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The intervocalic stop
In the second stage of Middle Indo-Aryan the intervocalic single (i.e. short) consonant of the Old Indo-Aryan stage was elided in the Standard Literary Mähäräştri. In the Literary Saurasent such a consonant was, according to the Prakrit grammarians, always voiced. Now, in the case of the Mss. of certain Jain texts, the actual state of affairs regarding the orthography of the medial stop is considerably confused, and it is much more so in the Mss. of Vhm., the dates whereof are removed by several centuries from the date of the work itself.
Uncontrolled orthographic variation
In the case of the intervocalic consonant we find in Vhm. Mss. very widely varying writing practices. We can discern the following alternatives:
1.
2.
5.
3. Notes on the Language
Orthography
6.
The original voiced or unvoiced stop consonant is written unchanged i.e. as it is in the Sanskrit original.
3. The original unaspirated stop (k, g, c, jt d. sometimes p) is dropped. Mostly y is inserted in its place.
For the original unvoiced stop, its voiced form is substituted. Linguistically this is considered to be a Saurasent feature.
For the original aspirated stop (except the retroflex), h is substituted.
Linguistically (3) and (4) are considered to be Maharastri features.
The original unvoiced stop is written unchanged, but the voiced stop is replaced by its unvoiced form.
Linguistically this is considered to be a Paisaci feature.
Instead of y frequently
Jain Education International
original or expected as per (3) above, we find quite (or occasionally d)
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