Indian Antiquary Vol 61

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

Page 407

AUGUST, 1932]
ELISION OF VOWELS
[ $161
161. Apocope. We have seen (§ 146) that most IAVs. drop an original final short vowel. The exceptions are Oriya, Sindhi, and occasionally Bengali. This is due to the influence of the main or secondary stress accent on the penultimate. Some IAVs. carry this tendency even into secondary formations. Thus Eastern and Central Pahari (Km.) shorten an original final long vowel, and this shortened vowel is apocopated in dialects. Thus the C.P. standard has celo, for celo, a son, and its dialects cyal; standard bojo, for bojo, a burden, diał bwoj. In the Dardic Kašmiri, original short final vowels are elided, but original long final vowels are made short. In Sindhi always, and in Kašmiri generally, a final short vowel (whether original or secondary) is so lightly pronounced as to be hardly audible. It becomes, in fact, a mätra-vowel. Thus S. khát, a bed; ákh, an eye; ángar", a coal; K. bát, boiled rice; poth', a book; kart, a necklace. In Bihari a final i, when derived from 7, is usually preserved, as in páni (pantyam) water, but final i and u generally become matra. vowels, as in dekh lanh', he saw, dekhath", let him see. We see a somewhat similar state of affairs in the Konkani dialect of Marathi. In Standard M. final a, i and u are apocopated (except, in the case of i and u, in Tss.), but in Kōn. these are preserved as mātrāvowels. Thus dzána, persons; pút", a son (LSI., VII, 16). In this last case we may trace Dravidian influence.
In some dialects of Western Pahārī apocope occurs even in the case of secondary vowels, Thus instead of göhre-ra, of a horse; guhra-be, to a house; ke-sa, what is it?; and gōhrë-lë, from a horse; we find in dialects gohrer, göhrab, kēs, and gōhṛēl.
The final a of Skr. and Pr. fem. nouns is commonly apocopated in IAV. Tbhs. Thus :-- Skr. cháya, shade
Ap.
cho gà
nidrā, sleep
niddā
IAV. chaw or chay, with various spellings.
L. nindr, S. nindr", M. nid, EPh. nin, G. P. H. EH. B. nid, nin.
This change had already occurred in Ap. (H., iv, 344), the final a, being shortened to a. Similarly final and u are either apocopated in IAV. Tbhs., or lengthened exc. in S. where, as usual, they become mätra-vowels. Thus :
drati, sight
ditthi
báhuḥ, the arm
M. dith, H. EH. B. dith, P. dith, but S. déth. Ap. báh (He. iv, 329) H. bah, L. bah, Bg. bāk, O. bākā, EPh. baha,
Apocope of i is also common in Tbh. fem. adjectives; as in :gárbhini, pregnant gabbkişi
M. G. bahi, but S. baha
P. gabbhan, L. gabbhan, M. G. gabhan, H. EH. B. gabhin; but S. Jabhin, A. gābhini.
Apocope of other vowels in IAV. is rare, and only occurs in sporadic cases. All the foregoing instances are due to the influence of the stress accent, see § 146.
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