Indian Antiquary Vol 58

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 174

160
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ August, 1929
MISCELLANEA. SOME ANCIENT SANSKRIT VERSES USED Rgveda 2, 23, 16. The Astri has satisfied himself TO.DAY.
that the mantra is largely used just by Yajurvedins D R . Zimmermann, S.J., Professor of Sanskrit I to-day. I enclose the text. Literature, St. Xavier's College, Bombay, favours us
R. ZOMERMANN. with the following communication in reference to the note printed under this heading at p. 67, supra.
C. E. A. W. OLDHAM, Jl.-Editor.
* बृहस्पते अति॒ि यदर्यो अहियुमद्वि
___ यहीदयच्छवस ऋतप्रजात तदस्मासु
Rello . 38.86
Sastri Bhavênishankar Sukthankar has supplied me with the mantra for Thursday, which is wanting' among "Some Ancient Sanskrit Verses Used To-day," Indian Antiquary, March 1929, p. 57. It ooours repeatedly in the Yajurveda, but is originally
BOOK-NOTICE. LINGUISTIC SURVEY OF INDIA, VOL. I., Pt. II, COMPA) palatal 8, usually represented by d, now becomes ..
RATIVE VOCABULARY, by SIR G. A. GRIERBON, O.M., Greek letters are used for certain spirants in Arabio K.C.I.E., 131 x 10 in.; pp. 30, 339; Calcutta, 1928. and the Eranian Branch languages, and in some
The appearance of this volume will be warmly of the Dardie languages. welcomed by all students of comparative philology. A much more difficult and laborious task has been The original scheme of the Survey does not seem the ascertainment and marking of tones, involved to have embraced a comparative vocabulary on these by the inclusion of languages of the Far East, such lines; and we owe it to Sir Georgs Grierson's untir. as Chinese, Siamese and Annamese, as well as ing devotion to his great task that he has prepared Burmese and Shan. The tone being inherent in a these comparative tables not only for all the Indian word and necessary for its significance, it is essential languages and dialects of any importance, but has that it should be indicated. Sir George illustratee also included within their soope many languages this tersely by citing the instance of the Siamese not dealt with in the Survey, some of which are not word for 'come'. It is md, and to have this even spoken in India, and one of which, Si-hia, has significance it must be uttered with a mid level been doad for many conturies. The vocabulary, tone. If it is uttered with any other tone it means which has been arrangod in a convenient form for something else. Thus, with a low level tono it means purposes of reference, contains 168 words or gramma. soak', with a high level tone followed by a fall it tical forms, each translated into 364 languages and means 'a horse,' with & falling tone it means dialects, with a view to comparison, "either for beautiful, and with a rising tone it means 'a dog.' corroborating, or for exploding previous theories". A clear system has been devised for representing the The list of English words selected might, as Sir nine simple tones and their combinations. All this George notes, have been improved, but his hands has been lucidly described in the Introduction, have been tied in this respect by the standard lists which should be carefully read before use is made of originally circulated to correspondents.
the vocabulary. Following the explanatory paraOwing to the inclusion of languages not dealt with graphs, further details are given under each group in the Survey, it has been found necessary to modify
of languages in which tones have had to be recorded, the system of transcription therein adopted, in fact, and the souroes from which the necessary informa. to elaborate it in several respecte. Vowel sounds tion has been collected are stated. The enormous have been further differentiated, and several changes labour involved in collating the equivalents of the have been made in the transliteration of consonante. 168 words and phrases in all these languages and Roaders of the preceding volumes will at once notice dialects and applying the new and elaborate system the changes made. Take, for example, the case of of transcription can hardly be conceived by the aspirated consonants. In the earlier volumes of ordinary reader; and when we are told that every the Survey, when strong, or when the degree is un page has been "oompared at least three times with known, the aspiration is indicated by the letter h. the original manuoript" we cannot fail to admire Where the aspiration was known to be weak, as in the indefatigable zoal and heed to accuracy of Balochi, it is shown by an inverted comma. Sir detail that characterizes all the work to which Sir George has decided that it would be dangerous to George Grierson sets his hand. The scope of this make this distinction in this vocabulary, as in the volume is so far in advance of anything attempted case of many languages we have not sufficient before that its publication will mark a new era in the information about the true force of the consonantal oomparative study of languages. sounds. He has therefore employed the inverted It may be noted that the "Index Verborum " st comma throughout. The result is, to take a single | the end of the volume will be found most useful in example, that we find the familiar word ghar, turning up the pages devoted to any particular
house', current in most of the Indo-Aryan Branch word, the equivalente of which it is desired to study languages and dialects, now spelt gʻar. The
C.E. A. W. OLDHAM.