Page:The history of the Bengali language (1920).pdf/293

Rh থুন্ and ঠুঁ respectively, but that they are derived from হু which comes out of হঁৎ (the progenitor of হতে). থুন of Marathi and ঠুঁ of Oriya are additional suffixes; cf. the double Marathi forms এ থুন্ and আপল্যা পাশুন্ and the double Oriya forms এ ঠুঁ and ঘরুঁ. In ঠারু (Oriya), the suffix উ is added to ঠার.

Genitive—There have been various suggestions regarding the genesis of র, of which one or two will be noticed here. As such Sanskrit genitive forms as হরেঃ, গুরোঃ, etc evolve 'র' in their conjunction with vowels, semi-vowels, and consonants which are not surds, some suppose that the Vernacular র suffix has to be traced to this special phenomenon; in this supposition, it is lost sight of that বিসর্জ্জনীয় was never in use in the Prākṛtas, and the Sanskrit forms in question were never idiomatic in the Prākṛta speeches. What we have to really notice, is the Prākṛta idiomatic form to trace the history of র. We first notice that স্ স took the place of স্য and then অ as the representative of স came into use. We have also noticed in earlier lectures that the suffix অ (indicating genitive) was not only liable to be mistaken for other suffixes but was incapable of expressing the idea of possession with some emphasis, on account of its fluid pronunciation or boneless character; that very often হ had to be substituted for the sake of forcible pronunciation, has been noticed in the course of examination of some Prākṛta forms. That the final boneless vowels have been at times either liable to be reduced to র, or require to be otherwise strengthened, may be noted over again: গ-উ has been reduced to গরু, and করিঅ has assumed the form করিয়া in Bengali. The tendency to put in র to ensure distinct pronunciation is observable in such a Sandhi conjunction in Pali, as পন্নরসে + ইব = পন্নরসেরিব, where according to Sanskrit Sandhi rule a র is not justified.