Page:An introduction to Indonesian linguistics, being four essays.djvu/309

Rh 188. Some IN languages also admit an initial formed of two consonants. The commonest cases are mute + liquid and nasal + cognate explosive. In connexion with initial double consonants the following points are also to be noted:

I. Initial consonantal sequences are the same as those that occur in the interior of words; thus in Nias, where we have, for example, mb both initially and medially, as in mbawa-mbawa, "spotted", alongside of mambu, "to forge (as a smith) ".

II. The initial allows fewer consonantal sequences than the interior of words, as in Hova. The sequence n + t + s does in fact occur medially, e.g. in untsi, "banana (plantain)", but not initially.

III. The initial admits of more consonantal sequences than the interior of words, as in Rottinese. The sequence n + d does in fact occur initially, as in ndala, "horse", but not medially.

189. Three consonants, mostly nasal + cognate explosive + liquid or semi-vowel, rarely occur initially. Nias, for example, has n + d + r, as in ndrundru, "hut". Old Javanese has n + d + y as in ndya, "where, what".

190. When words begin with two or three consonants, they usually remain unchanged in all positions in the sentence. In the Gayo text, "The Blue Princess", p. 46, 1. 4, a sentence begins with a word having the initial nt: "That I may not marry" = N. I m. = nti aku kĕrjön. In Rāmāyana, VIII, 171, the above-mentioned ndya occurs after the word toh, "well", which ends with a consonant.

191. Initials of more than one consonant are not Original IN; they have arisen through various phonetic processes:

I. In conformity with phonetic law, e.g. in Hova. Original IN d changes in certain cases in Hova into tr, as in trúzuna < Original IN duyuṅ, "sea-cow".

II. Through loss of a vowel, as in Gayo bli < Original IN bĕli, "to buy", or in Makianese into, "eye" < Original IN mata.