Central Asian Brahmi Palaeography: the Relationships among the Tocharian, Khotanese, and Old Turkic Gupta Scripts

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THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY ■

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CENTRAL ASIAN BRAHKI PALAEOGRAPHY:

THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG

THE TOCHARIAN, KHOTANESE, AND OLD TURKIC GUPTA SCRIPTS

by

DOUG HITCH

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A THESIS.

SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES' IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS -

DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS

CALGARY, ALBERTA AUGUST, 1981

©

DOUG HITCH 1981

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THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY ,

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FACULTY OF *GRADUATE STUDIES .

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The u ft d e r s ig n e d c e r t i f y t h a t t h e y h av e r e a d , and recommend t o * t h e F a c u l t y o f G ra d u a te S t u d i e s f o r ac cep tan W * , a t h e s i a e n t i t l e d ‘

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" C e n t r a l A s i a n Brahmi P a l e o g r a p h y :

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' ,, .

The R e l a t i o n s h i p s Afdng t h e : *

T o c h a r i a n , K h o t a n e s e , end Old T u r k i c Gupta S c r i p t a , " s u b m i t t e d by Doug H i t c h i n p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t o f t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s f a * t h e d e g r e e o f AM as te r o f A r t s .

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Supe£\ u p e r v i s o r , D r. James M. A nderson D e p a rtm e n t o f L i n g u i s t i c s

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Dr. M ic h a e l B. D o b ro v o ls k y Departm ent- o f C i n g u i s t i c s

i?, l s ^ P r o f . f e t e r -L. S h i n n i e .D ep artm e n t o f A r c h a e o lo g y

A ugust 2 5 , 1981

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ABSTRACT,

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I t h a s ' b e e n assumed t h a t T o c h a r i a n and K hotan e se Brahmi *

w r i t i n g w e re n o t . r e l a t e d and t h a t b o t h s y s te m s a r o s e t h ro u g h I n d i a n m issio n ary a c t i v i t y .

But s i n c e t h e . C e n t r a l A s ia n s h a d b e e n B b d d h is t

f o r a t l e a s t 500 y e a r s , i t i $ h e r e m a i n t a i n e d t h a t t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n and t r a n s m i s s i o n o f t h e Brahmi w ere s t r i c t l y i n d i g e n o u s d e v e lo p m e n ts . . J t i s s u g g e s t e d t h a t two c u l t u r a l e v e n t s h a p p e n in g i n I n d i a i n f l u e n c e d t h e k h o t a n e s e t o r e l i n q u i s h K h a r o s t h l s c r i p t and t h e Ganjdharl P r a k r i t as

m ed ia o f ' a d m i n i s t r a t i o n and r d l i g i o n :

the supercedence of th e -

K h a ro g fh l by t h e B rahm i, and t h e e v .o lu tio n o f a h y b r i d form oi[ S a n s k r i t a s t h e l i n g u a ‘f r a n c a o f 'B u d d h is m . I n o r d e r -to p r o v e and i l l u s t r a t e t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p s among t h e C e n t r a l t | s i a n Brahmi s c r i p t s , u s e i s made n o t o n ly o f c h a r a c t e r m orphology b u t a l s o o f o r t h o g r a p h i c p r i n c i p l e s .

An e x a m i n a ti o n o f

t h e . T u r k i c Brahmi r e v e a l s i t t o h ave .been t h e i n t e r m e d i a r y b etw een ' I * > t h e K h o tan e se F orm al and t h e T o c h a r i a n ' S l a n t i n g G u p ta. The d u a l f u n c t i o n o f t h e d i a e r e s i s i n T o c h a r ia n a s vowel an d v ira m a m ark in g i s shown t o b e t h e r e s u l t o f f m m i ta t io n o f t h e T u r k s . ^ S i m i l a r l y ,

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t h e ' p a r a l l e l d u a l f y n c t i o n o f t h e T o c h a r ia n ’ d o u b l e t s ’ as vowel and v i r a m a i n d i c a t o r s i s a l s o d e m o n s t r a t e d a s h a v i n g h a d a T u r k i c (and K h o ta n e s e ) o r i g i n . -

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I n t h e a r g u m e n t a t i o n d i s t i n c t i o n s ' a r e made among^the l e v e l s > \ . ' '■ o f la n g u a g e ( i . e . , p h o n e t i c , ph nem ic, m o r p h o l o g i c a l , e t c . ) and b e tw e e n . e f f e c t s w h ic h ape p h o n o l o g i c a l and o r t h o g r a p h i c i n n a t u r e .

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>

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. ACRNOtJLEDGEMENTS

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To t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f C a lg a ry D epartm en t o f L i n g u i s t i c s fo r fin an c ial assistan ce . ».

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To Ron S o u t h e r l a n d f o r In d o E u ro p e a n , Jim A nderson f o r

H i s t o r i c a l L i n g u i s t i c s , P a la e o g r a p h y and s u p e r v i s i o n , Mike D ob rovo lsk y «

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f o r T u r k i c and T a r k i s h , B i l l O'G rady f o r S y n ta x , and t o my f e l l o w

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s t u d e n t s 78-81 f o r many t h i n g s .

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To t h e exam ple o f two s c h o l a r s whom I t a n n o t th a n k i n p e r s o n , C l a r a H o l l o s i o f B ro ck U n i v e r s i t y , and John C o la ru s s o o f McMaster .U n iv ersity .

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To E ls and Luke.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Page

L

JTRODUCTION P u rp o s e

1

"The M echan ics o f C e n t r a l A sian Brahmi W r i t i n g \ " % F o o tn o t e s t o C h a p te r 1 :___________ _____

{Jonlndic

22

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F e a t u r e s i n t h e C e n t r a l A sia n Brahmi

The D i a e r e s i s i n t h e C h in ese C u rs iv e Gupta

21 22

THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN ORTHOGRAPHIC GROUPS In tro d u a tio n

14

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23 i

27

The H i s t o r i c o c u l t u r a l A s s o c i a t i o n Between Khotan and N o rth w e s t I n d i a ■. •________

31

The O r t h o g r a p h i c E v iden ce

35

C h a r a c t e r M o rp h o lo g ies

__

37

_____

AO

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41

S y s te m ic P r i n c i p l e s The a - p l u s P r i n c i p l e

The O r i g i n ^ o f t h e Brahmi D i a e r e s i s

A5

Saka Sounds___________ •_______________

48

Summary o f Arguments f o r t h e A and A' R outes

49

F o o tn o t e s t o C h a p te r 2_________________

52

THE SLANTING G U P T A _________________ _ In tro d u c tio n T o c h a r ia n

56

________ ^_________________ ;

56

•_________________ ___ __

56

t i

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v ii Page Old T u r k i c

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B u d d h is t H y brid S a n s k r i t

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M a r a l b a s h i and P e l l i o t Saka

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5?

R e l a t i o n s h i p s Among t h e S l a n t i n g Gupta O r t h o g r a p h i e s ________________________

58

D i s t r i b u t i o n o f t h e N on ln d ic R a d i c a l s

59

Konow's- M a l y s i s o f t h e M a r a l b a s h i Brahmi

61

Konow' s A ssig nm ent o f V a l u e s __________ _

61

R e a n l a y s i s o f Konow's M a t e r i a l s

64

Number 5

67

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Number

69

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Number 10

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72

The M a r a l b a s h i w -d ip h th o n g s

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74

The M a r a l b a s h i New S ig n s : P o ssib ility 3

C o n c lu s io n

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F o o tn o t e s t o C h a p te r 3 THE TURKIC BRAHMI

16 77 79

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84

In tro d u c tio n

84

W r i t i n g t h e N o n ln d ic F ro n t Vowels

84

T u r k i c Brahmi O r t h o g r a p h i c S c h o o ls

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A l t e r n a t iv e s f o r W ritin g / a /

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Sound — Symbol R e l a t i o n s h i p s

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88

______________

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Brahmi T u r k i c Vowels

Brahmi T u r k i c / < / ___ ___

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T u r k i c Brahmi Symbols f o r / i /

90 93

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Brahmi T u rk ic C o n son ants

v iil Page

____________ ;___________________

98

__________________ 'j__

98

Virama S p e c i a l i z a t i o n o f R a d i c a l s Virama R a d i c a l s f o r [ T u r k i c — > M a r a l b a s h i ____________ ;_____ ““J*********************

121

A n u s v a r a __________

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The New L i q u i d R a d i c a l s ____________

122

The I r a n i a n Sounds

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The D e n t a l s ____________________________ * The D i s t r i b u t i o n - o f t h e D e n ta l R a d i c a l s i n M a r a l b a s h i ________ ;_______;_______ The D i a e r e s i s

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124

125 -^ 0

Summary o f t h e R e l a t i o n s h i p : K ho tan e se — ^ T u r k i c —> M a r a l b a s h i • ________ ;________

130

• K h o tan e se —> T u r k i c — > T ocK arian

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131

The Four C l a s s e s o f Consonant R a d i c a l s i n t h e T o c h a r ia n Brahmi

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ix Page Complementary D i s t r i b u t i o n , Among t h e T o c h a r i a n Consonant R a d i c a l s A.

I n n onv iram a t o mark t h e n o n l n d i c vowel

B.

I n v ira m a p o s i t i o n

C.

The d u a l f u n c t i o n s o f vowel and v iram a m a rk in g _______________________________

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•133 133

134 135

Virama A k saras i n t h e T o c h a r i a n and T u r k i c Brahmi O r t h o g r a p h i e s

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The New L a b i a l G lid e R a d i c a l wa i n T u r k i c and T o c h a r i a n

139

The O r i g i n and Development o f th e New C onsonant R a d i c a l s i n T o c h a r ia n

140

C o n c lu s io n

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F o o trfo tes t o C h a p te r 5

149

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LIST OF FIGURES

F ig u r e

Page

1

R e l a t i o n s h i p s Among C e n t r a l A sian Gupta O r t h o g r a p h i e s ____

2

2

Map o f C h in ese T u r k e s ta n

4

3

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I n d i a n 1 A slan GuP

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'4 . A k s a r i c T r a n s c r i p t i o n a l , C a t e g o r i e s

12

.

16

5

Some S l a n t i n g Gupta A k s a ra s

6

Examples o f t h e L i g a t u r e r r a _________

24

7

P o s s i b l e T r a n s m i s s i o n R o u te s

25

8

R e l a t i o n s h i p s i n t h e S o u th e rn Group

9

A d d i t i o n o f F i n a l i i n t h e C hin ese Brahmi

10 11 12

_______________________

17

___________________ ______________________

26

_______________

28

Development o f t h e Two-Dot D i a c r i t i c _______________ Route

A'

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29

_______________________ |_____

Comparison o f C h a r a c t e r M o rp h o lo g ie s

~7-

35

_____________________

36

13

Comparing I n d i e R a d i c a l o w i t h S l a n t i n g wa

■ _________

14

The a - p l u s P r i n c i p l e

15

17

T r a n s m i s s i o n o f t h e Brahmi t h r o u g h t h e S o u th e rn Group t R e l a t i o n s h i p s Among t h e S l a n t i n g Gupta O rth o g rap h ies * D i s t r i b u t i o n - o f t h e N o n ln d ic R a d i c a l s

59

18

P o s s i b l e T r a n s m i s s i o n R o u tes o f t h e S l a n t i n g Gupta

60

39

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^ 1

16-

51

58 '

20

Examples o f qci

21

Comparing Number 5 t o l a

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62

19 ' The L i s t o f Twelve Symbols t .

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6 6

67

A

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1

xi F ig u re

Page i The Two C ases a t Number 5 Compared t o S i m i l a r C h a r a c t e r s

68

23

I n t e r r e l a t e d .M a ra lb a s h i Graphs

70

24

Comparison, o f Konow's [a ] w i t h hha

71

25'

Comparison o f Number 10, [y w a], and 8a

73

The P i v o t a l Role o f t h e T u r k i c Brahmi

77.

22

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“ 26

4

4

*

__________

89

Back Vowel Words w i t h -

______________

94

29

F r o n t Vowel Words w i t h -

______________

94

30

The Dual F u n c t i o n s o f t h e D i a e r e s i s and ’ t h e New L i q u i d R a d i c a l s ' ______________

97

31

Brahmi T u r k i c Consonant In v e n to ry .-

98

32

W r i t i n g G u t t u r a l s i n T u rk ic Brahmi

99

33

T u r k i c Brahmi Virama R a d i c a l s

34

R e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f Consonant Phonemes i n Virama

101

-35

T u r k i c Brahmi G u t t u r a l S ig n s i n Gabain 1 9 5 4 :C

103

36

Forms, o f R a d i c a l na

111

37

T r a n s m i s s i o n o f t h e S l a n t i n g Gupta

____________

121

38

M a r a l b a s h i D e n ta l S to p R a d i c a l s

___________

125

39

P r o b a b l e V a lu e s o f t h e D e n ta l R a d i c a l s

126

40

Comparison o f D e n ta l S p e l l i n g s i n , M a r a l b a s h i and P e l l i o t Sdka ________

127

41

D e n ta l R a d i c a l s i n S a n s k r i t Loans

128

42

Development o f D e n ta l Stop S ig n s Khotaiflkpe —> T u r k i c —> M a r a l b a s h i

129

43

The Four C l a s s e s o f T o c h a r i a n Consonant R a d i c a l s