Indian Antiquary Vol 04

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 48

38
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
have recourse to combinations of demonstrative roots, the personal signification whereof is rather accidental than natural. This becomes clear from the analysis of, wow, Ut, the organic form of all of which is T, meaning literally 'is qui (est) is;', is composed of mm 'is qui (est) id. Let us add that the complete form of these pronouns is (H), 7. The final is radical, as is proved by the plural
-common to all the Semitic lan אנה אנחנא אנחנו
guages, and where the has maintained itself under the form of n. For the second person the originality of the becomes also evident by comparing the possessive suffix 7' thus,' although the original exists only in Egyptian: 50 (Hal. 450, 3) posuit eumdem, ipsum' coño (ib. 437, 2) posuit eosdem' (conf. Hal. 259, 3, 4; ib. 478, 17); I would here mention the Persian
Saliquis,' which Halévy does not notice, but which is at least in the writing, if not in the meaning, nearly the same with D and may have something to do with it. From the above analysis he concludes that is composed of from T from
is qui (est) idem is, and 7 is qui (est) id, idem,' lastly is qui (est) idem qui + pl.'
In consequence of the too impersonal locutions of the inscriptions, it is impossible to ascertain
(x) was in use among the Sabaans. This appears improbable, because these forms are also unusual in the cognate languages. As far as the second person is concerned, it could not be different from the form ros, no common in the Semitic family. The isolated pronoun of the third person is identical with the demonstrative (MT), but it is not known whether the feminine was H(T), as in the sister languages, or whether it resembled the demonstrative form peculiar to the Sabean. The masculine plural on occurs in several passages (Hal. 446, 2; ib. 344, 18; 346, 4), and the analogy of the other Semitic languages presupposes the certain existence of the compound (=) for the feminine.
[FEBRUARY, 1875.
dundant. No example of the feminine exists, as in Persian, and perhaps none ever did, although Halévy says it must certainly have been, D. Instead of the simple v, sometimes b, c, occur: D'OOD (Os. 1. 5) in his request,' non non Drop in no (Hal. 478, 10) 'may his country (lit. earth), his people, and his town perish (lit. die).' This interesting form, which it is impossible to take for a plural suffix, must be considered as composed of prolonged by means of the particles and respectively serving as the indefinite and the definite article. The same occurs here and there in Hebrew, where, o occur for and for 3. This is confirmed also in Phoenician; for which see Schlottmann in Z. d. D. M. G. 1870, p. 406, &c.
No possessive suffixes except those of the third person are to be met with: for the singular masculine, and for the same in the Minsan dialect; the often disappears in writing: 1 (Os. 1. 1), worn (Hal. 478, 1), D (Hal, 187, 2) 'his
nory (Os. XXIX. 7) 'his eye' the second is re
List of the Pronouns from Sabaan texts. Demonstrative Pronouns.
Singular.
5 m. nif. this. this.
, that. that.
אנביאני whether the Hebrew form of the first person
> that.
in ; پسرش son, exactly like the Persian in
? who בן מן
Plural.
these אהלת אלת אל
.אלן
0,1 (07, 7)
those.
, non those.
Interrogative Pronouns.
TO, (2) what? Relative Pronouns. 5, he who, of, from. nif. she who, of, from. he of, he from.
he who.
הם
Isolated Personal Pronouns. Mhe. n they. Suffixed Personal Pronouns.
177, 77 , ohis.
הכד קס
their.
Dual: on. Numerals, Measures, and Chronology.
The Sabean like the Arabic numerals have a double form, the one being the simple radical word, and the other presenting, as in certain Arabic numbers, the addition of an in the masculine, whilst reserving the simple form for the feminine:
1 T (Hal. 446, 3.)
(Hal. 598, 2.) (Hal. 667, 1-2.) Fire (N. H. 1.)
2 (Hal. 358, 4; Wr. 5.) nñ (Hal. 598, 5.)
(Hal. 667, 2.)