 𐨬𐨮 (vaṣa) | |
| Northwest | Mansehra | 𐨬𐨮 (vaṣa) | |
| West | Girnar | 𑀯𑀭𑁆𑀲 (varsa), 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | |
| South | Yerragudi | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara), 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀭 (savachara) | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭𑀁 acc.sg (saṃvacharaṃ), 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀭𑁂 nom.sg (savachare) |
| South | Siddapura | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara), 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭𑁂 nom.sg (saṃvachare), $^?$𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭𑀁 acc.sg (saṃvacharaṃ), 𑀯𑀲𑀸𑀦𑀺 acc.pl (vasāni) |
| South | Brahmagiri | 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀭 (savachara), 𑀯𑀲 (vasa), 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara) | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭𑁂 nom.sg (saṃvachare), 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀭𑀁 acc.sg (savacharaṃ), 𑀯𑀲𑀸𑀦𑀺 acc.pl (vasāni), 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭𑁂𑀁 nom.sg (saṃvachareṃ) |
| South | Maski | 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | $^?$𑀯𑀲𑀸𑀦𑀺 acc.pl (vasāni) |
| South | Rajula-Mandagiri | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara) | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭𑀁 acc.sg (saṃvacharaṃ) |
| South | Nittur | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara), 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭𑁂 nom.sg (saṃvachare), 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭𑀁 acc.sg (saṃvacharaṃ), 𑀯𑀲𑀸𑀦𑀺 acc.pl (vasāni) |
| South | Gavimath | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara), 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) | 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭𑁂 nom.sg (saṃvachare), 𑀯𑀲𑀸𑀡𑀺 acc.pl (vasāṇi) |
Map of dialectal forms of 𐨬𐨮 (“year”) :
* 𑀯𑀲 (vasa) (17) 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀭 (saṃvachara) (13) 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀭 (savachara) (2) 𐨬𐨮 (vaṣa) (2) 𑀲𑀯𑀙𑀮 (savachala) (2) 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀙𑀮 (saṃvachala) (1) 𑀙𑀯𑀙𑀭 (chavachara) (1) 𑀯𑀱 (vaṣa) (1) 𑀯𑀰 (vaśa) (1) 𑀯𑀭𑁆𑀲 (varsa) (1)

#### Descendants

* Prakrit: 𑀲𑀁𑀯𑀘𑁆𑀙𑀭 (saṃvacchara)

### References

* ↑ Turner, R[alph] L[illey] (1932) The Gavīmaṭh and Pālkīguṇḍu Inscriptions of Aśoka (Hyderabad Archaeological Series; 10)‎, Hyderabad: His Exalted Highness the Nizam's Government, page 15

### Further reading

* Andersen, Paul Kent (1990) “saṃvachara-”, in Studies in the Minor Rock Edicts of Aśoka, Freiburg: Hedwig Falk, page 172