Page:The history of the Bengali language (1920).pdf/288

266 instrumental case, i.e., in তৃতীয়া বিভক্তি, লোক হিতে (= লোক হিতায়) is technically in চতুর্থী বিভক্তি and গ্রামে indicating locative is in the সপ্তমী বিভক্তি. Then again the এ final of একমনে is adverb-forming, পূজিয়ে is in infinitive and কাটে is a finite verb; the last three cases will be dealt with in their proper places later on.

We have studied the history of the nominative-indicating এ; it is this এ which signifies accusative as well as dative at times; 'মো-এ,' (me) and 'আম্‌হা-এ' (us) have been in use, since long, and the modern form 'আমায়' is but a slightly changed form of them. When অম্ or অন্ ceased to denote the accusative case in মাগধী, nominative sign of nouns came to be used to signify the accusative as well as dative in a large number of cases. When again, the noun stems ceased to take any nominative-indicating suffix, it was only at times that the accusative was marked with a suffix; this rule, I should say still holds good. The following sentence will be illustrative of the phenomenon, that in the case of nouns, it is with reference to syntax that we have to distinguish nominative from the accusative, and not by looking to the case-ending: মা-বাপ ছেলে শাসন না করিলে, ছেলে মা-বাপ মানে না; translated into old Bengali the sentence will stand as—জই (যদি) মাএ বাপে পো-এ শাসন ন করই পো-এ মা-বাপা (or মা বাপে) ন মানই.

The আ final of nouns to signify both nominative and accusative, as we meet with at times in the latest প্রাকৃত and in old Bengali, has not altogether fallen into disuse; this আ is more emphasis-indicating than case-denoting in such a sentence as ওগ্‌গর ভত্তা, (object)...দিজ্জই কন্তা, খা পুন বন্তা (nominative). It is at times diminutive-indicating, that is to say, indicative of affection or familiarity: in মা-এ বলেন পড় পুতা, the word পুতা is in diminutive form; in common conversation this আ is added to names to signify either familiarity or contempt.