Rebus representations in inscribed objects of Indian civilization

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What language did the bearded Meluhhan shown on an Akkadian

[EME.BAL.ME.LUH.HA.KI] cylinder seal [ca. 2250 BCE Musee du Louvre.

Ao 22 310, Collection De Clercq] speak?

 

Bha_s.a_! (as defined by Pa_n.ini). It is also called des'i_ by

ancient lexicographers of Prakr.it dictionaries.

 

A note 'Rebus representations in inscribed objects of the

civilization' is presented at

http://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/desi1.pdf (3,698kb)

 

The note will be elaborated further with linguistic arguments,

evidence from archaeometallurgy and category structure of the entire

corpus of over 3,900 inscribed objects and their text readings.

 

To start with, many des'i_ words, related to the emerging bronze age,

from Old Gujarati, Munda and Old Punjabi languages are seen to have

homonyms which are morphemic representations of many pictorial motifs

depicted on inscribed objects of the Sarasvati Sindhu Valley

Civilization.

 

The emerging hypotheses are:

 

1. the field symbols (many animals occupying the fields of inscribed

objects) are rebus representations of professions;

 

2. the 'signs' (many of which are glyphs, e.g. 'fish', 'bird', 'rim

of a short-necked jar') are rebus representations of (metal) weapons;

 

3. Munda languages were part of the linguistic area (ca. 5500 BP);

the received wisdom about the absence of Munda-speakers west of River

Sarasvati may have to be re-evaluated in the context of the Mundarica

folklore of generations arriving into Ranchi area (the land that the

Jaina Ti_rtha_n:kara-s and the Buddha walked) from the west;

 

4. it may be possible to unravel the pictorial motifs on many (so

far, un-decoded)cognate cylinder and lapis lazuli seals of

Mesopotamian and the Persian gulf regions;

 

5. the descendant languages of bha_s.a_ (carved into words on the

inscribed objects including many copper plates and inscribed weapons)

are the living languages of Bha_rata. Bha_ratam Janam!

 

For example, an antelope carried by the Meluhhan on the cylinder

seal, is a phonetic determinant; mer.h is an antelope; the des'i_

lexeme also means a helper (accounts clerk) of a merchant.