Wilson Philological Lectures on Sanskrit and the Derived Languages c7.34

c7.34

The sounds of the Sanskrit diphthongs ए and औ are like those of अइ and अउ uttered rapidly, *i. e.* without allowing any appreciable time to elapse between the two elements. In forming अ, the tongue and the lips are in a natural position, the lips, however, not being closed but a little opened; while इ requires that the middle of the tongue should be brought close to the palate, and उ, that the lips should be completely rounded. Hence, in pronouncing ए and औ it is necessary to pass from one vocal position immediately to another, a process of which, as we have seen, the Pâli speakers were incapable. These diphthongs are therefore changed to ए and ओ which partake of the character of both the components. In the formation of ए the tongue is not horizontal as in the case of अ; its middle is raised up but not brought so close to the palate as in the case of इ. Similarly, in pronouncing ओ the lips are not so completely rounded as in the formation of उ; neither are they in a natural position as in the case of अ. These sounds, therefore, being produced in a position between those of अ and इ, and अ and उ, combine the characteristics of both, but are simple, *i. e.*, formed in one position only. Thus we have सेल for शैल, तेल for तैल, केवट for कैवर्त, खोम for क्षौम, कोसेय्य for कौशेय, मोलि for मौलि &c. Similarly अय and अव frequently become ए and ओ; as in कयेति for कथयति, पूजेति for पूजयति, नेति for नयति, ओधि for अवधि, ओकास for अवकाश, नोनीत for नवनीत &c. The sounds of these dissyllables differ from those of ऐ and औ in this respect that the अ of the former is not rapidly pronounced as is that involved in these diphthongs; or, in the words of the grammarians, the value of the first अ is one *mātrā* and of the other one-half. In the same way the अ of the two dissyllables is followed by the semi-vowel य and व, while that of ऐ and औ has the corresponding vowels इ and उ after it. When अय and अव are hastily pronounced, this distinction disappears, and these dissyllables assume the form of the diphthongs ऐ and औ, which by the rule just discussed become ए and ओ.