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106
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MAY, 1916
A NOTE ON SOME SPECIAL FEATURES OF PRONUNCIATION, Ero.,
IN THE GUJARATI LANGUAGE.
BY. N. B. DIVATIA, B. A; BANDRA.
महान्
हमारूं
(Continued from p. 19.) To come to item (b) again ;-the presence of the h-sound in certain words. A few instances will put the matter in a clear light. Take the words , , , , , 5476. It will be seen that an h-sound is heard in all these words, and its presence is traceable etymologically to an existing h in the intermediate Prakrit or Apabhrança stage; thus - Sanskrit. Pråkrit or Apabhramca.
Gujarati. भगिनी
बहिणी TNT: बहिरो
म्हरो महन्तो (intermediate stages -
म्होटो HET, TET.) लक्ष्णम् कफोणिः कहोगी
कहोगी, करणी भस्मद (base)
मझे अस्माकम्
अद्यारं (Desya)
पहिलं Instances can be multiplied in great variety. But these will suffice as types. Now the following features as regards this h-sound deserve special notice :
(1) The h-sound is weak (grea) in Gujarati; and (2) The tendency of this h-sound is to move towards and mingle with the initial syllable in a word.
The truth about (1) will be perceived if we remember
(a) that this sound is weak in certain Gujarati words where the h is written even by those who advocate the dropping of h in words of the type named above, e. g. ( I). (now); ft (-still); TUTH (-a barber); $( light); etc.;
and
(b) that even in Prakrit and Apabhrańca this h is very often weakly sounded as is decidedly indicated by metrical values; e. g. Peter WUTTI (RT.. <-/-ray) The h in MUTT here is obviously weak : otherwise the preceding would possess two matras and spoil the metre.
The advocates against I forget this essential fact and distort the sound in toto. by sounding it strongly.
As regards (2), an accurate observation of the sound is the best test. However, clear indication of the tendency pointed out by me is furnished by certain words where
