Some Topics in the Development of OIA MIA NIA

Author(s): H C Bhayani
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 15

3. -st--tt- / -mt-.
Below we will discuss some Prakrit and New Indo-Aryan words (mainly Gujarati) which evidence the change -st->-tt- instead of the usual change -st- > -tth-.
(1) IAL 1600 iṣṭaka- 'brick'. Turner has remarked, 'BHS iṣṭā-, Pkt. iṭṭä- and most NIA. equivalents do not have the expected aspiration'. Moreover, the nasalized vowel in several NIA forms (e.g. Gujarati) presuppose the change -st-> -mt-, i.e. nasal + t instead of geminated t
(2) IAL 2378 ustra- 'camel'. In Pkt. uṭṭa- and in several NIA. derivatives we have de-aspirated forms. In Gujarati út and in some NIA derivatives (Hindi, some Pahari languages) we have the nasalized form. In Siddhahema 8.2.34 Hemacandra has noted' three special cases of Skt. -st->Pkt. -tt- utta- (<ustra-), iṭṭā- (<iṣṭā-) and samdaṭṭa- (<samdaṣta-). Corresponding to the first two of these forms, Gujarati has, as noted above, nasalized forms: It (derivative iṭālo piece of brick') and it.
(3) IAL 4451 *gharastra- 'grindstone, mill'. Pkt. gharaṭṭa- m. shows de-aspiration. Gujarati ghamți f. from *gharamți presupposes a nasalized pre-form. Compare Gujarati bamți a kind of corn', which is to be derived from *baramti; compare Pkt. baratha- (Skt. barata-: IAL 11313)2.
(4) IAL 13026 samveṣṭayati 'wraps up'. Corresponding to Pkt. samvitthai, some NIA. languages have de-aspirated forms such as Gujarati sametvu and Hindi sameṭnā. With the help of Skt. samvṛtta, Turner has tried to account somehow for the loss of aspiration, but this is also an instance of the change from -st- to -tt-.
(5) IAL 4573 *catt- 'lick, taste.' Pkt. caṭṭai, Gujarati căṭvũ etc. Turner considered J. Bloch's attempt to connect this word with Skt. *casta- 'tasted' unlikely, but the cases presented here support Bloch's view (Index s. v. cākhņem).
(6) ugghutta- 'wiped'. In DN. 1 99 ugghutta- (v.l. ugghutta) is
1. See also PISCHEL 1965. § 304.
2. Gujarati hu 'three and a half, corresponding to IAL 649 ARDHACATURTHA-. Pkt. ahuttha-, also has a nasalized vowel preceding a retroflex stop.