The Orion, or Researches into the Antiquity of the Vedas c13.7

c13.7

Prof. Benfey compares Sk. grâvan with Gk. laos (Lat. lapis); and Sk. ghrâṇa with Gk. ris, rinos. If this comparison is correct, here at least we have two instances where a gutteral before r in Sanskrit is lost in Greek. It is sometimes labialised, as in Sk. kṛinami, Gk. priami; Sk. guru, Gk. barus; and sometimes retained as it is, as in Sk. kratu, Gk. kratus; Sk. gras, Gk. grao, to swallow. From these instances we may therefore infer that as between Greek and Sanskrit, the initial gutteral in kr or gr in Sanskrit may be either retained as it is, or labialised or dropped in Greek,--the same rule which holds good, as shewn above, in Teutonic languages. It may be noticed here that while *grávan* becomes *laos* in Greek, it is *broon* in Old Irish, that is, while the initial *g* of a Sanskrit word is labialised in Old Irish it is dropped in Greek. This shews that the initial *kr* or *gr* in Sanskrit may be differently represented in different languages. Sanskrit *krimis*, Lat. *vermis*, Gk. *elmis*, and Sk. *klipta*, Avestic *kerepta*, Gk. *raptos*, may, I think, also be regarded as further illustrations of the same rule. I know that the connection between the words last quoted is still considered doubtful, but that is because the rule about the omission of a gutteral before a liquid, as between Greek and Sanskrit, is not yet recognised by scholars. If the examples I have given at the beginning of this paragraph are, however, sufficient to justify us in applying the rule to Greek and Sanskrit, the instances last cited may be taken as further supporting the same view.