Wilson Philological Lectures on Sanskrit and the Derived Languages c7.36

c7.36

Without the momentum acquired from the force and rapidity of the previous vowel utterance, the Pâli speaker could not form a strong contact and exert strong pressure, that is, without a short preceding vowel they could not pronounce a double consonant. If then the Pâli has such words as तेत्तिस (त्रयस्त्रिंशत्), सेट्ठि (श्रेष्ठिन्), नेत्त (नेत्र), सोत्थिय (श्रोत्रिय), योग्गा (योग्या), मोक्ख &c., it follows that the vowels ए and ओ were in such cases pronounced short. Similarly, when before doubles इ and उ are changed to them, as they often are, they must be short. This change of इ and उ to ए and ओ arises from the fact that the force and rapidity of the jerk with which the current of breath is sent up to pronounce the former vowels is apt to prevent the tongue from rising as close to the palate or the lower lip to the upper, as is necessary for the formation of इ or उ, or they are apt to be forced down by the current. And ए and ओ differ from इ and उ simply in the distance between the pronouncing organs being greater. This change, therefore, really involves an economy, since the effort to raise up the tongue and the lower lip across the strong current of breath blowing above is saved. We have thus, ओट्ठ for उष्ठ, पोक्खर for पुष्कर, पोत्थक for पुस्तक, सोण्ड for शुण्ड, नेक्ख for निष्क, नेत्तिस for निर्विंश, वेस्सभू for विश्वभू &c. In some cases both vowels are in use, as in the word नेक्ख which has another form निक्ख. Sometimes, especially before य, ए was invariably pronounced short, though no conjunct followed, and to make up for the loss of quantity thus occasioned the consonant was doubled; as in थेय्य for स्थेय, गेय्य for गेय, कोसेय्य for कौशेय &c. The vowel ओ was also similarly treated in a few cases, as in ओस्सजति for अवसृजति. Thus then not only has the Pâli a short ए and ओ, but the speakers of the language seem to have possessed a predilection for those sounds. Besides the changes we have examined, there are stray examples of others, such as उसु and उच्छु for इषु and इक्षु, in which the उ of the following syllable influences the utterance of the first vowel, सोप् for स्वप्, in which the semi-vowel व् is dissolved into the corresponding vowel उ, and thence transformed to short ओ, मोर for मयूर, in which the य being lightly pronounced loses its consonantal character and the vowel ऊ with the preceding अ forms ओ, and others.