Indian Antiquary Vol 62

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

Page 298

$5 217-220)
ON THE MODERN INDO-ARYAN VERNACULARS
[ FEBRUARY, 1933
217. i i. See $$ 170 ff. In Assamese every i is pronounced as i, see $ 113. 213. i<d. This occurs occasionally in unaccented syllables. Thus - Skr.
Ap. tánikah, small
(Ap.Mg.) tanúkke B, tánik, and so in other EIAVs. các a lam, nipple сисий
H. and EIAV. cáci (fem.). válukā, sand
Bg.O.A. báli, S. wári; others báli, &c. The change is more common in S. as in sTs. múkif", or mutiku (< mukutal), a crown: STs. kutimu kutumbam), a family. In this case we have seen (f 198) that in G. and other languages the u is changed to a, not i. In reality, the vowel, coming immediately after an accented syllable is necessarily indefinite in character.
The change sometimes occurs in accented syllables, as in surúnga, a mine виейной
S. siringha, but others suráng, &e.
($ 198). rí pytkam, a rupee Pr. rippayam R. ripyö; others rupia, &c.
Note that as in the case of i<a (8215), it is Sindhi and Rajasthāni which show a preference for i. In the northern Lahndā of the hill country close to the Dardic languages we have millh for Ar. mulk, & country.
In Dardie we often find i < š, due to the presence of a neighbouring palatal letter.. Thus:
Skr. bhúmi, Bs. bhim, ground, V. ti-mikh (Skr. muikha-), in front ; Skr. ángul., V. igi, Grw. angir, a finger; Skr. putra., Av. putra-, Bš. pitr, V. pič, a son ; Skr. surya-, Kš. siri, Grw. sir, the sun.
In all these cases the change of d> was probably helped by the custom in Drd. of prefixing ito a medial u, as in A, ustra., Bš. &tyur, V. ištiur, a camel, just as in English we say yu for u in such words as 'penury.' (Cf. $$ 193, 226a.) Possibly the same influence may have been at work in the IAVs., though no trace of it is now visible.
219. is. As the vowel does not occur in Pr., this change, of course, cannot be found in IAV. Tbhs. The vowel, has already become a, i, u, &c., in Pr. See Pr.Cr. $$ 47 ff. Cf, also S.Gr. iv.
But, as no intermediate Pr. is certainly known, we must compare Dardie directly with Skr. Here we find the Skr. generally represented by a, a change common in Indian, but rare in Eranian. Occasionally we find represented by other sounds, such as i, e, i, or, and re. Thus :
Skr. nrtwati, he dances: Bår nåt., Pas r wit-, V. Wai. Kl. Gwr. nat., s. r nutar
r nath., but Bš. r not-, My. Grw. nē.. Skr. krkaváku., a cock; Bš, kakak, V. ka koka, Ki, ka karak. Skr. rdré-, P.P.p. drsta- ; Paš. rlas, Grw.r lith-, see ; Trw. dit k dreta), seen (fem.) Skr. rkpa, a bear; Kh, orts (Tomaschek, Centralasiatische Studien, SWAW, 1880, 894),
Skr, reabha., a buil; Kh, reši. Cf. also Kh. lesi, a cow. The distinction is interesting. In CP. Pr. may optionally be changed to 1 (Hc. iv, 326). In Pr. initial becomes ri or (in Mg.Pr.) li (Pr.Gr., $ 56).
220. i iie. When the lettere is for any reason shortened, its proper represen. tative is e, and this is actually the case in EIAV. Thus béļi, a daughter, Ig.ím, béfiya. The same shortening also occurs in the west, especially in the colloquial language and in poetry, but in the literary prose language é is usually shortened to i. Thus, bițiya.
The western languages as a rule make no attempt to write a short e, writing i instead, but we see from Eastern Hindi and Lahndā, in which the difference is preserved in writing, that e and i are really interchangeable, or, perhaps, rather that e is in common use, although
112