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Indus writing: crocodile ligature and related glyphs of a smithy


Inline image 1Text 4304 First three glyphs from left: 1. kuṭi ‘water-carrier’ (Te.); rebus: kuṭhi. 2. kolom (rice plant). Rebus: kolami ‘smithy, forge’, ‘smelter,furnace’. 3. ranku 'liquid measure' rebus: ranku 'tin' (Santali) 
Next three glyphs from left: kanka 'rim of jar' rebus: khanaka 'miner' (Skt.) Ligure to rim of jar: खांडा [khāṇḍām  a jag, notch, or indentation (as upon the edge of a tool or weapon); rebus:khāṇḍā ‘metal tools,  pots and pans’. koḍi ‘flag’ (Ta.)(DEDR 2049). Rebus: koḍ ‘workshop’ (Kuwi)


Inline image 2Inline image 3Inline image 3Harappa tablet h180 (section). One glyph composition enlarged to show the crocodile ligature close to pudendum muliebre of the female with thighs apart and shown lying upside down.

The glyph showing the image of a crocodile issuing forth from a female with thighs drawn apart is one side of a tablet h180. Same text is repeated on both sides.
Inline image 1
Seal impession from Ur showing a squatting female. L. Legrain, 1936, Ur excavations, Vol. 3, Archaic Seal Impressions. [cf. Nausharo seal with two scorpions flanking a similar glyph with legs apart.

Inline image 2
Rahmandheri sea: Two scorpions. Two holes. One T glyph. One frog in the middle. Reverse: two rams.



kuṭhi ‘pudendum muliebre’ (Mu.) khoḍu m. ‘vulva’ (CDIAL 3947). Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter furnace’ (Mu.) khŏḍ m. ‘pit’, khö̆ḍü f. ‘small pit’ (Kashmiri. CDIAL 3947), byucu बिचु; । वृश्््चिकः m. (sg. dat. bicis बिचिस्), a scorpion (Kashmiri), WPah.bhal. biċċū m., cur. biccū, bhiḍ. biċċoṭū n. ʻ young scorpionʼ (CDIAL 12081). Rebus: bica, bica-diri (Sad. bicā; Or. bicī) stone ore; meṛeḍ bica, stones containing iron; tambabica, copper-ore stones; samṛobica, stones containing gold (Mundari.lex.) Crocodile issuing forth from the womb: karā 'crocodile' (Telugu) khār 'blacksmith' (Kashmiri)

A person carrying a sickle-shaped weapon and a wheel on his bands faces a woman with disheveled hair and upraised arm. kuṭhāru ‘armourer’ (Skt.) salae sapae = untangled, combed out, hair hanging loose (Santali.lex.) Rebus: sal workshop (Santali) The glyptic composition is decoded as kuṭhāru sal ‘armourer workshop.’ eṛaka 'upraised arm' (Ta.). Rrebus: eraka = copper (Ka.) Thus, the entire composition of these glyphic elements relate to an armourer’s copper workshop. Vikalpa: मेढा A twist or tangle arising in thread or cord, a curl or snarl (Marathi). Rebus: mēḍ 'iron' (Munda)
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