A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South-Indian Family of Languages c8.35

c8.35

The final *l* also is subject to change. In Tamil it is changed into *r* before *p*, as in *nārpadu*, forty; and before *n* it is assimilated and becomes *n*, in both Tamil and Telugu—e.g., *nānnūru* (in the one), and *nannūru* (in the other), four hundred; in Coorg, *nā*. These changes of *l*, however, are purely euphonic. It is evident from a comparison of the above forms, that *nāl* (or, as the Telugu seems to prefer it, *năl*) was the primitive shape of this numeral; to which *ku* or *gu* was subsequently added as a formative, in order to constitute it a neuter noun of number. This formative *ku* (pronounced *gu*) is a very common one in the Dravidian languages—e.g., *nan-gu*, Tam. goodness, from *nal* (= *nan*) good. The only numeral to which *ku* or *gu* is appended is *nāl*. The *g* which appears in Telugu in the rational plurals, such as *āru-guru*, six persons, is not to be confounded with this formative *gu*. In such connections Tamil uses *v* euphonic instead of *g* (e.g., *aru-(v)-ar*), which proves that *g* does not add to the grammatical expression, but is merely euphonic. Even in Telugu *āruvur-u* may be used instead of *ārugur-u*.