Wilson Philological Lectures on Sanskrit and the Derived Languages c8.47

c8.47

The vowels इ and उ are softened, as we have seen, to short ए and ओ before conjuncts. These latter sounds are, as indicated in the last lecture, more open than the former; that is, do not require the tongue to be raised so high as in the case of इ and उ. They are therefore softer. But since the change principally takes place before doubles, it may, I believe, be traced to their influence, as I have already observed. In that case this would be an instance of assimilation. But the change of long ई and ऊ to long ए and ओ is due to softening alone; as in पेऊस for पीयूष, आमेल for आपीड, बहेडअ for विभीतक, केरिस for कीदृश, and एरिस for ईदृश, नेड for नीड, पेढ for पीठ, तम्बोल for ताम्बूल, तोणीर for तूणीर, थोर for स्थूल, and गलेई for गुड्ची. In the same way, इ and उ are in rare cases softened to अ, as in हलदा for हरिद्रा, पडंसुअ for प्रतिश्रुत्, and जहिढिल for युधिष्ठिर. अ requires no movement of the tongue or lips, while इ and उ do. It is therefore softer than those two vowels. Both these changes contradict another principle to be hereafter noticed, the operation of which is wide, and they must therefore be considered special or peculiar changes. The manner in which ऋ is softened has been already detailed.