Page:Vedic Grammar.djvu/186

 176

I. Allgemeines und Sprache. 4. Vedic Grammar.

under the feet', adho-aksd- 'remaining below the axle'; dnu-path-a- and dnu- variman- (AV. VS.) 'along the road', anu-kamd- 'according to wish', dnu- vrata- 'obedient'; dntas-path-a- 'being within the path'; api-prSita- 'being on (= accompanying) the breath', api-sarvard- 'bordering on night' (JdrvarT-); abhi-dvu- 'directed to heaven', abhi-rastra- 'overcoming dominion'; a-Jaras-d-"-

'occurring every month'; updri-duMna- 'la.issda.bove the gionnd', updri-martya- 'being above men'; urdhvd-nabhas- (VS.) 'being above the clouds', urdhvd-barhis- (VS.) 'being above the litter'; tiro-ahn-ya- ('being beyond a day' =) 'belonging to the day before yesterday'; pari-panth-in-'^ ('lying around the path') 'adver- sary', pari-hastd- (AV.) ('put round the hand') 'hand-amulet'; paro-matra- ('being beyond measure') 'excessive', parS-ks-a- (AV.) ('lying beyond the eye') 'invisible'; puro-gav-d- ('going before the cows') 'leader'; prati-kamya- (AV.) 'being in accordance with desire'; sam-gayd- 'blessing the household'.

2. In verbal governing compounds the first member is either an agent noun or an action noun governing the last member as an object. The abnormal position of the verbal form before the object in this class is probably to be explained by the first member having originally been an imperative, which usually has this position. These compounds are an old formation, two types going back to the Indo-European period, and one to the Indo-Iranian. They are adjectives, but the final member never adds a compositional suffix except in siksa-nar-d- 'helping men'. Three types are to be distinguished.

a. The first member consists of a present stem or the root, which probably represents an imperative^; of this type there are few examples: trasd-dasyu- m., N. of a man ('terrify the foe'), rada-vasu-'' (only voc.) 'dispensing wealth', siksa-nard-'' 'helping men', sthi-rasman-^ 'loosening bridles' ^

b. Examples of the second type are more numerous. Here the first member ends in -at, but the participle, being formed from present stems in -a, -d or -aya, which appears in these compounds, in a few instances does not occur in independent use. This type, which is almost entirely restricted to the RV., is also Iranian. It seems to have taken the place of the older one (a), which owing to its form was apt to be confused with Bahuvrihis though differing from them in meaning. The form which they assumed was probably aided by the analogy of Bahuvrihis with a present participle as their first member, like sucdd-ratha- 'having a brilliant car', which are formed from intransitive verbs, while those in the governing com- pounds are of course transitive. Examples of this type are the following: rdhdd-ray-^ ('increasing wealth') m., N. of a man, and rdkdd-vara-'' 'increasing goods', ksaydd-vira^ 'ruling men', codaydn-mati-^ 'stimulating devotion', /(ZwaV-'"

1 Occurs only in the dative as an advevb meaning 'up to old age'.

2 Formed with the suffix -in which is not properly attached to compounds; cp.WACKER- NAGEL 21, 53 (p. 121 bottom).

3 See Brugmann, IF. 18, 76; Delbruck, Vergleichende Syntax 3, 174; Jacobi, Com- positum und Nebensatz (1897), 46 — 82; Wackernagel 21, p. 315.

4 Rhythmically lengthened for ;-arfa-,«te-.

5 The Bada has sthdh-raiman-. The meaning

is doubtful; it may be a simple Bahuvrihi; 'having firm bridles' (Grassmann).

6 krpa-nlda- would be another example if it means 'arranging his abode', but the meaning of the first member is doubtful.

7 fdhdt- is an aorist participle of rdh- 'increase'.

8 From ksdyati 'rules'.

9 From codayati 'urges'.

1° Jamdi- a palatalized form from gavi- 'go'.