Page:The history of the Bengali language (1920).pdf/138

116 the accented syllables, and thus পাক, তোমার, etc., are reduced to ফাক, থোমার, etc.; but in other respects the widespread Dravidian influence of basic character, peeps through the thin Mongolian veil.

I have spoken before of the genera] disinclination in Bengal, of not fully articulating হ, when it is not an initial letter, and that thus we have got such forms as গাইতে, সইতে, রইতে, etc., for গাহিতে, সহিতে, রহিতে, etc. When the tendency to put the stress of accent upon the first syllable is coupled with this phenomenon, we see how তাহার and তাহাতে are reduced to তার and তাতে. That in spite of the decay of হ, the sound of the letter is partially retained in our tongue, can be detected in the mode of our pronunciation of those words, in contrast with the pronunciation of তার meaning taste or wire and তাতে, a verb which signifies "becomes hot." Really speaking therefore, হ is not dropped, but its sound fades into indistinctness, after the accented তার; as such, it is improper and useless to leave out হ in our spelling in these cases; those who elect to pronounce তার for তাহার will do so in spite of the letter হ, for accent on the first syllable will soften the sound of the letter হ. The so-called reformers should see, that if হ is retained, it will not be sounded much because of the accent on the preceding syllable; again presence of হ will maintain the right pronunciation of the words concerned.