Page:Sanskrit Grammar by Whitney p1.djvu/239

 in AV., and the only one later. In 2d pl., for  is found in one word in RV., and a few times in the. In 3d pl., for  is the Brāhmaṇa form (of far from frequent occurrence); it occurs neither in RV. nor AV. No such dual endings as and, for  and , are anywhere found; but RV. has in a few words (nine: above, 547 c) and, which appear to be a like subjunctive strengthening of  and  (although found in one indicative form, ). Before the -endings, the vowel is regularly long ; but instead of  is two or three times met with, and once or twice (TS. AB.)  for.

562. The subjunctive endings, then, in combination with the subjunctive mode-sign, are as follows:

a. And in further combination with final of a tense-stem, the initial  of all these endings becomes : thus, for example, in 2d pers.,  or.

563. Besides this proper subjunctive, with mode-sign, in its triple form — with primary, with strengthened primary, and with secondary endings — the name of subjunctive, in the forms "imperfect subjunctive" and "improper subjunctive", has been also given to the indicative forms of imperfect and aorist when used, with the augment omitted, in a modal sense (below, 587): such use being quite common in RV., but rapidly dying out, so that in the language and later it is hardly met with except after  prohibitive.

a. As to the general uses of the subjunctive, see below, 574 ff.

564. a. As has been already pointed out, the optative is of comparatively rare occurrence in the language of the Vedas; but it gains rapidly in frequency, and already in the greatly outnumbers the subjunctive, and still later comes almost entirely to take its place.

b. Its mode of formation is the same in all periods of the language.

565. a. The optative mode-sign is in the active voice a different one, according as it is added to a tense-stem ending in, or