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NOVEMBER, 1878.)
ELLIS'S ESSAY ON THE MALAYALMA LANGUAGE.
277
bhah, by the usual Tami) substitutions of i forri and NOTE.-The peculiar letter ? Cor z'X“) is generally a for sh, becomes idabam, and in Malayalma idaram. pronounced in the districts to the south of the In these instances, however, and in most others Coleroon l; this conversion in Malayalma is very of a similar nature, the proper Tatsamam term may arbitrary: for example, they say kq, below,' but, be optionally used for the derivative. (Note C, in a compound form, ki! andil, 'in the last year.' p. 287.)
The occurrence of this letter is genorally the cause The changes by which the Desyam terms of the of some variation in all the Tamil dialects, an idea Malayaļma are distinguished from those of pure of which may be given by a single etymology: Tamil, though they are mostly such as indicate a połudu (pron. poz"hudu] in pure Tamil signifies lapse from primitive forms, yet, being regular in time,' and the prefixing to this term of the their occurrence, may be regarded as dialectic demonstrative particles i, 'this,' a, that,' and e, differences rather than corruptions. The principal what,' forms the temporal adverbs ippoludu, 'now,' of these changes are as follows:
appluds, 'then,' and épp lucu, 'when,' according The u of the pure Tami) in nouns is always con- to the Southern pronunciation ippoludu, &c.; in verted tou (36), though this vowel never occurs as the
Kodun Tamil these words become respectively final of any noun, either in Sěn or Kodun Tami]; ippo, appă, and éppó, and in the Malayalma ippo?, the je so substituted, however, is subject to the rules appol, and épp0!. which govern the us in the parent language, and is | Comparison of terms in the three dialects derived liable to elision, consequently, before all vowels : a
from the Sanskrit. and d in the nominative, and e in the oblique cases, The Malayalma being written in a character is substituted for the final ei ; sh and 3, as the accommodated to the expression of the Sanskrit, mate of the second series is pronounced in pure the sounds of tatsamam terms are more accurately Tamil, in Malayalma becomes ch : when the nasal represented by it than they can be by the Tamil of the third series is followed by the mute of the alphabet. In the mouth of Brahmans of either wame series, the compound thence arising, nda, is tongue the pronunciation of words of Sanskrit changed into ona if preceded by a short vowel, and origin is equally correct; but, as the written must na if by a long one ; so likewise the similar com- always influence the 'spoken language, the Sadras pound anda becomes nna and na: the double mute of of Malayalam pronounce these with greater prothe fourth it is often converted to chcha; the com- priety than those of the Tamil countries, as the pound formed by the consonant and nasal of this following terms will show :series, nda, sometimes becomes nna, sometimes nja, Pure Tamil Kodun Tamil. Ma. Tamil, English. and for the latter the double nasal ma is frequently Samudiram Samudiram Samudram the sea. substituted, as is the double nasal of the first Virrukkam Virussam Vriksham a tree. vina for the compound n-ga: la sometimes be- Mirugum Mirugam Msigam a beast. comes la.
Agåyam Ågåsam Åkasam the ether. These observations are exemplified by the follow- Singam Singam Simham a lion. ing terms:
Iråśśiyam Råśśiyam Rajyam a kingdom. Pure Tamil. Kõdun Tamil. Ma. Tamil. English. Manudan Manushan Manushan a man. Vil Villu Villa a bow. Puvi Bami
Bhumi the earth. Malei Malei Mala a hill. sittidal Sishţtikkiradu Śsishţikkunnu to Kalutei Kalutei Kaluta the neck.
create. Ondu Onnu
Onnu one.
of the Declension of the Noun. Irandu Randu Randa two.
In comparing the declension of the noun, I shall Maudu Maņu Mûnnu three. observe the grammatical arrangement of the Sěn Attan
Achchan father. Tamil: both this and the Kodun Tamil have a Maranda Maranda Masanna forgotten. variety of forms to the several cases, from which I Irundu Irundu Irunnu being.
shall select such as serve to show their connection Aindu Aziju Añja fine.
with the Malayalma. There are some peculiarities Kareinda Kareisija Hareinnya dissolved. in the declension of nouns in the high language, NÂn-gal N&igal NAnna! we.
which it will be necessary to explain to account Pugal Pugatói Pugalcha praise. for this variety, and to show in what the modern Kelkkudal Kéļkiradu Kelkuna to hear. dialects differ in this part of grammar from their
Notwithstanding the Malay Alma alphabet has, like the being pronounced without the laryngeal compressore when NAgarl, five mutes in the five first series, the aspirates are initial, and with it when medial and final. never used except in Sanskrit worde, and the third in each The Tamil | is generally but not uniformly re-9, d, &o-bat, seldom; the first muto in each series, presented by Mr. Ellis ss s'h, but as is its usual repretherefore, as in Sěn and Kodun Tamil, has two sounds,
Bentation that symbol is substituted throughout the paper.-ED.
