Page:The history of the Bengali language (1920).pdf/318

296 to notice, when new words are formed by our villagers they follow the unwritten law of our grammar and coin such feminines from words denoting occupation as মাষ্টারনী, ডাক্তারনী and পণ্ডিতানী.

N.B.—When the feminine forms themselves have come to us having already been formed in Sanskrit, as a matter of course, we do not Bengalicize them, even when we make অপভ্রংশ of them; thus it is, that though the word ব্রাহ্মণ signifies a class, the অপভ্রংশ of ব্রাহ্মণী, as বাম্‌নী remains unchanged in Bengali. It may also be said in respect of this particular example that as ন happens to be the final of the word in question, ন of the suffix ইনী is bound to be dropped for euphonic reasons.

I notice also here the words having ওয়ালা suffix which seemingly appear as exceptions; the words having been borrowed from Hindi, the Hindi forms are used in feminine, and the suffix ইনী appropriate to trade-signifying class, is not used.

I make this general statement that all masculine forms as do not come under (1) and (2) above take ইনী for feminine forming suffix. What I have stated in commenting on আদরিনী and পাগলিনী may be said in respect of the following words; some words which are never used in Bengali as মাতঙ্গ, কুরঙ্গ, etc., present the forms মাতঙ্গিনী, কুরঙ্গিনী, etc.; we clearly see that these forms could never be coined in a natural way in Bengali, and certainly our Jatrawalas coined them to make a show of pedantry. Our genuine Bengali words conform to the rules I have enunciated.

Suffix আ of various significations.—The diminutive-forming আ is rather universal in Northern India, and as such special examples need not be cited in using such a form as হরিয়া (হরে), for হরি to signify non-honorifix address; we agree with other Indian Vernaculars, but we may