Page:Vedic Grammar.djvu/152

I. ALLGEMEINES UND SPRACHE. 4. VEDIC GRAMMAR. doubtful etymology: karma-ra- 'smith', muska-rá- (AV.), a kind of small animal², śámbara-3, N. of a demon, śänkurá- (AV.) 'penis', sahás-ra- 'thousand'. 231. The suffix -la forms about a dozen adjectives with the same meaning as those formed with -ra, with which it sometimes interchanges and of which it is generally a later form. Examples are: asli-lá- (AV.) 'ugly', kapi-lá- 'brown', jīva-lá- (AV.) ‘lively', tílvi-la- 'fertile', bahu-lá- ‘abundant', madhu-lá- 'sweet', śéva-la- (AV.) 'shiny'. This suffix also forms two or three diminutives: vrsa-lá- little man', sisi-la- 'little child', and the fem. salāka-lá- (AV.) 'small splint'. 142 232. The suffix -va forms a few adjectives: arna-vá- billowy', keśa-vá- (AV.) 'hairy', anji-vá- (AV.) 'slippery', santi-vá- (AV.) 'friendly, śraddhi-vá- 'credible'. 233. The suffix -vat forms seven feminine abstract substantives, with a local sense, from adverbs or prepositions: arva-vát-4 proximity', ā-vát- (AV.) ‘proximity, ud-vát- ‘height, ni-vát ‘depth, parā-vát- ‘distance, pra-vát- ‘height', sam-vát- ‘region'. 234. With the suffix -van, before which -a and - may be lengthened, are formed some twenty derivatives, nearly all adjectives with the sense of 'possessing' or 'connected with'. The adjectives are: amatī-ván- ‘indigent', arāti-ván- 'hostile', gha-van- 'impetuous', rna-ván- 'indebted', dhitá-van-5 'rich in gifts', dhi-van- (AV.) 'clever', maghá-van- 'bountiful, śrustī-ván- ‘obedient', satyá-van-6 (AV.) 'truthful, samád-van- 'warlike', svadhá-van-, f. -varī-1 ‘faith- fuľ, hárd-van- (VS.) 'hearty'; also the feminines sumnā-várī- ‘bringing favour', sūnŕtā-varī- ‘joyous'. Somewhat anomalously formed are indhan-van- 'possessed of fuel' (indhana-), saha-van-8 and sáho-van-9 (AV.) ‘mighty'. There are also the substantives áthar-van- m. 'fire-priest', mușī-ván- m. ‘robber', and sani-t- van-¹0 reward'. 235. The suffix -vant forms, from nominal stems of every kind, possessive adjectives numbering at least 250 in the Samhitas. A final vowel is often lengthened before the suffix, most frequently -a, but very rarely -uz. Examples are: késa-vant- 'hairy', áśva-vant- 'possessed of horses' (beside áśva-vant-); praja-vant- 'having progeny'; sákhi-vant- 'having friends', sáktī-vant- ‘mighty' (śákti- 'might'); dyáva-prthivi-vant-** (AV.) 'connected with heaven and earth'; vişnu-vant- ‘accompanied by Vișņu', viṣū-vánt- ‘dividing' (vísu- 'apart'); hárit- vant- 'gold-coloured'; asan-vánt- (AV.) ‘having a mouth', róman-vant- and lóma-vant- (AV.) 'hairy', sirsan-vánt- (AV.) having a head'; kakúbh-vant- (MS. 1. 11¹) 'having a peak'; svàr-vant- 'splendid'; páyas-vant- 'containing milk', nas-vánt-(AV.) 'having a nose'. With external Sandhi: pŕsad-vant-' variegated' ¹². a. Some of these derivatives, especially if formed from pronominal stems, have the meaning of 'resembling' instead of 'possessing'; thus má-vant- 'like me', i-vant- 'so great', ki-vant- 'how far?', indras-vant-¹3 'like Indra', níla-vant- 1 śévāra- 'treasury' probably stands by haplology for śéva-vāra-. 2 The word occurs in TS. v. (B) as an adjective meaning 'having testicles'. 3 Probably a a foreign word. 4 From arva- 'hither' contained in arvánc- 'hitherward' and some other derivatives. 5 The Pada text has dhitá-van-. 6 The Pada text has satyá-van-. 7 The fem. of the secondary -van being formed like that of the primary -van; see 177 and cp. 179 a. 8 The Pada text has sahá-van-. 9 The only instance of external Sandhi with this suffix. 10 With - interposed, as after short radical vowel preceding primary -van; e. g. ký-t- van-. ¹1 Retaining the double accent of the pri- mitive. 12 In a few derivatives -vant has the appearance of a primary suffix: vivás-vant- or vi-vasvant- shining', ár-vant- ‘swift', yah- vánt 'speeding'. 13 With the s of the nominative.