________________
In Search of the Original Ardhamagadhi
K.R. Chandra (a) Much popular usages :
(1) The termination assi’of the Locative Singular, e.g.,
nayaraṁsi, logaṁsi, rāyahānissi; (2) The termination -ittae’of the Infinitive; (3) The termination -āe' of the Dative Singular (of
Masculine Nouns ending in -a. (4) The terminations -iyā, iyāna', 'iyāṇam, and
Sittānaṁ' of the absolutive gerund ( 8.2.146); (5) Although the termination 'ccä' of the absolutive
Gerund has not been mentioned along with those of other participles but it has been as if indirectly referred to in connection with the phonological change of '-tva'='cca'(8.2.15), as in soccā, bhoccā,
naccă. But, the 'ccānaṁ'is not at all mentioned. (b) Occurring Sometimes :
(1) The usage of akasmā or akasmāt; (2) About the occurrence of usage with medial -ta-(popu
larly known as 'ta' śruti). (3) The usage of -d- and -dh- in the place of -t- and
-th-, respectively, in the medial position; (4) The termination -bhi of the Instrumental Plural; (5) The termination -mhi of the Locative Singular of
Pronouns; (6) The termination -ya, -ya and -ye of the oblique
Singular forms of Feminine Nouns; (7) The termination -mina of the Present Participle; (8) The termination -i and -im of the Third Person Sin
gular of Past Tense.
Of these characteristics, the usages of the occurrence of -d-'and -dh-'respectively, for the medial -t-'and-th'are of course found in the Māgadhi and the suarasenī, but such usages are found irregularly seldom in the Ashokan inscriptions, and in the same way in Pāli too. The termination
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