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48
INTRODUCTION TO ARDHA-MĀGADHI
(S. 84.
(ii) With न : अन्य = अन्न another; कन्या - कन्ना girl; सैन्य - सेन्न army; मन्युमन anger; धन्य धन्न fortunate; धान्य-धन्य corn ; शून्य =सुन्न zero ; अन्वेषण = अन्नेसण search.
(iii) With म : सौम्य = सोम्म docile; रम्य = रम्म charming; क्लाम्यति = किलिम्मइ fades ; ताम्यति = तम्मइ languishes.
85 NASALS AND LIQUIDS
A. Nasal followed by a liquid : Initially the nasal assimilates the liquid : म्रक्षयति = मक्खेइ anoints; म्लेच्छ = मेच्छ barbarian. Medially a glide, mostly ब, is developed which assimilates the following liquid. आम्र = अम्ब mango; ताम्र = तम्ब red ; आम्ल = अम्ब (also अंबिल) acid.
The physiological explanation of the glide is obvious. In pronouncing āmra the speaker has to cut off the nasal passage and pronouncer at the same time with the simultaneous opening of the contact. In fact he cuts off the nasal passage earlier and instead of the sound , breaks the "plosion with the result that he pronounces mb:
B. Liquid followed by a nasal. The nasal assimilates the liquid and the assimilation is regressive.***
(i) with र : कर्ण = कण्ण ear; पण = पण्ण leaf ; ऊर्मि = उम्मि wave; कर्मन् = कम्म act; धर्म = धम्म religion.
(ii) with ल : कुल्माष = कुम्मास beans; गुल्म = गुम्म bush; वल्मीक = वम्मिय ant-hill.
86 NASALS AND SIBILANTS
If the sibilant follows the nasal becomes anusvāra in Sanskrit itself. If the nasal follows, groups of 7 and of give us ण्ह and groups of म give us म्ह.
(i) इन = ण्ह : प्रश्न = पण्ह question ; अश्नाति = अण्हाइ eats.
