Page:Sanskrit Grammar by Whitney p1.djvu/223

, etc.

506. Various forms of this pronoun, as, and (and, rarely, ), at the beginning of compounds, have passed from an interrogative meaning, through an exclamatory, to the value of prefixes signifying an unusual quality — either something admirable, or, oftener, something contemptible. This use begins in the Veda, but becomes much more common in later time.

507. The interrogative pronoun, as in other languages, turns readily in its independent use also to an exclamatory meaning. Moreover, it is by various added particles converted to an indefinite meaning: thus, by either alone or with the relative  (below, 511) prefixed: thus,  any one;  not any one;  whatsoever;  whatever one. Occasionally, the interrogative by itself acquires a similar value.

508. The root of the relative pronoun is य, which from the earliest period of the language has lost all trace of the demonstrative meaning originally (doubtless) belonging to it, and is used as relative only.

509. It is inflected with entire regularity according to the usual pronominal declension: thus,

a. The Veda shows its usual variations of these forms: for  and for, and  for ;  for  also occurs once; , with prolonged final, is in RV. twice as common as.