A Comparative Grammar of the Modern Aryan Languages of India v2.c12.s2.45

v2.c12.s2.45

These forms arise from the compound Skr. कोऽपि (को अपि); the enclitic particle अपि in Prakrit slides into composition with the pronoun, and is written in one word कोवि, from which, by elision of the व, come the H. P. S. and G. forms. S. often, however, rejects the final ई, which is lengthened in the other languages to preserve it, and because it is emphatic. M. has merely added the emphatic particle हि, with इ lengthened to ई and the ह frequently dropped, to the modern form of the interrogative, so that we have a compound of three parts, को + उण + हि. In Oriya, the final syllable सि appears to be shortened from the demonstrative से; so that here, also, there is a triple compound के + उण + से, literally “who forsooth is he?” O. केहि and B. केह are allied, and simply add हि, which may either be the emphatic particle of Skr., or more probably ह was inserted to prevent hiatus after dropping the व of केबि (for कोबि).