A Comparative Grammar of the Modern Aryan Languages of India v1.c6.93

v1.c6.93

The majority of instances of consonantal endings wherein a soft or sonant letter has been hardened is to be found in Panjabi, where Persian and Arabic words have been so long in use. These words having in those languages a true consonant ending have in some instances been hardened. It is true that in Arabic the nouns have technically their vowel case-endings in the shape of tanwîn; but, as is well known, tanwîn has for many centuries been a mere grammarian's fiction. No Arab ever says rajulun, rajulin, rajulan, in conversation, whatever he may do when reading the Kur'an; so that practically these words met the ear of the Panjabi as true consonantly terminated words, and he has hardened the final consonant in some cases. Thus, he says किताब for کتاب, मसीत for مسجد, सहित for شہد, and the like. The same practice is also occasionally found in Aryan words, as पत “dignity,” from पद; सेप “service,” from सेव (i.e. सेब). The same process exists also in Sindhi, in spite of the fact that in that language all nouns without exception end in a vowel. This vowel is often so short and light as hardly to be audible.