Indian Antiquary Vol 61

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

Page 412

§ 167 ]
ON THE MODERN INDO-ARYAN VERNACULARS
[ AUGUST, 1932
2. When e is followed by d, it becomes yd. Thus, the pl. of mero, my, is myără. So the H. mēlā, a fair, is Km. myălă, for *melă, under a rule that final vowels are shortened, and that a vowel preceding a short vowel is also shortened (vide § 173, post). If e precedes o, in coll. Km. it is changed to yo. Thus mero, my, becomes myoro.
3. When o is followed by ǎ, it becomes wa. Thus, roto, bread, pl. rwäță. If it precedes o, it is, in coll. Km. changed to wo. Thus roto, becomes rwoto, and bojo, a load, becomes buojo.
We thus see that the epenthesis which plays so prominent a rôle in Dardic phonetics, is also an important feature of Lahnda, which lies immediately to the south, and of Western and Central Pahari, which lie immediately to the south-east of these languages.
Harmonic Sequence.
167. Somewhat similar to umlaut or epenthesis is the so-called harmonic sequence, or the tendency of the earlier vowels in a word to change so as to agree with the main accented vowel that follows, or vice versa. It will be remembered that this is a prominent feature in Turki grammar, and also occurs in Burušaski, which we have seen (§ 37) has had some influence on Dardic. There are traces of it in the Dardic Kafir Group (Ps. L., 136, 7). We may quote V. ti-bzi, for going, but tu-gul, to a country; Skr. mukha-, a face, V. ti-mikh, before; Bă. bar-este, but V. but-og, a share.
I have not noted any true cases of Harmonic Sequence in the IAVs.
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