Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c26.s20: 6.20 Assimilation and epenthesis in loanwords

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c26.s20

Language: English

6.20 Assimilation and epenthesis in loanwords

c26.s20.1

The rules of assimilation and epenthesis between Sanskrit and Prakrit on the one hand, and between Sanskrit and Tamil on the other, are remarkably similar. This similarity is no doubt due to the fact that evolution of the Middle Indo-Aryan was strongly influenced by the Dravidian languages spoken in North India and the prolonged bilingualism in ancient times. Thus it is not always easy to decide whether assimilation or epenthesis in any particular case had already taken place in Prakrit before borrowing by Old Tamil, or whether the change took place when borrowing from Sanskrit into Tamil according to the rules of Tamil orthography. In practice, the question is decided mostly on chronological grounds, the Tamil-Brāhmī inscriptions borrowing only from Prakrit, and the Early Vaṭṭeḻuttu inscriptions from Sanskrit (along with Prakrit borrowings surviving from an earlier age).²

c26.s20.2

² See Commentary on the relevant entries for discussion.

6.20.1 Where the changes had taken place in Prakrit:

c26.s20.t1.1

6.20.2 Where the changes appear to have taken place in Tamil:

c26.s20.t2.1