Page:An introduction to Indonesian linguistics, being four essays.djvu/42

 {|
 * || |rit || |ris
 * Old Jav. || arit || hiris
 * Toba || arit || iris
 * Tontb. || gorit || riris
 * Bis. || kodlit || kodlis.
 * }
 * Tontb. || gorit || riris
 * Bis. || kodlit || kodlis.
 * }
 * Bis. || kodlit || kodlis.
 * }

In this way it is possible to show the existence of a certain number of cases of variation which run through a number of languages and can therefore be attributed to Original IN.

47.  Although variation does not occur in series or groups we do notice that certain kinds of it are of greater frequency than others. Thus we find:

I. Initially: frequent interchanges of tenuis and media; tenuis and cognate nasal; s and n.

II. In the interior vowel: u and ĕ.

III. In the final: tenuis and cognate nasal; s and t; s and h; s and r; l and r; m, n, and ṅ.

48. Now whence comes this phenomenon of variation ? As it is probably based for the most part on Original IN processes, the question is a difficult one to answer. Nevertheless a good deal can be done to throw light upon it, and on this occasion the present writer will contribute the following"

I. When in the modern IN languages derivatives are formed by means of prefixes from word-bases, the initial surds k, c, t, f, s, very frequently, and often even the sonants g, j, d, b, change into the most closely related nasals. From the Old Jav. word-base pupuh, “ to beat ”, comes a passive kapupuh, but the active is amupuh; the active of the word-base pet, “ to seek ”, is met. Now in accordance with what has been said in § 47 we find in roots variations of the initial consonant exhibiting a similar change: e.g., Karo has the variation puk : muk, in the word-bases ripuk, “ to crumble ”, and mumuk, “ worm-eaten ”. These variations of the initial of the root are therefore fossilized products of that same phonetic process, derived from a past epoch when IN em-