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190
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARI.
[APRIL, 1903.
& Sanskrit between vowels, which becomes d in the latter, and is dropped in the former group. Many verbal forms contain such a I, and this is the reason why the different treatment of it playe 80 conspicuous a role in the Prakrits. It has already been stated that no great importance can be attached to this point. Still it is of interest to note that modern Marathi has dropped the t in all verbal forms, and there are no traces of participles such as Gajaráti kidhô, done ; lidho, taken; pidhó, drunk. Old Marathi khádild, eaten, is quite different, the.d, which belongs to the baso, having probably been re-introduced through the influence of the Sanskrit form.
Soft consonants are occasionally hardened in the Prakrits. Thus, Maharashtrl machchař for majjai, Sanskrit mddyari, he grows mad; vachchai for vajjai, Sanskrit vrajati, ho walks. Compare Marathi matsana, to swell, to rise in force (Hindi machana); Konkani votow, to go.
Consonants are occasionally Aspirated. Compare Maharashtrl-list and Skisi, Sanskrit brist, Marâțbt thisd (Hindi bhis), stalk of the lotus.
The aspiration has apparently been thrown back in MAbarashti and Ardhamagadhi ghettush, Sanskrit grabitual, to seize. Compare Marathi ghat-17, taken. According to M. Garrez, this word is peculiar to Marathi as the corresponding Prakrit word was to Mâbârishtri and Ardhamagadhi.
An initial dental d has become cerebralised in Maharashtr and Ardhamagadht in words such as dasai, Sanskrit daian, he bites ; dahai, Banskrit dahati, he burns ; dsla (probably from Sanskrit ddla, oscillating), an eye ; dollai, Sanskrit doldyatë, he swings; d'halaa, Sanskrit dóhalake, the longings of a pregnant woman; darai, Sanskrit darati, he fears, and so forth. Compare Marathi daseną, to bite; dákó (poetical), heat; dadeand, to be hot; dold, an eye ; dólan, to walk nodding; póha!d, longings of pregnant woman; daron, to fear.
The interchange between cerebral and dental in Marathi has been shown by Bhandarkar to correspond to the state of affairs in Jaina Maharashtrt and late Ardhamagadhf. Every initial n and every double becomes a dental in Marathi, while every medial single n is cerebral and represented by a cerebral in Marathi. Compare Bhandarkar in the Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. XVII. 1889, p. 166.
We may add stray forms such as Maharishtri and Ardhamågadhi chhetta, Sanskrit kgetra, Marktbl wl, but Saurasên khetta, Hindi khét, a field; MAh Arishtrt kira, Marathi leír, but Sanskrit and Saurnalni kila, forsooth; Sanskrit gardabha, Maharishtrt gaddaha, Marathi gadhav, but Saurasêni gaddaha, Hindi gadhá, an ass; Maharashtri pannasah, Marathi pannds, fifty, and so forth.
All these instances show that Marathi and MAhirishţrt have many phonetical laws in common, When we find the same facts recurring in other modern vernaculars, it is quite natural that we should find them in the east. Ardhamågadh shows that the phonology of eastern Prakrits was more closely connected with Maharashtri than with Bagrasêni. As regards the vernaculars derived from the same source as Saurasens, the many instances where both differ cannot fail to show that the literary Banrasêni was based on the vernacular of a comparatively small area or of a definite clase of people, and that the popular dialects of the Satrusons country in many pointe differed, or bave sn bsequently been largely influenced from other sources. We are still far from being able to trace all the elements which have contributed to the formation of the various dialects of Western Hindi, though we know enough to state definitely that their main base was a Saurashna dialect.
Nouns and Pronouns.-It has already been pointed out that the nominative singular for masculine a-bases ends in 8 in Mabtrishtri (and Sanrasêni), and that old Marktht shows that the same was the case in the language of the Marathw.country. It has also been mentioned that Magadhi shows a tendepey to change neuter as bases to masculipe. This tendenoy does not
