Indian Antiquary Vol 62

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

Page 304

41 238-239
.
ON THE MODERN INDO-ARYAN VERNACULARS
FEBRUARY, 1933
238. IAV. e. This vowel is either the shortened form of ē, or else is derived from a influenced by a neighbouring palatal, or from i influenced by a neighbouring guttural. In some languages there is a tendency for a neighbouring guttural to change even a to e, or o to ē. It probably exista, as a sound, in all IAVs, and certainly exists in A. Bg. B. EH. H. EPh. CPh. W Ph. G. L. and 8. Native writers deny that it exists in O., but this is very doubtful. Grammars of other languages are silent on this point, and nothing can be gathered from spelling, as there is no character in the Nāgari alphabet to represent the sound. In most languages it is represented by the character for long ē. EH. sometimes represents it by ya, and H. and L. by i (of. § 220).
It is well known that e existed in Pr. (Pr. Gr., $ 45, &c.; Bhn. IV, 14).
239.e<ă, ya. In the following we have an instance of a becoming e owing to the presence of an original palatal 8. Skr.
Ap. sábariki, a hill.
sávaria
H.EH. Séveri. tribe woman Such cases are rare, as a generally becomes ē (see $ 245). Here the ē has been shortened owing to its falling in the antepenult.
In Assamese we find the change of initial a to e (written ë) not uncommon in accented syllables, and without the necessary presence of a palatal. Thus sTs. axa or éxå. hope (Skr. ása); 8Ts. ádhār or edhär, the breast (Skr, ádhára); Tbh, ádhā or édhā, half (Skr. árdha. ka), Ap. áddhdu).
In Bengali we have e in the verbal termination en, as in kárilen, pr. k&rilen, he did (LSI. V. i, 30). This is derived from kárilani, cf. Bihāri kártlanhi. In the same language ya following a consonant and followed by i is pronounced e or ve, as in Ts, vyakti, a person, pr. bekti or bvekti (8211); ks being pr. khu, Bg.Ts. kpati, loss, is pr. khveti, and similarly we have Ts. vyatita, expired, pr. bétito (cf. LSI, V, i, 30). In H. EH. and EPh. vyakti becomes the sTs, bēkat. Again the change of a >e is very common in coll. Bg. under the influence of a neighbouring i. Thus, thákiyā, from, pr. theke; baciya, having escaped, pr. béce; dilam, I gave, pr. dilem ; aga, before, pr. égve.
In all these Bg. instances, the change is due to the neighbourhood of a palatal vowel or consonant.
In Eastern Hindi and the eastern dialects of H., e and ya are interchangeable. Thus he saw' is written in EH. dekhyas, dēkhes, or dekhis, but is pr, dékhes. As we go west and south into Bundelkhand we more often hear dēkhyas, but dēkhes is also heard. So we have EH. and H. (Bn.) tyahi or tehi, him.
In Eastern Pahāri, a, m, e, and ye are all interchangeable in words like tas-kö, tyas-kő. tes-ko, or tyes-kö, of him. In this language y can always be inserted before e or ē, as in tyes-ko, or as in garēko or garyēko, done. Every initial e must be preceded by y, as in yak or yek, often written ék, one (LSI. IX, iv, 22). In Central Pahāri, initial e is pronounced ye or ya by the vulgar, as in yetuk or yatuk, for etuk, so much (LSI. IX, iv, 114). This vowel is common in CPh., principally as a shortening of ē. See below. It is also common in Western Pahāri, in words such as tes, him, and others.
In Gujarāti, chiefly in foreign words, accented a before h is pronounced as e. Thus béher (Prs. Sahr), a city; déhsat (Ar. dahšat), fear; jéher (Ar, zahr), poison. So (Skr. sah.) G.sehevi, to endure. Cf. the next section and < (249). In the same language we have a >e under the influence of a neighbouring original i in words like bëhen (cf. Kš, béñe), a sister, and béhero, deaf, quoted in the next section. It will be observed that in both these cases the e is accented and followed by h, which fact has also contributed to the change (Cf. 88 240, 249).
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