A Comparative Grammar of the Modern Aryan Languages of India v1.c6.84

v1.c6.84

§ 54. It is now necessary to inquire why these three processes—retention, weakening, and elision—exist side by side, and what is the law which decides in every case which process shall be followed. It is easy to talk, as some authors do, of the "lawless licence" of Indian etymology; but this is only a confession of ignorance; it amounts to saying that because we cannot find the reasons for any particular change, therefore there are no reasons at all; the blind mole says there is no sun because he cannot see the daylight. Reasons there must be, and it is our business to try and find them out; or at any rate in this early stage of inquiry into the elements of the modern Indian languages, we may perhaps be satisfied if we can point out some slight indications which, if followed up hereafter, may lead