Page:Sanskrit Grammar by Whitney p1.djvu/216

 ) of the abl., though here preceded by a short vowel, is doubtless the same with that of the -declension of nouns and adjectives. That the nom., dat., and abl. endings should be the same in sing. and pl. (and in part in the earlier du. also), only the stem to which they are added being different, is unparalleled elsewhere in the language. The element appearing in the plural forms will be found frequent in the inflection of the singular in other pronominal words: in fact, the compound stem  which underlies the plural of  seems to be the same that furnishes part of the singular forms of  (501), and its value of we to be a specialisation of the meaning these persons. The genitives singular,  and, have no analogies elsewhere; the derivation from them of the adjectives  and  (below, 516 a) suggests the possibility of their being themselves stereotyped stems. The gen. pl.,  and , are certainly of this character: namely, neuter sing. case-forms of the adjective stems  and , other cases of which are found in the Veda.

494. Stem-forms. To the Hindu grammarians, the stems of the personal pronouns are and, and  and , because these are forms used to a certain extent, and allowed to be indefinitely used, in derivation and composition (like , , etc.: see below, under the other pronouns). Words are thus formed from them even in the older language — namely, and  and  (RV.),  and  (AV.),  and  (TS.),  and  and  and  (ÇB.),  (PB.); but much more numerous are those that show the proper stem in, or with the  lengthened to : thus, ; , , etc.; , , , , , , etc.; , , etc.; , , , , , etc. And the later language also has a few words made in the same way, as.

a. The Vedas have certain more irregular combinations, with complete forms: thus,, , , , , , , ,.

b. From the stems of the grammarians come also the derivative adjectives, , , having a possessive value: see below, 516.

c. For and, see below, 513.

495. The simplest demonstrative, त, which answers also the purpose of a personal pronoun of the third person, may be taken as model of a mode of declension usual in