Page:Vedic Grammar.djvu/127

 IV. Nominal Stem Formation. Primary Nominal Derivation. 117

'make firm'), mdmh-istha- 'most liberal' {mah- 'be great'); jyhtha- 'greatest' and jyesthd- 'eldest' {jya- 'overpower'), dhhtha- 'bestowing the most' ( Ydha-), ySstha- 'going fastest' ( !/>«-)■

a. In many instances these superlatives attach themselves in meaning to derivative adjectives, being formed from the root which the latter contain; thus os-istha-"- (TS. i. 6. i23) beside 6sa-m 'quickly', bdrh-istha- 'greatest' beside brh-dnt- 'great', vdr-istha- 'choicest' {vr- 'choose') beside vdr-a- 'choice', sadh-istha- 'straightest' beside sadh-u- 'straight'. In a few cases the suffix is added to the derivative form of the root which appears in the adjective; thus As-istha- {KS[) 'swiftest' beside as-u- (from as- 'reach'); and in ndv-istha- 'newest' the suffix is attached to the radical element in ndv-a-'' 'new" (and not directly to the root from which that word may be derived).

b. In some cases the root is compounded with a verbal prefix or other indeclinable; thus d-gam-istha- 'coming best', d-sram-istha- 'never tiring', idtn-bhav-istha-^ 'most beneficial'.

a. There are some irregularities in the formation of this superlative. Thus hhu- retains its vowel unchanged, adding the suffix with an intervening -y. bhu-y-isiha- 'greatest'; the roots j!>?-J- and irl- are treated as if they ended in -a: presfha- 'dearest', iresfha- 'most glorious'; pdr-s-isfha- 'taking across best' is made from an aorist stem of pr- 'cross'. The abnormal accentuation of jyesfhd- 'eldest' is doubtless intended to differentiate its meaning from jyistha- 'greatest'. The use of kan-isthd- 'youngest' is parallel to that of the formers.

-is : action.

134. This suffix forms a dozen neuter action nouns, mostly used in a concrete sense. Though the root takes Guna, the suffix is accented except in three instances. The words thus formed are: arc-is- 'flame', am-is-^ 'raw flesh', krav-is- 'raw flesh', chad-is- 'cover', chard-is- 'protection', j'yot-is- 'light', barh-ts- 'straw', roc-is- 'light', vart-is- 'track', vydih-is- 'course' (?), soc-is- 'flame', sarp-is- 'melted butter', hav-is- 'oblation'.

a. Besides these av-is- appears for av-as- 'aid' and mah-is- for mdh-as- 'greatness' in a few derivatives: avis-ydnt- 'helping readily', avis-yd- 'desire', avis-yt'i- 'desirous'; mdhis-vant- 'great'; and with inorganic -s tuvi-s- 'might', suci-s- 'flame', su-rabhi-s- 'fragrant' for iuvi-, s'uci-, surabhi- in a few derivatives: tuvis-mant- 'mighty', sucis-mant- (only voc.) 'brilliant', surabhis-tama- 'very fragrant'.

-7: action and agent.

135. This suffix, besides its secondary use in the formation of feminines, chiefly adjectives, from m. and n. stems in -a, -i, -u, -r, as well as various consonant stems (201), seems to be primary in forming a few independent feminine action and agent nouns. Such are deh-i- 'rampart', nad-i- 'stream', nand-i- 'joy', pSs-i- (RV.) 'swaddling clothes' (?), ves-i- 'needle', sdc-i- 'power', sdm-t- and sim-i- 'work'; seemingly from an aorist stem {yvah-^ vaks-i- (RV.) 'flame'. There are also about a dozen masculines: ah-i- 'serpent', upav-i- (VS.) 'encouraging', daks-i- (RV'.)^ 'flaming', prav-i- 'attentive', dus-prav-i-

1 In the compound osistha-davan- 'giving immediately'.

2 Probably from a demonstrative root nu- which appears in nic 'now', nu-iana- -present'.

3 This superlative is formed under the influence of the positive sam-bhu- as the in- dependent superlative of bhu- is bhu-y-istha-.

4 The regular form bhav-htha- occurs in combination with sam-.

5 kan-istha- 'smallest' appears in books v and VI oif' the TS.

6 This word, which occurs in the L. sing, form dmis-i only, is given as m. in BR., pw., and Grassmann, but why it should not be like all the rest a neuter, is not clear.

7 Only voc. daksi, Pada dhaksi-, x. 14 18. Cp. p. 119, note 5.