Page:Sanskrit Grammar by Whitney p1.djvu/355

 b. The root in general assumes its weakest form: a penultimate nasal is lost, as in from √; the roots which are abbreviated in the weak persons of the perfect (794) have the same abbreviation here, as in ; √ forms  (compare 639, 854 c): and so on.

c. It has been pointed out above (837) that the active precative is an optative of the root-aorist, with a problematic insertion of a sibilant between mode-sign and ending.

923. a. The precative middle is made by adding the middle precative endings (above, 568) to the root increased by स् or इष्  — that is, to the tense-stem of an -aorist or of an -aorist (but without augment).

b. The root is strengthened according to the rules that apply in forming the middle-stem of the and of the -aorists respectively: in general, namely, a final vowel is gunated in both formations; but a medial vowel, only before इष्.

c. As was pointed out above (567) the middle precative is really the optative of certain aorists, with the insertion of a sibilant between mode-sign and ending only (so far as authenticated by use) in the 2d and 3d singular. In the older language, such forms are oftenest made from the -aorist (895) and the -aorist (907); but also from the root-aorist (837 b), the -aorist (850 a), the reduplicated aorist (870), and the -aorist (914 b); and even from the perfect (812 b).

924. As example of inflection, we may take the root भू be, which is said (no middle aorist or precative from it is quotable) to form its middle on the -stem. Thus: