Indian Antiquary Vol 62

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

Page 293

JANUARY, 1933]
IAV. A.
[ $$ 202-201
202. IAV. a. As a rule ā=an original Pr. a, as in IAV. ūgir, charcoal, Ap. angāru. Occasionally, however, it represents other Pr. vowels. Thus
å <a. This may be due either to the simplification of a following conjunct consonant, or to stress-accent. For examples, see $ 168. For Dardic a <a sec $ 169.
ā<ē, we have seen under a ($ 199) that in colloquial M. 7 often becomes a or u. ā<0. Regarding this, see § 181.
It may be noted that--while in the OIAVs. strong forms of nouns with a bases general ly end in a, and in H. and the connected IIAVs. R.G.EPh, and CPh. they end in o or au
in WPh. the practice fluctuates, and these nouns may end either in a or 0. Thus W Ph. cõhto or cõhtā, a son.
In Dardio, so far as derivations can be traced, a, almost always represents an original Av. or Skr. ā.
Dardic a. This letter represents the sound of a in Kš. when modified by cpenthesis, sec $$ 126, 164.
203. IAV. &. Regarding the pronunciation of this letter, sec $ 105. Here it is sufficient to say that its sound approximates to that of the a in the German Mann.' The sound of this letter has not been identified in all IAVs. So far as my knowledge goes, it is found only in Hindi and Gujäräti (8 174) dialects, in Assamese, Bengali, Bihari, Marāthī, and Central Pahāri. It may also occur elsewhere, but, as it is generally written , it is impossible to detect it from written works. In Bihāri it occurs in the two Eastern dialects,-Maithili and Magabi.- but not in Bhojpuri (LSI. V, ii, 48). I believe that it does not occur in Eastern Hindi, High Hindi, or Oriya (LSI. V, ü, 378). It is not mentioned by Turner in his articles on the phonology of Gujarati (G.Ph.). In Northern Panjabi the sound represented by the letter ai is said by Bailey to be very much that of the a in'man' (Wazirābüd Gram. mar, p. 1), and this seems to indicate a sound approaching that here represented by ă, but this pronunciation is denied in NP.Gr. 21, and the sound is said to be that of a te, both short. What is meant by this is not certain. Possibly some kind of sound resembling that here indicated by ä is intended. In Lahndā, immediately to the west of Northern Panjābi, the sound indicated by the letter ai is certainly ä.
204. <ā. This is frequent in Marāthi when ā is shortened owing to the presence of the stress-accent on the following syllable, as in M. hāt, a hand, dat. hålás; kūn, an car, dat. kånás. See § 142, Bhn. 138, LSI, VII, 22.
Again, in the languages mentioned in § 203, when, owing to declensional or conjugational changes, à has to be shortened, it becomes ă, as in Bihāri (Mth.) V mar., strike, but mărio, I struck, the ā being shortened because it is in the antepenultimate ( 172). In other languages, the ā is shortened to a, as in H. mārnā, to strike, marwūna, to cause to be struck. In Central Pahāri (Km.) there is a general rule that a final vowel is shortened, and, by another rule, when ā is followed by a short vowel it becomes a. We thus got bhåro, hire (for bhūro), and tyård, thy (m.pl.) for *tērā or *tyārā (see $$ 166, 173).
Again, in Hindi (dialect of Upper Döāb), a consonant following a long vowel is often doubled, the preceding vowel being at the same time shortened ( 174). In such cases ā is shortened to å, as in gåddi, u cart, for gădi (LSI. IX, i, 213). Similar instances have been noted in dialectic Gujarati ($ 174).
In Bengali, a before a double consonant is shortened to d, though written a. Thus vākya, a sentence, pr. båkkvo (LSI. V, i, 30). Cf. § 211 for Bg. for ya in Tss.
So far as I am aware, å does not occur under other circumstances in the IAVs. It is always the consequence of the shortening of a long ū, under the circumstances detailed above or under similar circumstances. The one doubtful casc is that of Northern Punjabi referred to in the preceding section.
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