Amrita Collected Papers by A M Ghatage

SR No.: 006968
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Kasturbhai Lalbhai Smarak Nidhi Ahmedabad
Total Pages: 530
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 10 MB

Page 520

A Comprehensive and Critical dictionary of Prākrit Languages (Introduction)
511
themselves often show a shorter and a longer version, particularly in the case of the Ardha-Māgadhi canon. The divisions of a given text are done differently by each editor which makes it well-nigh impossible by the given reference to use the commentary on a given text, when the editors of the two are different. Indices are prepared by the editors in such a way that the original divisions of the book are neglected and references cannot be easily traced. All these considerations have made it necessary to adopt a complex system for the dictionary which needs some detailed explanation to facilitate its use.
A typical entry in the dictionary is made up of the following elements, in a definite order :
1. The lemma (in Devanāgari).
2. Transliteration of the Prākrit word, and its derivation or etymology given in the form of transliterated words and enclosed in parenthesis.
3. Alternative forms of the given word in Devanāgarī in square brackets. The quotations from the Kośas and grammatical works dealing with the word are included here.
4. The Parts of Speech in Italics. 5. The meanings in English.
6. After each meaning there follow the quotations from Präkrit works, arranged in a specific order.
7. Cross references where necessary. • ' 1. Lemma
Besides the regular phonetic changes which the Prākrit grammarians describe as being applicable to the Sanskrit words, they also prescribe some changes as being peculiar and applicable to the Sanskrit base of the words (Hem. (Gr.) 1. 15-22). Thus the consonantal endings of the basic words are either dropped or thematised by adding the vowel a to them and in the case of feminine nouns the suffix is naturally -ā or -1. In the case of Sanskrit nouns ending in vowels like #, some changes occur before the case-endings (Hem. (Gr.) 3. 44 foll.). All such changes are due to the attempt to get the word to conform to the phonological structure of the Prākrit languages. Hence the problem of setting up the lemmata of words in a Prākrit dictionary. The practice of modern scholars as seen in the glossaries prepared by them for the books which they have edited differs from scholar to scholar. Various methods have been used by them, keeping the Sanskrit ending as it is, to produce new