Introduction to Ardhamagadhi

Author(s): A M Ghatage
Publisher: School & College Book Stall

Page 69

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INTRODUCTION TO ARDHA-MĀGADHI
(S. 101.
The sound proved unstable and changed differently. In Sanskrit itself we find pituḥ from pit?- and in Middle Indian all three vowels a (cf. Sk. vikata from vikrta) i (Sk.' kina from *kına) and u (Sk. mātula from *mātr-la) are found. Of these u is due to the presence of a labial sound nearby. From the evidence of the Asokan inscriptions Bloch concludes that a is peculiar to western and i to north-west and estern languages. It was all along regarded as a simple vowel but initially the i sound is preserved in Middle Indian in the change to ri, where a vowel is also admissible and appears to be older.
(i) ऋ=अ: घृत =घय ghee; तृण-तण grass; वृषभ वसह bull; वृक= वग wolf ; 'तृष्णा = तण्हा thirst; भृति = भइ wages; प्राकृत = पायय ordinary; मृत्तिका = मट्टिया mud.
In the Past Passive Participles of roots in the usual substitute is अ: कृत = कय, कड done ; मृत-मड dead; हृत = हड carried; कृष्ट= कट्ट dragged; हृष्ट-हट्ट delighted; मृष्ट-मट्ठ polished; also in compounds: सुकृत सुकय well done; विकृत = वियड deformed ; संस्तृत संथड spread; आहृत = आहड brought; निकृति = नियडि deceit.
(ii) =इ : कृश = किस weak; कृपण = किविण miser ; दृष्टि = दिट्टि sight; शृगाल=सियाल jackal; शृंग= सिंग horn; हृदय-हियय heart; मसृणमसिण soft; गृह = गिह house; वृत्ति = वित्ति maintenance; कृत्य = किच्च rite.
In a number of words . becomes रि: सदृश =सरिस like; ईश = एरिस like this; कीदृश = केरिस like which ; तादृश तारिस like that; अस्मादृश = अम्हारिस like us; युष्मादृश= तुम्हारिस like you. Cf. 43.
(iii) = उ: मृणाल = मुणाल lotus stalk; मृषा= मुसा false ; निभृत = निहुय calm ; पृच्छति - पुच्छइ asks ; स्पृशति - फुसइ touches; पृथ्वी-पुढवी earth.
If a word ends with # and forms the first member of a compound the ऋ is changed to उ: मातृमरण =माउमरण the death of the mother; भ्रातृघातक= भाउघायक murderer of the