Page:An introduction to Dravidian philology.djvu/128

Rh descent from dialects other than Sanskrit. Hence it is that Caldwell made the initial mistake of attempting direct derivation of the Dravidian idioms from Classical Skt, and lost himself in speculation. He should, on the other hand, have beguin with the Prakrits and traced his way back to the originals from which the Prakrits had developed. He should have studied the phonetic laws which made the Prakrits what they are, and then he would have arrived at the proper perspective. The tendencies in grammar and vocabulary common to the Vedic and us on the way to the affiliation of the Dravidian languages. A few of such resemblances will be noted here.

(1) The nom, singular in both the Vedic and the Prakrits ends in 'o'