On the Stress-Accent in the Modern Indo-Aryan Vernaculars Author(s): G. A.

Grierson Source: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, (Jan., 1895), pp. 139-147 Published by: Cambridge University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25197244 . Accessed: 24/04/2013 03:28
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139

Art.

V.?On Vernaculars.

the Stress-Accent By G. A.

in the Modern Grierson, Ph.D.,

Indo-Aryan CLE.
Vs. = Modern

have been used in this article:?IA following contractions Sanskrit; Vernaculars; Skr., Pr., Prakrit; Ap., Indo-Aryan [The M., Mara$hi; O., Panjab!; ZDMG., candra's

Apabhramca; P., IL, Hindi; B.t Bihar!; Bangali; Gujarati; Bg., sTs., Scwi-Tatsaroa; Tbh., Tadbhnva; S., Sindhi; Ts., Tatsama; der deutschcn Morgcnlandiachen Ilema* Geulltchaft; Zeitschrift H.C., Grammar.]

Prakrit

The

IAVs. closely follow the rules of the Sanskrit stress-accent from the ancient musical accent) which have been distinct (as in ZDMG. xlvii. noted by Prof. Jacobi 574 and ff. The is that the IAVs. do not usually throw the only difference if the word accent further back than the antepenultimate The general rules are as follows:? ends in a long syllable. falls on the penultimate if it be (1) The stress-accent Examples?Skr. long. sacrificial thread'; M. S. rahdu 'a G. janii 'fame'; hand 'one-eyed'; gidh(a) 'a vulture'; H. asiijhd 'a 'invisible'; kisan(a) kirti 'small.' be short, that be the accent falls on the and Ts.

'a dweller'; B. chotdkkd husbandman'; (2) If the penultimate

long. provided antepenultimate, Examples?Skr. 'a report'; and Ta. ktrtan(a) M. vdlan(a) 'inclination,' II. bdndhan(a) kdpar(a) 'clothea'; 'binding.' (3) In any other case it is thrown back as far as possible limits being, in Sanskrit and Tss., and in IAV. words ?the in a short vowel, the last syllable but three; and ending a words in in IAV. ending long vowel, the antepenultimate. ' as a Ts. kuttTtd; kutilata deceitfulness,' Examples?Skr. 'a saw'; sTs. par9 bat (a) 'a mountain'; M. kdr'va^a) B. H. tin'kd 'a straw,' bdl(a) 'force': but pdr9sat(a) 'touching'; II.pah&c'nd (not pdhuc'nd) 'to arrive'; H. nikdVtd 'issuing.'

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140

STRESS-ACCENT IN THE word, retain the which the has accent the on but

even an IAV. however, Sometimes, accent on the antepenultimate, may the same syllable, when it becomes by no means people. three the addition of a secondary

last

suffix.

universal; pronunciation varying Thus, H. titali 'a butterfly/ long form, properly, also sometimes but iitdliyd, titaliyd. of (4) If the accent does not fall on the first syllable

syllable is by This with different

a word, kulandm

accent. that syllable has a secondary Thus, Skr. ' of families/ So IAV. rdhau, chdtdkkd, as above ; 9 sTs. ddhtn(a) on.' dependent from the earliest times to A is observable (5) tendency elide a short vowel or

the accented thus, syllable: following Pr. Skr. *pugphala, bhdgini bhdgnl; phgaphdla, Skr. Idvana, surabhi, Pr. *surbhi, subbhi; Skr. popphala\ In Pr. Pr. *jlia, jta. *ldma, *ldwna, Idna; Skr. jlvila, Skr. is still carried on, but the neutral the process is substituted for a, i, or u, instead of that vowel vowel 'a saw'; S. kdr'vat elided. Thus, M. being altogether ' ' a Skr. to be spoiled'; B. horse'; ghor'vd bigdd'nu * H. Pr. dWld.1 durbdlakah dubbalad, weak/ the IAVs. The elision is restricted Examples Skr. bhdgini t and u is more to special cases. of are? f sister' Pr. bdhinl H. bdh'nl, bdhan, or bdhin. Other dia lects bdhin, but M. and B., to preserve the i, throw the accent bddhirah ' deaf bdhiro on it and it, bahin. lengthen or bdhird. H. bdhfrd rare in the IAVs., and

1 Jacobi French,

gives virgogne;

ns parallel froni the Romnnce languages?Latin, terguenza. Italian, vergogna ; Spanish,

verecundia;

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MODERN INDO-ARYAN VERNACULARS. Skr. prdthamah 'first' H.

1 il

Ap.padharillau

but M. pah*la, pdhild, G. pdheld,

and so on.

vidyut lightning'
Cases

'

b\jjulid

H.

bifli, but other

IAV. ?i/Wf.

sometimes occur of the a being weakened to i or u of the neutral vowel. The i change is most common in Sindhi, and the u in Barjgali. Examples? ' a S. pipiru. tree' pippald pippnlah pipal ' S. viralah birilo. rare' ' a S. pijird. pdnjaram pdiyaram cage' ' fire' sTs., Bg. dgun(i). dgnih ' simbali calmali' a silk-cotton tree Bg. simul. instead (6)
own

In

compound
as

words,
a

the

first member
accent, the

retains
stress-accent

its

stress-accent

secondary

of the word: of the second member being the stress-accent ' a florist'; a M. II. phuVmalt' thus, pdn'sald watering-place'; or This secondary accent B. d-stijh(a) d-si(jh'vd 'invisible.' I mark when necessary with the sign for a grave accent, omit it. but shall generally This rule about compound words explains such apparently ' I saw,' and the many forms as the B. dcklildhu anomalous in which the accent similar verbal forms in that language, or final syllable of the word. falls on the penultimate They of the past participle are really compounds [tlekhal(a)~], and ' ' to be,' dhu meaning I am/ and so on. old forms of the Vah of final to the vowel the first member The tendency drop dates from the compound [as in dekhal(a)+dhi7] kumbha-kdrah 'a Skr. Pr. times. Thus, potter'; or the usual H.C. kiunbhdrd kumbha-aro custom, (against of the earliest i. 8), IAV. kumhar(a); Skr. mvamdlikd Skr. mndumdlid, ndmttlid; *ndvmalid, pdeso in such a position A long vowel or pddiveso, H. pados(a). is first shortened and then elided: thus, Skr. dvdcatvdrhhcat; H. bydlis(a). Pr. *bdydyd,lisam,bdydlisam; 'jasmine'; Pr. prdtivecah, Pr.

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142

STRESS-ACCENT IN THE

(7) If the accent falls on a short vowel there is a tendency to lengthen it; thus, Skr. dpagd or dpagd 'a river'; miisala 'a or miisala so also? club'; ' or 1 M. pdd*vd, II. first day of but prdtipad J pddivayd

a fortnight I

pddivayd
hdtthinl

pddibd,B. parol).
(with

hdstinl

'she elephant1

M.

of change but accent) hattin, H. etc. hdth'nl.

to the accent has a tendency the other hand (8) On or a Skr. shorten agaram e.g. vowel; long preceding 'a house'; Skr. dtikupyah or akupya (for aikapya) agaram 1 so in IAV.? very base'; H. kasls. kdsisain green vitriol' ' * on sTs. adhln. dependent ' devetlao P. devald. devalayah temple' ' 'a So M. bhik(a) bhikarl, G. bhikharl begging,' beggar'; kdslsam ddhinah M. earns.' Skr. 'work,' kamau 'that which Again, ' ' or an kanndssa to Pr. dat. kdndsa of ear'; gen. karndsya an ear'; M. the (sfTRTO) 'to an ear/ in which kdnas(a) the short is like first d is written but long, pronounced kdm(a) a bhlk(a), hdt(a) dat. bhikes(a); 'a dat. hand/

in the Italian So also M. bdl/o. 'a dat. pik(a) ripe crop/ pikds(a); hdtas(a) as in kdnds(a).

a word begins with two long syllables, the (9) When accent second of which the secondary has the stress-accent, the first accent to itself, often attracts syllable bear the stress which would ordinarily syllable accent is shortened. in Pr. ania, Thus, Skr. dntta becomes and so on. So? Skr. pdniya, Pr. ptniya, and the * dhhlayah kdydsthah writer * vdtulah mad' temple' ' a man caste of the ' kayattho radio H. decal, M. dical. on the first

B. khyath. M. S. barald, bdvirO. B. bdurd,

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MODERN INDO-ARYAN VERNACULARS. (10) This even happens when the first syllable Pr. dliya; Skr. mddhiika 'false/ e.g. Skr. dlika a tree/ Pr. mdhua; girtsah 'a so? siriso dktiyab gdhirad bdillo H. siris.

143 is short; 'name of

dvltiyakah gdbhirakah bdlivdrdah

kind of tree' ' second' ' 'deep' a bullock'

11. dutiyd. H. gdhird. IAV. bail or bail.

and Prakrit there was also a secondary (11) In Sanskrit a accent on the penultimate in kutildtd the word. of Thus, a in the than the i in the has more accent penultimate accent was so this Sometimes secondary antepenultimate. main that the felt it swallowed stress-accent, up strongly usual result the the main with and itself became accent, on the while the accented syllable. of lengthening Thus, l one hand wo have jdlpdka 'a range 'talkative/ pdrvaltka we have also jdlpdka, pdrvatlga, or parvatega of mountains/
'a mountaineer': so also we have rdthlka, or rdthina

sessing grdmeya, queen';

a chariot/ and

and grdmlka deiikd grdmina;

'

'pos

a villager/ but also grdmtya, 'a goddess/ and divikd 'a

saukhika and 'native'; depka and defiya saiikhiya to enjoyment'; vdrtira or vdrtira 'a quail'; 'pertaining ' ' to an asterism/ but ndgartya tidksdtrzya belong belonging to a town'; kdrira and kdrtra 'the shoot of a bamboo.' valuta, or vdtiila vdrsuka 'inflated'; but 'rainy/ ulupin, tdvaduka or tildpin 'a

Again,

guinea-pig';

'loquacious';

notjagaruka jdgardka, butjdgaruka, 'waking.' common this is specially In Pr. in certain pleonastic terminations. One is -la or -lla. Thus, vijjuld 'lightning/ ' 'a 'a leaf/ pidlam pdttdlam yellow '; but pdllavilla shoot/ muhiilla hdtthulla 'a hand.' So Skr. dCrakulam, 'aface/ Pr. Skr. sdrvdtah, Pr. sdvvdttd; Skr. ekdtas, Pr. deullam; ekdttd; Skr. dnydtah, Pr. dnndtto. So also the suffix k:
to

1 With reference to many of the following examples, between the terminations point out the close connection

it is hardly necessary ika and iya.

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144

STRESS-ACCENT IN THE

' heart.' thus, Pr. Mdkam, or (Mg.) hdddkkam toMdrkandeya, xii. 16, the rule is made general the suffix in which Prakrit, any vowel before

According in MagadhI ka may be

Thus, Skr. Idvdnyakah, Mg. Pr. Idunndke, or lengthened. Idttnndke 'lovely.' This second accent on the penultimate reappears in several termination -dku The Apabhraii^a Prakrit of the IAVs. becomes o or a. (byr elision of the k) du, and theu or i. ikd becomes id termination tyd, and thence Vernaculars, i.e. Gujarati, the MagadhI accent and So In the two Ma has

Western rathi,

curiously and obtained, the main accent, accent with

enough this secondary of

especially custom Prakrit has swallowed itself

the word, and the usual consequence So then that a or dku <J, and

becomes of

up the main the pre

ceding syllable.1 and ikd, Id, and vowel. Thus?

and

shortening ikd become

%, preceded

dku, an, by a short

Skr.

Ap.

Pr.

IAV.

kupdkah cuddkah

'a well' 'a bangle'

kiivd'u cuddu

G. kiird, but H. G. cuid, M.

kdd.

curd, but II. cilrd.

1 At the time of was taken to this statement rending this paper exception of M. and G. was far greater whose than that by two gentlemen, knowledge I nt once admit. I allude to Dr. Diihlcr possessed by me, mid whose authority I do not, at the present and Sir Raymond West. stage, feel at liberty to niter is based on tho words of Dr. lllmtidnrkur, what I have written. My Btutrmeiit of the R.A.S. on p. 117 of the Journal of the Jlomhuy Umiicli vol. xvii. pt. ii. in M. is almost universal, is a rule, which and in G. often lie says: "There the accent, or the whole weight iu virtue of which of the sound observable, of a word, falls on the final a or I of nouns iu the former, mid the final b or fi vowels are rendered short, while iu the origiual in the latter; and the preceding as lie then gives and lliudi Sanskrit kidd; they are long." examples?M. He gives M. khijd; G. kuvb; M. citd; M. cudd, G. cudd; M. cuna, G. cunb. on p. 141 of the same article. On the point of the question further examples of these two languages, Dr. IJhnndnrkar's evidence of the correct pronunciation further inquiry as to the exact meaning to great respect,.and of his is entitled as then I leave my words Till words is necessary. they stand, in the hope careful inquiry may be made that, attention having been drawn to the matter, on the spot. is not affected. As In any case, my main argument by observers kid and kidd, citd, cudd, ciln, and gives dictionary regards M., Moles worth's remarks. cund, all of which exactly bear out I)r. Bhandarkar's

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MODERN INDO-ARYAN VERNACULARS.

Skr. Ap. Pr. IAV.

145

curndlcah ci'rdkah kitdkah ciksitah mistdkah siicikah vt/iia

* lime' 'a leopard' ' 'a worm 'learned' 'sweet' 'a tailor'

cunndii clftdu kiddii sikkhiu mitthdu sdeiii vidid terminations?

ciina, but II. cdnd. M. cifd, but II. cftd. M. kird, but II. lira, S. kird. G. cund, M. M. elkhd, but II. sikha. tnithd. ,sw<tf. S. bird. suet, but II. M. mil ha, but II. M. M.

'a betel-roll' in other

bhi, but II. if/i,

Again, hdsthri

'she elephant' bhdgini 'a sister'

hdtthlnl (a/ji/u

M.

hdtlin, but n. hdthinl. M. bdhin, B. bdhin, but H. bdhin. iu M. So also M.

And mud But

so in all other similar ' dead/ but 11. wild. a similar occurs

feminities

change

in other

languages

; thus? but S.H.

dyutdkarh

' gambling'

jddu

ovjudU

P. jdd,
jua.

' di])dkah a light' ' dbhydnjitah anointed'

ditdii or dhdu dbbhijjiu

P. diyd, but H.
e%5, S. rffa%o.

II. Mr/a,
M.Bg.O.A.

but

' ydktdkam (?) a pair' (?) juttdu

' H. ,/w/d a (pair of) shoes/ but

M.Bg.O.^M/i. II. bhitdr, but
M.B.O.A. Mi/ar.

Mi/a

' wet.'

dbhydntdre

' within'

dbbhintdrahi

and elision of the vowel (12) The shortening following as the accented in derat(a) and dub9ld, has had syllable, one very It follows result. a word that when important
j.u.a.s. 1895. 10

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146 ends the

STRESS-ACCENT IN TIIE

that vowel, in a short vowel, under the influence of or the on accent has the penultimate, secondary a tendency to disappear. stress Taking though IAVs. Tadbhava words first?These come nouns the Apabhramca in the form of and Prakrit, the nominative to the IAVs., pass into the

every noun

Nearly singular. and the nominative of every word, Apabhrarii9a in that language ended in a, i, or tt, or in one of nasalized. If one of these final vowels these vowels be a consonant, under the influence of the accent, preceded by in the modern Thus? it disappears tongues.
Skr. Nom. Tr. Ap. Nom. IAV.

Sg.

Sg.

( ghotah]. horse' ' pdrkati fig-tree ' bahuh arm'

glwdo * pdkkadi bahu

ghodu pdkddi bahu

ghdd (ghor). pdkad bdh. (pdkar).

The ends

same to the cases applies in a short vowel. Thus?

Skr. Ap. Pr.

iu which

a verbal

form

pdthasic It will there has

thou read est'

pddhdsi under the

M. par has (or parhes). influence of the accent

be been

seen a

that

vowel at regular weakening the two Prakrit with each of the last has ghddd stages. o final weakens it to u, and the IAVs. long, Apabhramca omit it altogether. is a tendency There in some dialects to preserve the final vowel. It is especially the case in of the final and in the literary styles of most of the IAVs. This Bg., to preserve is due to the influence of purists who endeavour the Skr. pronunciation. In Bai|g?7ll and its sister languages, it is also due here. to other On discussed special the other reasons hand, a final which some long need not be are languages vowel of a Ts.

fond of shortening

and eliding

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MODERN INDO-ARYAN VERNACULARS.

147

is indifferently the word for 'woman' in Biharl Thus, In Sindhi ndrl (purist), ndri, or ndr (poetical and vulgar). is preserved, the final short vowel of Tadbhavas and Ru^miri We meet the but it is only very faintly pronounced. process, in fact, at an older stage, and can watch the vowel in the very act of disappearing. the result is the same. The noun is also In Tatsamas used in its nominative letter has as that
get? Skr. Intermediate Stage. IAV.

form, and a final visarga ceased to exist in the IAVs.

is omitted, We thus

strength' mdtih 'mind9 ' vdstuh thing The In not above these for which Thus? remarks vowels, they

bdlah

'

bdla '

bdl

or bdla. or mdti. bast or bdstu.

mdtimat bdstu refer

only

prose elided,

though are still

to prose pronunciation. are they have disappeared, and there, reappear again the older forms of the

in poetry, language.

always

preserves

Is Pronounced IAV. iu Proso.

in

Is Pronounced Pot try.

^ft^f ^T^Rf igrf^ H^j$

ghdr pakar bdh par has bdl ^ iff?f mat mdti. bast ^m

ghdra. pakdra or pdkdri.

bdha or bdhu. pdrhdsa. bdla.

bdstu.

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