Page:An introduction to Dravidian philology.djvu/203

Rh time and space to examine every one of the points raised by him ; it will be here possible only to refer to the broad generalizations made by him leaving the task of meeting the details to another occasion. The following, Caldwell considers, are the most prominent and essential differences in point of gralumatical structure between the Drav. languages and Skt. Let us see how they stand the test of examination from the Prakritic point of view—

(1) The difference in gender between Sanskrit and the Drav.

We have seen while treating of the Prakrits that considerable confusion already prevailed among them, the endings no longer indicating the gender of nouns. This levelling of ending has proceded much farther in the later modern Prakrits, making it hopeless to ascertain the gender of nouns by the endings alone. A few examples will make this clear.