Indian Antiquary Vol 61

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

Page 395

APRIL 1932]
WORD STRESS-ACCENT
CHAPTER IV. PHONOLOGY.
[§ 138
[NOTE.-Throughout this chapter secondary Prakrit words will usually be quoted in the forms which they would be expected to take in Apabhramsa.] A. Stress-Accent, Tone, and Intonation. Word Stress-Accent.
138. As the phonology of the LAVs. is greatly influenced by the stress-accent, it is most convenient to consider this before proceeding to details regarding the various sounds. The subject has been almost neglected by native writers, by whom (as also in the case of the actual sound of each letter) the matter is treated as self-evident.1 The IAVs. closely follow the rules of the Sanskrit stress-accent (as distinct from the ancient musical accent) which have been noted by Prof. Jacobi, ZDMG., xlvii, 574 and ff. (Cf. also Wk., xxiii, n. 3 and 296.) The only difference is that the IAVs. do not usually throw the accent further back than the antepenultimate if the word ends in a long syllable. The general rules are as follows:
(a) The stress-accent falls on the penultimate if it be long. Examples-Skr. and Ts. kirti, fame; G. janói, a sacrificial thread; M. gidh(a), a vulture; kána, one-eyed; S. raháu, a dweller; H. asújhä, invisible; kisán(a), a husbandman; B. chotákkā, small.
(b) If the penultimate be short, the accent falls on the antepenultimate, provided that be long. Examples-Skr. and Ts. kirtan(a), a report; M. válan(a), inclination; kápad(a) clothes; H. bándhan(a), binding..
(c) In any other case it is thrown back as far as possible, the limits being, in Sanskrit and Tss., and in Tbh. IAV. words ending in a short vowel, the last syllable but three; and in Tbh. IAV. words ending in a long vowel, the antepenultimate. Examples-Skr. kúțilată deceitfulness, as a Ts. kútil tā; M. kár vat(a), a saw; sTs. pár bat(a), a mountain; B. pár"sat(a), touching; H. tin kä, a straw; bál(a), force; but H. pahticana (not páhucana), to arrive; H nikál tā, issuing.
Sometimes, however, even an IAV. word, which has the accent on the antepenultimate, may retain the accent on the same syllable, when it becomes the last syllable but three by the addition of a secondary suffix. This is by no means universal; pronunciation varying with different people. Thus, H. titali, a butterfly, long form, properly, titáliya, but also sometimes titcliyā.
(d) If the accent does not fall on the first syllable of a word, that syllable has a secondary accent. Thus, Skr. kùlánām, of families. So IAV. ràháu, chòtákkā, as above; sTs. àdhin(a), dependent on.
(e) In the conjugation of verbs there is a cross-rule, which, however, affects only the 2nd person singular of the Imperative. This cross-rule is that, throughout the conjugation the stress-accent remains on the syllable on which, under the above rules, it falls in the infinitive. If, in the infinitive, the accent falls on the root, then the cross-rule and the foregoing rules are identical. Thus, H. úthna, to rise,-derivative forms, past part., útha; pres. part., úthata; pres. sg. 3, úthe; impve. sg. 2, úth. But in the causal verb the stress-accent of the infinitive falls, not on the root, but on the causal suffix. Thus, H. uhána, to raise; past part., uthaya; pres. part., uthátā; pres. sg. 3, utháë. In all these the foregoing rules and the cross-rule are identical. But the impve. sg. 2 of the causal is, under the cross-rule, uhá, not útha as is required by the foregoing rules, and is thus distinguished from útha, the past part. of the simple verb.
1 Bloch. FLM. 44 ff. doubts the existence of any stress-accent in the IAVs., but here I am compelled to differ from him. My own experience is confined to the languages of the Gangetic Valley, and in these it certainly exists. R. G. Bhandarkar and (following him) Joshi certify its existence in Marathi and Guis. rāti. See Bhn. 161 and M. Gr. §§ 176 ff. At the same time I admit that, though it undoubtedly exists, the stress-accent in Marathi may not be so strong as in other IAVS.
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