Wilson Philological Lectures on Sanskrit and the Derived Languages c7.24

c7.24

A Sanskrit conjunct at the beginning of a word is reduced to a single letter; and the reason is obvious. For as I have already observed the distinctive characteristic of a conjunct consists in the previous vowel being pronounced with rapidity and force, and in the subsequent strong pressure of the vocal organs which is rendered possible by the momentum acquired by that forcible utterance. It is the reproduction of this characteristic, that makes a single consonant that is pronounced at any one of the vocal positions look like a double. When a previous vowel does not exist, that is, when a conjunct begins a word, this characteristic cannot be reproduced; hence there is no double consonant. Thus, we have खलित for स्खलित, कमेण for क्रमेण, भ्रमर for भ्रमर, फस्स for स्पर्श, &c.