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280
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1878.
Gerud.
Past Tense.
Biting
Padum
The Third Person Neuler of the Future and the Future Participle.
Derivation of the Past. Śěn and Kodan Tami].
Malayalma.
First Class. Entering Pukku
Pukku Suffering Pattu
Pattu Obtaining Pēţtu
Pěţtu
Second Class. Tying Katti
Katti
thou, Remoring Nikki
Nikki
he, &c.
entered, Third Class.
suffered, Doing Śêydu
Chêydu
removed. Giping Kõduttu
Koduttu Kadittu and in K.T. Kadiálu Kadiocu Knowing Arindu
Ariya Taking Kõndu
Kondu Standing Nindu
| Ninnu Derivation of the Past. Śěn and Kodun Tamil.
Malayalma.
First Class. It will enter, Pugum, K.T. Pagum
Pagum It will suffer
Padum It will obtaia. Pěrum
Pěrum
Second Class. It will tie. Kattum
Kattum
1, thou, It will remove. Nikkum
Nikkum
he, &c. Third Class
will It will do. SẼyum
Chữyum
enter,
suffer, It will give. Kódukkum
Kodukkum
obtain, &c. It will bite. Kadikkum
Kadikkum It will know Ariyum
Ariyum It will take. Kõllam
Kollum It will stand. Nirkum, K.T. Nikkum
| Nilkkum In the present tense tho Malaya ma differs the past tenses of the verb nkkudal, or niklounnu, from the Kodun Tamil in the final syllable only, to remove.' nou being substituted for du; the present parti. 6. & K. Tamil. Malayalma. English. ciple is formed by changing the final to a, as Nikkinen Nân nikki I removed. nikkuna, removing,' &c.; this in Śěn and Kodun Nikkinky Ni nikki
thou removedst Tamil respectively is nikkinda, níkkra. In forming Nikkinan Avan nikki he removed. the past tense the Malayalma makes no alteration | Nikkina! Ava! nikki she removed. in the two first classes, the third of the third class Nikkirru Adu nikki it removed. assumes the colloquial form of Kodun Tamil, the | As simplicity would appear to indicate original. fourth is corrupted by an easy permutation of con- ity, the defect of the Malayalma verb in personal sonants, and the last is formed by the usual change terminations, to cursory consideration, would seem of d into n: the verbs which take these corrupted to declare this to be the parent of the Tamil forms constitute the greater number in the lan- dialects: the superior richness of the Sěn Tamil guage. It will be observed that the various termina- in tenses, in the variety of idiom, and in the artifice tions of the gerund, which in the parent language of language, arising possibly from superior cul. depends on the primitive form, or artificial pre- tivation, affords no refutation of this notion ; for paration of the root, are invariably followed in the cultivation will soon exalt & subordinate dialect Malayalma: this agreement is constant even in above its neglected parent. But analogy sufficient. anomalies. In the future tense of the Malayalma ly demonstrates that such has not been the there is no alteration.
general progress of human speech, and there The variation between the two dialects, pro- is no reason to believe that the Tamil dialects duced by the default of the Malayalma in personal constitute an exception; as far as bistory can terminations, will appear from the comparison of ascend, language will ever be found more artificial,
Future Tense.
