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CHAPTER THREE
CONJUNCT CONSONANTS
GENERAL NOTIONS 54 When two or more consonants come together without a vowel between them, they form a conjunct. Normally they consist of two consonants, though a few of three consonants may be found in Sanskrit. The one that is pronounced earlier is called the first member while the other is called the second member. Thus in
a wheel' is the first member of the conjunct * and the second.
wever, I is the first and I the second member. In Sanskrit the conjunct can stand at the beginning of a word or in the middle. The Sanskrit conjuncts can be divided into two classes, (i) those where both the members of the conjunct are of the same sound and (ii) those made of different consonants. AMg. allows only a single consonant at the beginning of a word and the aspirated forms of the nasals' re, Fr, and the liquid . In the middle only the first type of Sanskrit conjunct is found. It may also use a conjunct of a mute and its aspirated form, ( . 3): a nasal and the consonant of the same class (-a); and finally the aspirated forms of the nasals and the liquid l . All other conjuncts of the Sanskrit language must be changed to one of these four types.
