Page:The history of the Bengali language (1920).pdf/155

Rh আসীৎ. I may remark in conclusion, that the Dravidian method of Sandhi combination, is noticeable in some rare cases only; in Tamil 'ম + কাই' and 'তে + কাই' for example, will be মাঙ্গাই (mango) and তেঙ্গাই (cocoanut) respectively; this growth of nasal sound in Sandhi has only been noticed by me in খোলা + কুচি = খোলাম্ কুচি.

Samāsa—সমাস.—I have spoken above, that change of vowel as well as of consonant takes place in the formation of compounds called samāsa (সমাস); but as many noted scholars are of opinion, that barring a few stray examples, we cannot get samāsa compounds of genuine Bengali words, I must show that compounds or samāsa of all sorts exist in Bengali. I consider this question to be important, for it is to be seen, whether the old mode of thinking which brought about samāsas in particular forms, is still our inheritance or not; it must be borne in mind, that the racial peculiarity in the matter of thinking, governs the style and structure of a language. I cite below the Bengali samāsa forms exactly in that classified order which is maintained in authoritative Sanskrit Grammars.

অব্যয়ীভাব—Adverbial Compounds.— 1. In the following examples, অব্যয় words do not occur as in Sanskrit, but the compound forms indicate the sense of the অব্যয়ীভাব সমাস—(a) indicating বীপ্সা—গলি গলি, বাড়ি বাড়ি, রাস্তায় রাস্তায়, রোজ রোজ, etc; (b) ক্রম—পরপর, পিছুপিছু, etc.; (c) অনতিক্রম—রাতারাত, যত পারি, যা পারি etc. The following examples may be contrasted which are not compound forms, viz.—দেখ্‌তে দেখ্‌তে (quickly), চল্‌তে চল্‌তে (by excessive walking), গাছ্‌টি বাড়্‌তে বাড়্‌তে (in the course of growth) শুকিয়ে গেল, ফল পড়্‌তে পড়্‌তে (just on falling) কুড়িয়ে নিল, etc.; in these cases, infinitives being doubled, the sense of repetition has been expressed, but the words do not form Samāsa compounds, (d) The following examples indicating "the whole of" are closer in relation with অব্যয়ীভাব forms than