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modestly states that this statistic table shows general tendencies in sound-changes in old AMg.
The most interesting part is his word to word comparison of his restored text with that in the editions of W. Schubring(1910), Āgamodaya Samiti (1916), JVB. Ed. (1974) and MJV. Ed. Mumbai (1977).
Any unbiased scholar will concede that the restored text presents the ancient AMg. (Part VI, Pages, 198-269), as compared with other editions of the Ācārārga.
It is not feasible to discuss the phonological, morphological and syntactical characteristics of old AMg. in the context of the present work.
I think the AMg. forms traceable to Vedic Skt. rather than to classical Skt. may be regarded as original or older AMg. forms. Thus forms like adhe in adhe disāto, adha, idha, Aorist forms like ahesi āhaṁsu, akarissaṁcan be accepted as old AMg. Pischel in his Grammatik der Prakrit Sprachen (516, 517 & 518) has given Prakrit derivatives of Skt. past Imperfect and Perfect.
On the basis of his variants from various old AMg. texts Dr. Chandra notes the following characteristics of old (or original) AMg. :
(1) Retention of initial and medial dental nasal n, the change of jñ, ny, nn to nn. For example --
(i) N retaineed : na, natthi, neva, jonio, anudisão, (ii) JÑ=NN : sannā (samjñā), parinnā (parijñā), (iii) NY=NN : anne (anye), annesiṁ (anyeşām), (iv) NN=NN : paờivanna (pratipanna).
There are exceptions which show change to crebral ạ. For example :ņam (nūnam), nāņa (jñāna), appaņa (ātman).
(2) A tendency to retain intervocalic k, c, t, or p and occasionally to change them to g, j, d, (the earlier three respectively). The elision of medial consonants is Mahārāștrīsm. Thus kappati is an old AMg form while kappai shows the influence of Mahārāştri and hence a younger form.
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