2

Root and Derivative Element

2.1. Basis for segDlentation

2.1.1. The di vision of a nominal or verbal base into root
and derivative element (or suffix) is very essential in the com-
parative study of any linguistic family. On a comparison of
bases or words which are partially similar both in meaning
and form to one another within one and the same' Dravidian
language or in the sister languages, it will be evident that
only a portion at the beginning of them will be found common
in all of them. This common pertisn eonsisting of two,
three or rarely four sounds is called the root and the remain-
ing portion which is dissimilar and follows the root is called
the derivative element (or suffix); The "following examples
serve to illustrate this' point.

1. Ta. a!-u 'to pound (as riee), kill, destroy'

a! -i 'to beat, strike'. n, 'blow'
a/.ar 'to beat. strike'. D, 'troubling'
Ma. a#_i 'to beat'. n. 'blow!
ai-ippu 'printing, stampinl' ~ ~ .....
Q!. ar 'war' . 'N
Ko. ayr: [< *ar-:Y.-] ~tQ Jltrikc (ball:~~ game)'
t4' DRAVIDIAN COMPARATIVE PHONOLOGY

Ko~. ort-i '[lightning] strikes' [song word]

Ka. art-acu'to rap, cuff'
ort-ar 'to pounce upon'
Ilrf,-aru 'an attack"
art.i 'beating, a blow'
art-e 'to strike or throw with finger'
Tu. IIrtikai 'defeated, vanquished'
Te. arf,-ucu 'to beat, strike'
aq,-upu 'a stroke, blow'
q,ancu/dancu [<*a#_anc] 'te pound, beat'
Pa, a##- 'to strike'
GI. [011.]a!- 'to strike'
[S.] aU- 'to strike, beat'
Kui. q,a:mb- [<*a#-amp-] 'to pound, crush by
pounding'
Root *a##_/ *a#- V (DED 67)
2. Ta. 61-u 'to cry, weep'
al-ai 'to call', n, 'crying'
al-unku 'to weep'
Ma. at-u 'to weep, cry'
Ko. ag- [<.al-k-] 'to weep, cry'
To. er; '[child] weeps'
Ka. at, at-u 'to weep, cry'. n, 'weeping'
ai-a, al-ke [> akke] 'weeping'
Tu. [B.] at: / [C.] ar- 'to weep'
Kol.NK. ar- 'to weep'
Pa. Ga. [OIL] ar- 'to weep"
Ga. [S.] a:q,- 'to weep'
Go. a:r- 'to weep'
Kott4a ar-ba- 't9 weep~
ROOT AND DERIVATIVE ELEMENT IS

Root *a:1- /*a1- V [DEl) 240]

3. Ta. a:, a:-t.' 'female of ox, sambur, anEl buffalo'.
a:-y 'the cowherd caste'
Ma. a:, as-n 'cow'
a:-yilln 'cowherd'
Ko. a:-v 'cow'
Ka. a:, a:-vu 'cow'
et-k: at, at-kala 'cow'
Te. a:-vu 'cow'
Kur. a:-y 'cow'
Malt. a:-yu 'cow'
Root. *a:- [DED 283]
4. Ta. i:- 'fly, bee, (let.')i '(boney) bee'
Ma. t :-cca 'fly'
Ko. i:-p 'fly'
To. ii-py 'fly'
Te. :ga [< *'& :-n-ga] 'fly'
Kol. Nk. nii-nga 'fly'
KUT. (ti:n)i: 'bee'
Malt. (te:n)i 'bee'
BT. i:L 'fly'
Root *ni:- (DED 453)
!'i., Ta. k al-anku 'to lte stirred up'
kal-akku 'to confuse'
kal-akkam, kal-ekku 'beiag agitated <as surface
of water),
kal-atvu 'to be perturbed, cenfused'
k ai-aty 'to get angry'
kat-aim 'war'
16 DRAVIDIAN COMPAR.ATIVE PHONOLOGY

kal-a.pam 'disturbance'
kat-u] 'to become turbid (as water)' n,
'weeping'
kal-'ll 'to, weep', n. 'muddy water'
Ma. kal-tlnnu 'to be mixed'
kal-akku 'to mixjtr.]'
kel-akkam 'turbidness, confusion'
kal-akku 'muddy water'
kal-acu 'to be disturbed'
kal-aipom 'confusion, quarrel'
kal=am pu 'to get confused', n. 'uproar, quarrel'
Ko. kat s- 'to be mixed'
kal-k- 'to mix (tr.)'
To kal-x- 'to be, stirred up'
kal-k- 'to stir up'
Ka. kal- aku,k al- aeku 'to agitate, perturb'
kal-adu 'to be shaken or perturbed'
k al-umbu 'to perturbate'
kai-uhe- 'turbidness, impurity'
kal-an g-. 'to be stir.red up'
kal-ak- 'to stir up'
Tu. kel-anki-: 'to be turbid'; D. 'turbidness'
kal-ambu- 'to quarrel, fight'
Te, k al-iigu 'to be agitated'
kal-ucu 'to disturb'
kal-aka, kal-iikuva 'cenfusion, trouble'
kaI-IU0', 'disturbance'
Kur. xel-ax- 'to distur b'
Malt. qal-G- 'to disturb (as water),
Root *kal- [DED 1096]
In most of the case I, the roots ahn~e are. common to all
the Dravidian languages and the derivative suffixes differ from