[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Archaeology, epigraphy and coins](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy) › [Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D.](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003) › c27.s9 # Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c27.s9: 7.8 Some phonological processes Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c27.s9 - **Language:** English ## Contents - [c27.s9.t1 7.8.1 Addition of paragogic suffixes (-y ~ -i, -iy, -yi) to noun-stems ending with -i or -ai](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c27.s9.t1) — 3 parts ### 7.8 Some phonological processes ### 7.8.1 Addition of paragogic suffixes (-y ~ -i, -iy, -yi) to noun-stems ending with -i or -ai ### [c27.s9.t1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c27.s9.t1.1) The addition of \*-i\* or \*-y\* at the end of words is provided for in \*Tolkāppiyam\* (\*Eḻu\*. 58). While the traditional example that \*nāy\* 'dog' may be written as \*nā i\* or \*nāyi\* is not supported by literary evidence, there is inscriptional evidence for the addition of the paragogic suffixes \*-i\* or \*-y\* after nouns ending in \*-i\* or \*-ai\*. This seems to be the true import of the rule cited above. ### [c27.s9.t1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c27.s9.t1.2) | LT | Corpus | Ref. No. | | \*\*7.8.1.1 \*-y after stems ending in -i\*\*\* | | | | \*kaṇi\* | \*kaṇi-y\* | 1.1, 2.1, 4.1 | | \*kevi\* | \*kavi-y\* | 57.3 | | | \*natti-y\* | 4.2 | | \*paḷḷi\* | \*pa(ḷ)ḷi-y\* | 2.11, 15.1, 52.4, 77.3 | | \*vaḷuti\* | \*vaḷutti-y\* | 1.7.b | | | \*siri-y\* | 2.2.b, 3.2.b | | \*\*7.8.1.2 \*-y after stems ending in -ai\*\*\* | | | | | \*atai-y\* | 56.2 | | \*-(a)ntai\* | \*antai-y\* | 20.1.a | | \*uṟai\* | \*uṟai-y\* | 61.5, 62.5 | | \*tantai\* | \*tantai-y\* | 2.8 | | \*malai\* | \*malai-y\* | 85.3.a | | \*veḷḷaṟai\* | \*veḷ-aṟai-y\* | 3.3 | | \*\*7.8.1.3 \*-i after stems ending in -i\*\*\* | | | | \*kaṇi\* | \*kaṇi-i\* | 3.1 | | | \*kavuṭi-i\* | 49.4 | | | \*tāra-aṇi-i\* | 44.2 | | \*paḷḷi\* | \*pa(ḷ)ḷi-i\* | 10.5, 89.4 | | | \*veṇ-pa(ḷ)ḷi-i\* | 46.1 | | \*\*7.8.1.4 \*-iy after stems ending in -i\*\*\* | | | | \*kāviti\* | \*kāviti-iy\* | 3.5 | | | \*nelveḷi-iy\* | 7.1 | | \*paḷḷi\* | \*paḷ(! )i-iy\* | 1.9 | ### [c27.s9.t1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c27.s9.t1.3) | LT | Corpus | Ref. No. | | \*\*7.8.1.5\*\* \*-y-i after stems ending in -i\* | | | | | \*siri-y-i\* | 1.2.b | | \*\*7.8.2\*\* \*Addition of the euphonic vowel -u to stems ending in liquid consonants\* | | | | \*\*7.8.2.1\*\* \*After noun-stems\* | | | | \*āciriyar\* | \*ācirikaru\* | 116.5 | | \*erukkāṭṭūr\* | \*ekkāṭṭūru\* | 117.1 | | | \*eru(k)kā(ṭ)ṭu-ūru\* | 52.1 | | | \*kaccavanu\* | 119.2.a | | | \*tāyiyaru\* | 83.3 | | \*mukaiyūr\* | \*mukaiyuru\* | 112.1 | | \*\*7.8.2.2\*\* \*After verb-stems\* | | | | \*ār\* | \*āru\* | 114.2.b | | \*puṇar\* | \*puṇaru-\* | 85.2 | | \*\*7.8.3\*\* \*Addition of the prothetic vowel i- before a loanword commencing with a liquid consonant\* | | | | \*irācar\* (\< Skt. \*rāja-\*) | \*irācar\* | 111.1 | | \*\*7.8.4\*\* \*Contraction\* | | | | \*pem-\* (\< \*perum-\*) as in \*pemmāṉ\* | \*pentōṭaṉ\* (\*pem\*+ \*tōṭaṉ\*) | 102.1 | | \*erukkāṭṭūr\* | \*ekkāṭṭūru\* (\*eru-k-\* \> \*ek-\*) (cf. \*eru(k)kā(ṭ)ṭu-ūru\*) | 117.1 | | \*\*7.8.5\*\* \*Loss of initial palatal c-\* | | | | \*camaṇa-\* (\< Pkt. \*samaṇa\*) | \*amaṇaṉ\* | 24.1 | | | \*amaṇṇaṉ\* | 61.2, 62.2 | | \*\*7.8.6\*\* \*Elision of nasal n\* | | | | \*-(a)ntai\* | \*atai\* | 30.2, 56.2 | | \*nantaṉ\* | \*nataṉ\* | 17.1.b, 44.1.c, 48.4 | | | \*nata-\* | 3.2.a | | \*\*7.8.7\*\* \*Elision of nasal n with doubling of the succeeding consonant\* | | | | \*nanti\* | \*natti\* | 4.2, 69.3 | | \*\*7.8.8\*\* \*Elision of nasal ṉ (probably with nasalisation of the previous vowel)\* | | | | \*ceytāṉ\* | \*ceytā\*\[ṉ\*\] | 55.4 | ## Cites (1) - [Tolkāppiyam](https://indike.org/pramana/in.sangam.grammar.tolkappiyam) — Tolkāppiyar, Tamil --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c27.s9](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c27.s9) · Pramāṇa