Collected Articles Of LA Schwarzschild On Indo Aryan 1953 1979

Author(s): Royce Wiles
Publisher: Australian National University

Page 51

SOME ASPECTS OF THE HISTORY OF MODERN
HINDI NAHIN "NO", "NOT"
By L. A. SCHWARZ CHILD
IN AN EXAMINATION of word-phrases A. Meillet stated long ago : "Des mots comme oui, non représentent le plus haut degré d'abstraction que puisse atteindre ainsi une réponse consistant en un seul mot." As has been repeatedly pointed out, the classical IndoEuropean languages did not have any exact equivalent of this abstract method of expression. The majority of the modern languages on the other hand have arrived at these convenient "special expletive interjections". Hindi nahin, like the cognste Manithi ndhi, Gujerati nahi(s), etc, typifies this development of most modern Indo-European languages both syntactically and formally it is used as an equivalent of"no" (though it may serve also as negative adverb), and it represents an enlargement of the old Indo-European negative particle, Sanskrit wo. This formal and syntactie transformation of Sanskrit ne into modern nahin has been variously explained. The standard theories involve the addition to the negative particle of some part of a substantive verb, a development by no means isolated in the Indo-European languages. They may be summarized as follows: 1. Theories in which parts of the verb "to be" are added.
(a) Kellogg stated: "The common negative natin, Braj whi has arisen from the combination of the negative with the 3rd singular Ali of the substantive verb.
(6) S. K. Chatterji thinks that a i based on Sanskrit asti may have been added to m.
(e) Dwijendranath Basno believes that only a derivation from
THE HISTORY OF MODERN DE VANTNO", "NOR 45 no+dait can account for the Bengali forms. Similar explanations were given also by Sen and others. II. Theories in which parts of the verb bh"to be" are added.
(a) L. P. Teritorisuggests that the origin of the Old Western Rajasthani forms was from news and hum<Pkt hugi, hos < Skt bhavati.
(6) J. Bloch makes the tentative sugestion that Marathi won, which is also found in Apabhramas de comes from no with the addition of Prakrit dhanai <Skt dawati, cf. Marathi dhe "to be".
(c) R. L. Turner quotes Bloch's suggestion and be further emphasizes the possibility of contamination with the descendants of Sanskrit nah, more than the preceding writers did. He is followed in this particularly by M. C. Modi.
An examination of the evidence of some of the Middle IndoAryan texts points in the direction envisaged by Professor Turner.
In the Ardha-Migdhi of the Jain canon, as also in Pali, the general structure of negations and affirmations is still very much as in the older Indo-European languages. Answers to questions are usually in the form of a whole phrase, in most cases containing a fixed locution,.. Uvisagedaso (edition Vaidy), p. 67, v. 219, where the lay disciple SaddAlaputta says to the heretio Gosala Mankhaliputta: poble am fubbihe mama dhammariena dhammonesena bhagony Mahden saddhin nindan karttae?" Are you capable of engaging in a debate with the Venerable Mahavira, my instructor and teacher of the Law?" No mathemathe, said Gosala Mankhaliputta, this matter is not possible." Positive answers, especially those following on command, are often expressed by the simple word tahi <Sanskrit fath "the","even 80", but on the whole affirmations too tend to be complete sentences, e.g. Uvisagadasco, p. 45, Y. 173 (edition Vaidya): n a Kandalakoliyd alle samothe "Now is this matter possible, Kundalakoliya ?" Hanidatthi. "Indeed it is." In spite of this conservatism in syntax there have been important
Sukumar ,"Index Verborum of Old Bengali Chrya Songs and me Indios Linguistica, x, 1968
L P T
o tes on the Grammar of the Western Rajasthani, 1914-18
h 103. * J. Bloch, Histoire de la Lang Marath, Paris, 1918 p. 292. .R.L. Turner, Nepali Dictionary, London, 1931, ,337
M. C. Modi in the glory of the Gurjarudiadvali, Baroda, 1986, p. 285. RAS. APIE 1959
1 A. Millet, Lillige historique et lit e g ol, il Paris, 1998
- C. Home Lanuage, p. 177, and for the great valuty in the expansion of the bestive of Ott, td Adoben der
w i c
h t P. 18 and p. 94 CHirt e n vil SHK Ocof the l a
nd , London, 1938,
*8 K Chal Origin and Develop of the Bepali Lang . Olette 1991, p. 1039.
• Dwijendranath , On the Negative Auxiliary in Bengali, Indian Lingi , vol. xv, 1950.