Page:A Grammar of the Telugu language.djvu/49

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Nouns are distinguished as Majors and Minors. This distinction is peculiar to Telugu and does not affect Sanscrit words.

The majors (voces majores) called మహత్ mahat include words relating to rational beings. The minors (voces minores) called అమహత్ amahat relate to neuters and all irrational beings. Feminine words (whether of women or goddesses) are degined as (amahat) minors in the singular, but majors (mahat) in the plural number.

This principle pervades every part of Telugu grammar and will be exemplified in the numerals:—of which the original names are neuter. The Sun and Moon (Sūrya and chandra) are always spoken of as (mahat) majors, being the gods Apollo and Adonis. These remarks are necessary to the following rules.

Several numerals are on particular occasions called by sanscrit names: which we therefore will specify.

1 is ౧ called ఒక​​. The vowel ఒ not being used except in poetry this is spelt వుెక​ or even వఖ​. Hence come the nouns వుెకటి (neuter) one. వుెకఢు one man వుెకతె one woman. In