Sound Synthesis in Indo European Indo Iranian and Sanskrit

Author(s): Satya Swarup Mishra
Publisher: Ashutosh Prakashan Sansthan

Page 67

OLD INDO-ARYAN CONSONANT SYNTHESIS 49
B. EXCEPTION
91. A Critical examination of the Exceptional cases of OIA sound-synthesis, enumerated by Traditional grammarians
Traditional Sanskrit Grammarians enumerate certain forms showing the loss of a preceding syllable in sandhi. In fact a few forms might have been influenced by MIA sound synthesis. But some of the forms may not be exceptional and might be needing a different analysis, than the traditionally accepted one.
The exceptional forms may be taken up now.
92. a--a>a (instead of normal ā).
Most of the exceptional forms are found under this category.
martaṇḍa 'sun (analysed as marta+anda); the vedic form is märtända (vide RV II 38.8. & X 72.8 & 9, also quoted as mārtāṇḍa in MS 4.6.9.2; PB 24. 12. 6, SB 3.1.32. TA 1.13.3). Since mārtāṇḍa is the earlier form for martanda, analysis of martanda as marta anda is hisorically correct, with a borrowing form MIA sandhi.
Similar forms are markaṇḍa 'name of a sage' (mārka +anda); saranḍa (sāra+aṇḍa) meaning perhaps 'snake's egg'; karanda (kāra+aṇḍa) a bird'. These forms also might be showing similarly MIA sandhi, but all the forms are of doubtful etymology.
Similarly sarang a 'dear' has also been analysed as sara anga; but sara is found in forms like kṛṣṇa-sāra 'black deer'; säranga may be placed with other similar forms like kuranga 'deer', matang a 'elephant' patanga 'insect', as well as even bhriga (cp bhramara) bee',