Wilson Philological Lectures on Sanskrit and the Derived Languages c8.50

c8.50

An original ड् is softened to ळ्, in which case there is a saving of two efforts. The complete contact necessary for the pronunciation of ड् being avoided we have ळ्. This sound is similar to ळ् in the fact that the breath before the break of the contact or close approach is allowed to pass out by the sides of the tongue, but is more difficult or harder because its position being higher up, the tongue has to be raised higher than in pronouncing ळ्, the position of which is near the root of the upper teeth. This additional exertion is saved by proceeding from ड्, at once to ळ्. We have thus गरुळ, तलाअ, कीळइ, दालिम, गुल, नाळी, for गरुड, तडाग, क्रीडति, दाडिम, गुड, नाडी, &c. In the Pâli, however, you will remember and probably in some unwritten Prâkṛits also, the cerebral character of the letter was preserved and we have ळ् instead of ळ्. Sometimes ड् is softened to र् only. The position of this is lower than that of ड् and the contact is incomplete. It is therefore softer than ड् but harder than ळ्. This last sound is produced lower still, but a light close approach is formed, and the breath is allowed to escape by the sides of the tongue; while in uttering र् the tongue is kept in its position with greater force, and the breath is allowed to vibrate. This change is principally to be met with in the case of the द् resulting from an original द् in such words as एआरह, बारह, तेरह, &c., for एकादश, द्वादश, त्रयोदश, &c., the द् of which must first have become ड्. In कलम्ब, दोहल, and पलित, for कदम्ब, दोहद, and प्रदीप, we have instances of an original द् passing into ळ्. An original र् is changed to ळ् which, as just observed, is softer than र्, as in हल्दी, दलिद, सुहल, इङ्गल, &c., for हरिद्रा, दरिद्र, सुखद, अङ्गार, &c. When the र् forming the first member of a conjunct is softened in this way, and the following member is weak, or is itself capable of becoming ळ् the whole conjunct becomes ळ्; as पर्यस्त becomes पल्लु-त्थ; पर्याण, पल्लाण; आर्द्र, अल्ल or ओल्ल; मर्द, मल्ल, &c. The sibilant स्, which is the only one we have in the Mahârâshṭrî and Śaurasenî, is sometimes softened to ह्, that is, the simple heavy breath somewhat compressed at the dental position is made uncompressed heavy vocal sound; as in दिवह, पाहाण, दह, एआरह, बारह &c., for दिवस, पाषाण, दश, एकादश द्वादश, &c.