Page:A Grammar of the Telugu language.djvu/58

40 frequently neglected: and accordingly the words mentioned above are often written or pronounced thus వాడు + యెక్కడ​ vadu-yeccada, అదియెక్కడ​ adi-y-eccada, అన్నయెక్కడ​ anna-y-eccada.

The Sanscrit rules for elision and permutation are entirely different and as they are much used in Telugu as regards Sanscrit phrases alone they will be placed at the end of this Grammar for the use of those who have not learnt that part of the Sanscrit Grammar.

Grammarians have given the name ద్రుతం Drutam to the letter N when it is used to prevent elision.

In Greek grammar we frequently see N added to the dative plural or to some persons in the Verb and a similar interposition of N is common in Telugu.

Drutam denotes the N which has no meaning. The letter N has a meaning when it is the sign of the accusitive, as బిడ్డ​ bidda, a child, accusative బిడ్డను; or the locative case, as యంటను intanu, in the house; or the verb; as పలికితిని paliktini I spoke పోయెను pōyenu he went. But when it has no meaning, and is merely inserted to prevent elision, (like an for a in English) it is called Drutam, (or, the Extra N,) and the words to which it may be grammatically attached are called ద్రుతప్రకృతిక​ druta-pracritica, or, Word of the N Class.

Examples:—అట్లానా atlā-n-ā? it is so. Here atla, ending in a is followed by a denoting interrogation. And between these two letters, N is inserted. అతనిచేతనడిగిరి atani-cheta-n-adigiri They asked it of him. Here cheta, from ends in a vowel; and adigiri begins with a vowel; to prevent elision N is inserted because cheta is a word which (as will hereafter be shewn) is included in the druta class. Again రానేలేదు rā-n-ē-lēdu he really did not come. Here రా rā, is followed by the intensive e, and