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S. 150.)
LESSON ONE
85
149 The declension of a Mas. noun ending in a like da a god' will be :
देवो, देवे
देवा देवा
देव
देवे, देवा देवेण, देवेणं
देवेहि, देवेहि देवा, देवाओ देवेहिन्तो · G. देवस्स
देवाण, देवाणं L. ea, data, dar dag, dag AMg. prose prefers the form deve in the N. sing. and devansi in the L. sing. Other forms in prose and all forms in verses are used without distinction and often side by side. 150 CHANGE OF GENDER:
(i) Many neuter nouns ending in consonants have dropped their finals and while becoming vowel-ending have also changed their gender. (Cf. Sk. dharman n. 'order' dharma m. religion '). Such cases are : mano, mane 'mind' (manas); tavo, tave
penance' (tapas) ; tamo, tame * darkness' (tamas); vao, vae 'age' (vayas); kamme 'action' (karman); oe 'blood' (ojas); vacche 'breast' (vakşas); soo 'current' (srotas).
(ii) Neuter nouns ending in - have also changed their gender and become Mas. (Cf. Sk. artha m.meaning' artha n.) thāne 'place' (sthāna); rayane jewel' (ratna); vīrie 'energy' (virya) ; daṁsane 'faith' (darśana); marane ' death' (marana) ; jivie 'life' (jivita); bale strength' (bala'); rūvā ‘forms' (rūpáni); vaņā 'forest' (vanāni). It is equally possible to regard the ending -e of the N. sing. as pertaining to Neu, nouns as contended by Bloch. Pischel regards that the change of gender was due to the similarity of forms in N. plu. of Mas. and Neu. in -a as Vedic yugā.
(iii) Fem. nouns have become Mas. pāuso 'rainy season' (prāvīş); disa quarter' (dis); sarao autumn' (sarad); dāla 'branch' .(Pk. dālā).
