Page:The Indian Antiquary Vol 1.pdf/395

 Dec. 6, 1872.]

GAURI.AN VERBS.

357

pers, sing, pres., of the base ‘kathaya, and of the

modification of the Prākrit forms “pavisai' and

root ‘kath' (which last is obtained by separating the affir of verbal derivation ‘aya' from the verbal

‘uvavisai,’ if they had passed into the Gaurian. It is not difficult to recognize the principle

base ‘kathaya'). Similarly the Prākrit ‘kahei’

and method of formation of these two new verbs.

consists of the affix: i, the verbal base ‘kahe,’ and

Their verbal bases are ‘paitha' and ‘baitha'; and these, as can be very easily shown, are identical

the root ‘kaha.”

Now in most cases the Sanskrit

verbs have passed through the Prākrit on to the Gaurian, merely subject to certain phonetic modifications; as Sanskrit ‘kathayati' becomes in Prākrit ‘kahei,' and in Gaurian (Hindi) “kahe,’ where the affix, being a final short vowel, has been dropped according to a general Gaurian phonetic law [compare Sanskrit (Vedic) “chalya’ Pråk. ‘chalia, Gaur. ‘chali' or ‘chal.") In some cases, however, the Gaurian has lost the original base of the verb, and replaces it by a new base of its own formation. This new base is the participle perf. pass. formed from the root of the verb of which the original verbal base has been lost; and to this new or secondary verbal base all the

conjugational affices are added, exactly as they would have been added to the original verbal base, if it had not been lost. The verbs formed in this manner may be con sidered as a kind of nominal verbs; only that

with the past part. pass, of the roots ‘praviš' and

‘upaviš, viz., with ‘pravishta' and ‘upavishta', of which they are merely phonetic modifications according to regular phonetic laws; namely, Sanskrit ‘pravishta' becomes in early Prākrit

‘pavittha, in later Prākrit ‘paittha, in Gaurian ‘paitha.” Similarly Sanskrit ‘upavishta' becomes in early Prākrit ‘uvavittha, in later Prākrit ‘uaittha,” in Gaurian “waitha' or “baitha.' The

general phonetic laws involved in these changes are the following :-1. The early Prakrit changes all Sanskrit compound consonants, if initial, to simple consonants, and if medial and dissimilar, to similar compound consonants; and 2. It turns all medial single surds into sonants. 3. Gaurian makes sandhi of all vowels placed

in hiatus by the second Prākrit law, changes all similar compound consonants into single consonants, and, by way of compensation, leng

these secondary verbs, being substitutes for the lost original verbs, are in meaning identical with

thens a preceding short vowel and turns into a triphthong (ai, au) a preceding diphthong (e, o].

the latter. If we should suppose that the Eng lish language had lost the verb “to draw” with its whole conjugation excepting the past part.

affecting the Prākrit, I must refer the reader to

pass. “drawn,” and had formed from this parti

Prakāśa.

ciple a new verb “to drawn,” but with the same meaning as “to draw,” and conjugated regular ly, thus pres. “he drawns,” past “he drawned,” fut. “he will drawn,” &c., we should have an

exact parallel of what has actually happened in Gaurian. A few examples will fully illustrate this.

In Sanskrit there is a root ‘ viš' which with the

prefix ‘pra' (i.e. ‘praviš') means “to enter”; and with the prefix ‘upa' (i.e., upaviš) “to sit.” Their respective verbal bases (adding the derivative affic a) are ‘praviša' and ‘upaviša.’ The 3rd pers. sing. pres. (adding the inflexional affic ti) are ‘pravišati' and ‘upavišati.” In Prākrit these forms are found in the modified form ‘pavisai’ and ‘uvavisai.”

In Gaurian, on the other hand,

not only these forms but the whole conjuga tion of ‘praviša' and upaviša have disappeared altogether; and in their place we find substi tuted the two verbs ‘paithanā' and “baithanā' with a regular and complete conjugation, e.g., the 3rd pers. sing. pres. of ‘paithanā' and “baithanā’are ‘paithe’ and baithe, just as ‘paise' and “baise which would be the regular Gaurian

For details and exceptions from these laws, as Prof. Cowell’s excellent edition of the Prākrita

To the secondary bases ‘paitha' and “baitha,’

thus formed, the conjugational affixes are added exactly as they are added to original bases. The affix of the infinitive is ná (or rather and, for Sanskrit aniyam); hence ‘paithanā’ and ‘bai

thanã, just as “kahanā' or ‘chalanā' (for Sanskrit ‘kathaniyam’ ‘chalaniyalm’). The affix of the 1st pers. sing. pres. is ‘ūā' (Skr. &mi) hence ‘paithūā’ and ‘baithūñ' just as “kahúň, chalūā’ for Skr. ‘ kathayāmi,’ ‘chalāmi.”

The

affix of the 3rd pers, sing. pres. is e (Skr. atl); hence ‘paithe’ and ‘baithe, just as “kahe,’

“chale' (for “kathayati,” “chalati’). The form ‘paithe' transliterated into Sanskrit would give us a form ‘pravishtati,’ separable into pra (prefix) visht (root) a (verbal derivative affix) ti (conjuga tional affix); similarly the form ‘paithanā' would represent a Sanskrit form ‘pravishtaniyam,' sepa rable into pra and visht (root) and aniya. That is, they would postulate a root or dhātu ‘visht;" and this may perhaps illustrate the origin of not a few dhātus of similar phonetic construction (as ‘chesht' to search,' gosht’ to accumulate, which are

now enumerated among the primary roots, but