Wilson Philological Lectures on Sanskrit and the Derived Languages c7.23

c7.23

We have noticed above the change of क्ष to च्छ, but more frequently it is transformed into क्व्. This change is due to the latter व् being pronounced not incorrectly like ष् but correctly as a cerebral sound, which being hollow and undistinguishable is lost in the sound of क्. This last is distinctly heard, and the effect of ष् is only to add heavy *s'vâsa* to it and render it ख्; and thus the whole becomes क्ख् as in रुक्ख for वृक्ष, लक्खण for लक्षण, पक्ख for पक्ष, &c. Upon the principles we have laid down, it does not matter whether the Sanskrit conjunct is composed of two or three consonants, since what is done in the Pâli is to reproduce only the distinct consonantal sound with the other attendant characteristics; and thus we have ण््ह for क्ष्ण or ष्ण as in सण््ह for श्लक्ष्ण and पण््ह for पाष्णि, and म्ह for क्ष्म as in पम्ह for पक्ष्म in which words the last is the distinct sound, and क्ख for क्ष्म as in लक्खी for लक्ष्मी where the म् must have been pronounced so as to merge into the preceding क्ष्.