Page:Vedic Grammar.djvu/266

 256 I. ALLGEMEINES UND SPRACHE. 4. VEDIC GRAMMAR. m. and n. stems only, as the corresponding f. follows the derivative ā-declension. There is here no irregularity in the accent, which remains on the same syllable in every case except the V., where it of course shifts to the first. Inflexion. 372. The inflexion of the n. differs from that of the m. in the N. sing. and the N. A. du. and pl. only. In the G. L. du. y is inserted between the final -a of the stem and the ending -os. The forms actually occurring, if made from priyá- 'dear', would be the following: Sing. N. m. priyá-s, n. priyá-m. D. priyaya. Ab. priyát. G. priyásya. Du. N. A. m. priyá and priyáu, I. D. Ab. priyábhyām. G. L. (priyayos. Pl. N. m. priyás and priyasas, n. priyá and priyáni. A. m. priyán, n. priya and priyani. I. priyáis and priyébhis. D. Ab. priyébhyas. G. pri- yaṇām. L. priyésu. V. priyās and priyāsas. Owing to the enormous number of words belonging to this declension, only forms of commonest occurrence will be given below as examples under each case. A. priya-m. I. priyéņa and priyá. L. priyé. V. priya. n. priyé. V. m. priyā and priyau. Sing. N. m. This case is formed in the RV. by 1845 a-stems and occurs more than 10000 times. The most frequent substantive is indras N. of a god, found more than 500 times; next in order come sómas (220) N. of a plant, devás (203) 'god', mitrás (132) N. of a god, várunas (94) N. of a god. A. m. After the N. sing. m., the A. sing. m. is the commonest declensional form in the RV., being made from 1357 stems and occurring nearly 7000 times. The nouns most frequently found in this case are indram (335), sómam, (212), yajnám (183) 'sacrifice', vájam (123) 'vigour', súryam (90) 'sun', hávam (88) 'invocation', vrtrám (82) N. of a demon, stómam (77) 'praise'2. I N. A. n. This is the only declension in which these cases take an ending. They here add-m, being thus identical in form with the A. sing. m.³. They are very frequently used, being formed from about 950 stems and occurring, taken together, more than 4000 times. Examples are: rtám (70) 'sacred order', ghṛtám (47) ‘clarified butter', padám (46) “step', rátnam (44) 'wealth', sakhyám (43) friendship’, dráviņam (41) ‘wealth', satyám (40) 'truth'. I. m. n. 1. The usual form of this case ending in -ena is very frequent, being formed from more than 300 stems nearly equally divided between m. and n. The commonest forms are: m. súryena (37), indrena (34), vájrena (33) 'thunderbolt', yajñéna (13). - n. ghrténa (31)5. a. The final vowel appears lengthened in about twenty-five forms: amŕtenā (AV.) ‘ambrosia', á-šivenā 'malevolent', ájyenā 'melted butter’, ṛténā, kávyenā 'wisdom', kúliśenā ‘axe', pétvenā 'ram', taviséņā 'strong', dáksinenā 'right', dáivyena 'divine', bákurenā 'bagpipe', bhadréņā (AV.) 'excellent', mártyenā 'mortal', márutena 'consisting of storm-gods', raváthena 'roar, várunena, vithurénā 'staggering', vi-ravéna 'roar', vīryèna 'heroic power', vrjánenā might', vrṣabhéna 'bull', sahasyena 'mighty', sáyakena 'missile', súryenā, skámbhanenā The pronominal forms tám and yám | mining whether a word is m. or n.; cp. occur 509 and 259 times respectively in LANMAN 331 (middle). the RV. 2 On the occasional elision of the -m be- fore iva and subsequent contraction, see LANMAN 331. 3 For this reason there is in some in- stances not sufficient evidence for deter- 4 On occasional elision of the final -m and subsequent contraction, see LANMAN 331. 5 The final vowel is twice naşalized: ghanénam ékas (1. 334) and téjanenaṁ ékam (1. 1105).