There is no such thing as an accepted Indus Valley script dictionary. Such a dictionary is probably decades away. Nonetheless, below are summarized some of Asko Parpola and Iravatham Mahadevan's speculations on some of the most common ancient Indus signs.
Asko Parpola
Sign/ Sequence |
Pictorial meaning |
Phonetic (Dravidian) |
Intended meaning |
Comments |
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fish | meen | 1. fish 2. star |
The word meen designates both fish and star in most Dravidian languages. Suggests the heavenly bodies were conceived of as fish swimming in the ocean of heaven, representing gods. |
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intermediate space + fish |
vel (i) + meen | white star | Vel-meen and Velli both mean Venus in Tamil. |
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3 + fish | mum (m) + meen | three stars | The new year asterism Pleiades has this name in Tamil; in myth the wives of the Seven Sages. |
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6 + fish | (*c) aru + meen | six stars | In The New Year asterism Pleiades has this name in Tamil. In myths the wives of the Seven Sages and mothers or wet nurses of the god of war (the vernal sun). |
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fish | elu + meen | seven stars | In Tamil, the name of Ursa Major, the 'Seven Sages' in India. |
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dot/drop + fish | pottu + meen | 1. carp fish (= rohita 'red' in Sanskrit) 2. star or red dot/blood drop (= rohini 'red' in Sanskrit) |
The red dot painted on the forehead at marriage = the 'third' eye of the Heavenly Bull < alpha Tauri = the ancient star of the new year (marriage of Sun + the heavenly bride rohini, 'menstruating'), represented by the red fish (scales as tilaka mark). |
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halving + fish | pacu + meen | green star | in Tamil, paccai refers to greenness and the planet Mercury, which represents the green-hued child god Krishna. |
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roof + fish | mey/may + meen | black star | Saturn's name in Tamil. Saturn rides a turtle, a 'fish' with a 'roof'. |
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fig tree + fish |
vata + meen | North Star | Vata-min is the star 'Alcor,' orig. probably Thuban. 'Banyan fig' is the tree of 'ropes' (vata): starts do not fall because they are fixed to the North Star (in Dravidian also 'fig/rope star) by means of visible ropes. |
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fig tree + intermediate space | vata + vel(i) | North Star | In Tamil, velli means both (1) 'the planet Venus) and (2) 'star (=meen) |
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4 + fig tree | nal + vata | hanging rope | Banyan as '(the tree) possessed of hanging ropes': nal/nal/al 'to hang down' seems to be the etymology for al (a-maram) ' banyan tree'. Indus tablets with '4 + fig' have a solitary fig leaf on the reverse. |
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man | al/an | man, servant | The sign occurs in priestly titles paralleling Mesopotamian titles 'Man/Servant (of the god X)'; the most common Dravidian word for man also means servant. |
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ring(s)/ bangle(s) | muruku | boy, youth, Muruku (the youthful god of love and war) | The sign signifies 'royal ear-rings' in [Tibetan] Lamaism. The sign recurs, sometimes alone, on Indus stone bangles; Indus tree-gods wear bangles; in later folk religion, bangles are offered to sacred trees with prayers for off spring (cf. muruku ' boy'). |
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(head of) cow | a (+-tu) | possessive suffix | The interpretation of this important sign remains open; this is just a suggestion that needs testing. |
Iravatham Mahadevan
Sign/ Sequence |
Pictorial value |
Ideographic meaning |
Comments |
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Jar | Priest | The most frequent and almost always terminal sign of the Indus script is read as a jar and connected to the legend of 'jar-born' sages and the symbolism of the jar connected to priestly ritual in Indian tradition. |
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Lance | Warrior | Also a terminal sign, pr suffix associated with names or titles on seals like the 'jar' sign above. |
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Man | Servant, attendant or lower functionary | Simple pictogram, frequently shown with ' jar' (lower order of priestly functionary?) but never with ' lance' sign. |
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Bearer | Officer or functionary | Also appears to be a suffixed element, interpreted as officer because of later Indian traditions referring to senior officers of the king referred to as 'yoke bearers.' |
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Jar + Bearer | Officer or functionary with priestly duties | Clearly combination of two signs, could be related to later Indian traditions combining the two motifs. |
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Lance + Bearer | Officer or functionary with military duties | Also combination, perhaps designating officer with military duties. |
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Harrow | Farmer, tiller, tenant | Also characteristically a terminal sign, sometimes in conjunction with ' jar,' ' lance,' or ' bearer' signs, suggesting combination of categories or serving under them. |