Wilson Philological Lectures on Sanskrit and the Derived Languages c7.17

Language: English

c7.17.1

Here you will see a great many instances of the laws we laid down in the last lecture. And first, as regards phonetic corruption, we have in these passages त for त्र as in पुत्त for पुत्र, for क्त as in भक्त for भक्त, and for प्न as in पत्न for प्राप्त, and प्प for त्प as in उप्पन्न for उत्पन्न. This change is usually called assimilation of consonants. In pronouncing a conjunct, one has to pass from one position of the vocal organs to another without letting off the breath checked or compressed in the first, an operation of great difficulty. The sound of the first member is indistinct, but when the second is a weak consonant such as a nasal or a semi-vowel, it glides into the first almost as a vowel does, and thus the sound of the first acquires greater prominence. In the first position, the vocal organs strike and press against each other strongly, and the momentum necessary for this effort is acquired by uttering forcibly and with a jerk the vowel that precedes the conjunct, *i. e.* अ for instance in the word भक्त, just as a man previous to striking and pressing anything with his fist moves the hand with force through some distance. The previous forcible vowel breath and the subsequent strong contact and pressure form the characteristic of a conjunct consonantal sound. This is the only way of rendering the two members at all distinct, for the first is thus uttered with the preceding vowel and the second with the following.

c7.17.2

Thus, भक्त if pronounced in the manner I have described becomes भक्-त, but, if the previous vowel sound is weak, it becomes भ-क्त, in which case, in consequence of the absence of momentum, the pressure cannot be strong, and the conjunct character is not fully brought out. What we find in the Pâli, therefore, is that the passage from one vocal position to another is avoided, and the more distinct sound only, whether of the first member or the second, is pronounced with this forcible previous vowel breath and the succeeding strong contact and pressure; that is we have a conjunct as before, but it is made up not of two different letters, but of two of the same kind. Hence the instances noted above and also धम्म for धर्म, जम्म for जन्म, यञ्ञ for यज्ञ, सद्द for शब्द, दुद्ध for दुग्ध, खग्ग for खड्ग, सुग्ग for सुहृ, अब्भुत for अद्भुत, लद्ध for लब्ध, उक्का for उल्का, अप्प for अल्प, तप्पण for तर्पण, अय्य for आर्य &c. But an attempt is made to pronounce the other sound also, and such of its elements as can go in with that which is uttered without involving change of position are transferred to it, that is, in effect the Pâli speaker treated a conjunct consonant as one sound possessing the characteristics of both. Thus the heavy *s'vâsa* or simple breath of स्, श, and ष in the conjuncts स्क, ष्क्, श्र, श्च, स्त, स्प and ष्प is combined with the distinct sounds क्, च्, ट्, त्, and प् and we have ख, छ, ठ, थ, and फ for those conjuncts;

c7.17.3

but when preceded by a vowel and pronounced with the usual conjunctal characteristic, they become क्ख, च्छ, ट्ठ, त्थ, and प्फ; as in सावत्थियं for श्रावस्याम् and फुसेय्यु for स्पृशेयुः in the above, and in खन्थ for स्कन्ध, पोक्खर for पुष्कर, पच्छा for पश्चात्, अच्छरिय for आश्चर्य, डिट्ठ for दिष्ट, पुट्ठ for पुष्ट, मत्थक for मस्तक, वत्थु for वस्तु, फन्दन for स्पन्दन, and पुप्फ for पुष्प. In न, भ, ण्, स्म, झ्म, and ष्म the consonantal portion of the distinct sounds, being made up of *nâda* or intonated breath, the heavy *s'vâsa* or simple breath of the sibilant is first made heavy *nâda*, that is, the sibilant is changed to the aspirate ह and we have न्ह, ण्ह or म्ह for these conjuncts; as in पन्ह for प्रश्न, उन्ह for उष्ण, अम्ह for अस्मि, अम्ह for अश्म, and गिम्ह for ग्रीष्म. These correspond to the ख, छ &c., in the above instances, and must like them be considered as simple sounds, and in our modern languages they are pronounced as such in certain places; but when preceded by a vowel they must have, as in other cases, the characteristic of conjunctal sounds, and be pronounced as न्ह, ण्ह or म्ह though they are not so written.