Some Topics in the Development of OIA MIA NIA

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

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5. Stop-insertion in Prakrit clusters
The tendency of inserting a stop between medial clusters in Prakrit that are made up of a nasal followed immediately or mediately by a fricative, trill or flap, the intrusive stop being homo-organic with the nasal is well-known. See for example Pischel. $$ 267, 295.' This made for ease of pronunciation ('The economy of effort' principle). The present note aims at pointing out instances of such forms that display preservation and continuation of this tendency in Gujarati, taking the latter as typical for some other NIA languages. There are of course numerous instances in Prakrit in the case of which such insertion of stop does not take place under the same circumstances.
A classified list of instances exemplifying the said tendency is presented below:1. -nh- > -dhSk. Pk.
Guj. madana-phala- mayaņahala menahala, 'name of a fruit'
mīdhaļ/midho! 2. -nh- > - dhabhijñāna
ahinnāņa-, *ainhāņa > 'token of
ēdhān recognition' cihnacimdha
cidh-vũ ‘mark
(denominative)
'to point out; ślakşņa
lanha>nanha- nahānū 'smooth'. 'small'
nādhlü,
nādhaạiū. 3. -mh- > -mgh- ham ho
hamgho (Māgadhi) (prounounced samhāra
samghāra- saṁghāra (OG.) as -rih-)
‘killing' samssamgh
sāgne (Marathi) 'to tell'
(< sanh-) . āśams
āsamgh <āsanh-)