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ON THE MODERN INDO-ARYAN VERNACULARS
(JUNE, 1932
We have seen that aphesis of à occurs in Northern Lahnda. We find similar instances in Dardic, a group of languages immediately adjoining NL. Thus, Skr. ātman., self; Wai. A. Gwr. Trw. tánu, Paš, táni-k, Kh. tan, My. ta, Grw. láni, $. tomo, Kš. pána. Av. ap., water: My, wi, S. wei; but Bš, ao, ou, Wai, ao, Kč. āb. In the latter case the aphesis had already occurred in Talcah, cf. Waxi vi-k.
We also find aphesis of a in words like Bš. parmn, a child (Av, aparanāyu-). In modern Prs, this is the regular rule before single consonants (GIP. I, ii, 20).
Aphesis of i has not been noted by me in Dardic.
Aphesis of u in Dardio follows IAV. in regard to the Skr, upavisati. Thus My. V bhai., Gew. y bai., S. v be-, Trw. r bih-, Kč. V běh-. Cf. Skr. upaya., Kš. pāy, a device; Skr. upalah, Kš. pal, a rock; Skr. ucchinakah, Kš. tshyat", leavings.
Aph. of ē occurs in Dardic. Gwr. r bā, send. Cf. Skr. ēpati, V. res, Kh. V wes
160. Syncope. This occurs in the IAVs. under the influence of the accent. Here, usually, an a following an accented syllable becomes a-matrā (the neutral vowel) and this in some dialects tends to disappear. Cf. Skr. pàga-phalam. Pr. poʻpphalam for *púgphalam (see $ 139); Skr. dihitä, *duhida, Pr. dhi'ā, a daughter. So IAV.:Skr. Pr. or Ap.
LAV. vijñáptika, a request
india
H. B. binti for *bináti. trásaḥ, terror
S. STs. tárge for tárása
In both cases with
transfer of accent. In CPh. (Km.), the word for 'he was 'is chiyo, which becomes in dialects chyö. Here it is simply a case of contraction of three palatal letters. But this syncope is most common when the syncopated vowel is followed by h. In such cases, esp. in M. (Kõn.) and NP., the h is then usually transferred to the preceding consonant, which is transformed into an aspirate (5 369). ThusSkr. Ap.
IAV. gárdabhaḥ, an ass
gáddahu or B. EPh. gád"hā, S. gágáddahu
dah", A. gādh, Bg. gádha, H. EH. P. 0. gádhā, L. and also P. gáddo, G. gadhēlro), M.
gādhav. dásakah, ten
dahau
M. dahá, Kön. dhā (LSI.,
VII, 167). So NP. bhái for bahái, seated (fem.); jhāz for Ar. jaház, a ship; bhánā for Prs. bahána, a pretence. Cf. & 152.
It will be observed that except in the case of chyö, the vowel syncopated is always a or (in one case, társ) a.
In the Dardic languages syncope of a is most common in Käfiri.
Av. paršti-, Prs. pušt, B¥. pti, ktī, V. ktseh, back (Ps. L. 64). In Bš. it is especially frequent when a preposition ending in a is prefixed to a noun, as in p'pdu, in the jungle, for pa păro ; P'putt, on the road; p'tsir, on the top ; b'bhim, on the ground; b'doi, on the arm; b'gol, in a valley; paši, in the mouth ; p'oštre, on the hill; and many other similar cases.
Syncope of i is more widely spread. E.g. Bš. píšaš or pštās, Aš. pieds, V. pšikh, Gwr. peäsi, a cat; Skr. biąála-, ks. brára, a cat; Skr. divasa-, a day, Paš. dwas or dáwas; Skr. násikā, Kh. naská-t, a nose. For u, we have Kl. kurð or kro, ear; Wai. V pus-, lose: but Bš. v poë-, V. r pad.
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