Page:Sanskrit Grammar by Whitney p1.djvu/113

 a. Particles: namely,, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ; , , , , , ; , , , ,.

b. Case-forms: especially instr. sing., as, , , , and others; rarely gen. sing., as ,. Cases besides these are few: so, , (voc.);  (loc.); and  and (not rarely).

c. Verb-forms ending in, in great number and variety: thus (nearly in the order of their comparative frequency), 2d sing. impv. act., as, , , ; — 2d pl. act. in and, as , , , , , , ,  (and one or two in : , ); — 1st pl. act. in, as , , , , , , ; — 2d sing. impv. mid. in, as , , , ; — 1st and 3d sing. perf. act., as, , ; 2d sing. perf. act., ; — 2d pl. perf. act.,,. Of verb-forms ending in, only the 2d sing. impv. act.: thus,, , , , , , ,.

d. To these may be added the gerund in (993 a), as,.

249. The alteration of short to an  or -vowel in the formative processes of the language, except in  or  roots (as explained above), is a sporadic phenomenon only.

250. But the lightening of a long especially to an -vowel (as also its loss), is a frequent process; no other vowel is so unstable.

a. Of the class-sign (of the -class of verbs: 717 ff.), the  is in weak forms changed to, and before vowel-endings dropped altogether. The final of certain roots is treated in the same manner: thus,, , etc. (662–6). And from some roots, - and - or -forms so interchange that it is difficult to classify them or to determine the true character of the root.

b. Radical is weakened to the semblance of the union-vowel  in certain verbal forms: as perfect  from √ etc. (794 k); aorist  from √ etc. (834 a); present  from √ etc. (665).

c. Radical is shortened to the semblance of stem- in a number of reduplicated forms, as, , , etc.: see 671–4; also in a few aorists, as , , etc.: see 847.

d. Radical sometimes becomes, especially before : as ,.