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Comparison between Pāḷi and Sanskrit - Part 4


Assimilation                                                              
To know the strength and weakness of consonant. The stronger one will overpower/assimilate weaker one.
According to the level of strength
1. Mutes = vagga consonants  -strongest group
2. Sibilants (ś, ṣ, s)
3.Nasal (ñ,ṅ, ṇ, n, m, niggahīta)
4. l,v,y, r   - weakest group. ‘
r’ is the weakest letter. ‘H’ stands by itself.
For example:
takra > takka (thought/reasoning/logic of science/doubt) (kr>kk)
‘k’ is mute consonant, it is stronger than ‘r’. Here, ‘k’ assimilates ‘r’, or ‘r’ is assimilated by ‘k’.
dharma > dhamma (rm>mm)
There are two types of assimilation
1. progressive: the first consonant in double consonant is assimilated.
2. regressive: the second consonant in double consonant is assimilated.

A.Progressive assimilation:
āścarya     > acchariya (wondeful/amazing) (śc > cch)
sparśa       > phassa       (contact)                 (sp > pph > ph, rś>ss)
niṣka        > nikkha       (gold)                       (ṣk > kkh)
B. Regressive assimilation:
śakya       > sakka         (able/possible)  (ś>s, ky >kk)
kvaṭhita   > kaṭhita      (boiled)              (kv>kk>k)
citra         > citta           (multi-coloured) (tr> tt)
1. mute with mutes
mudga      > mugga       (bean)              (dg>gg)         - Progressive assimilation
ṣatka        > chakka       (set of six)        (ṣ>ch, tk>kk)- Progressive assimilation
sakthi       > satthi          (thigh)             (kthi > tthi)   - Progressive assimilation
udgāta      > uggāta        (to blow/to hit) (dg>gg)        - Progressive assimilation
2.Sibilant with mute
vanaspati    > vanappati   (lord of tree/biggest tree in village/forest) (sp >pp)
stanayati    > thaneti            (to thunder/to roar) (st>tth>th, aya>e)
skhalati      > khalati             (to stumble)     (skh>kkh>kh)
āsphoṭayati >āpphoṭeti         (to clap hands) (sph >pph, aya >e)
sparśa         > phassa             (contact)          (sp>pph>ph,rś>ss)
               root √spṛś  + a > sparś + a ,       pāḷi = √phus
3.Liquid with mute, sibilant, nasals.
valka          > vakka /vākā    (bark of tree)     (lk > kk)
karṣaka      > kassaka           (farmer)            (rṣ>ss)
ūrmi>ūmmi> ūmi                 (wave)               (rm>mm)
kalmāṣa      > kammāsa        (spotted)            (lm>mm,ṣ>s)
karka          >kakka               (precious stone) (rk>kk)
4. Liquid with liquid -  r  +  l,y,r                                                  25/02/2014
durlabha     > dullabha         (difficult to get)
udīryate      > udiyyati           (is heard)
niryāti         > niyyāti             (go away, to liberate) e.g. niyyānika
niyāsa          >niyyāsa             (resin)
durvṛsṭi       >dubbuṭṭhi        (drought/scarce of rain) (rv>vv< bb, ṛ>u,ṣṭ>ṭṭh)
ārya              >ayya (ry>yy)   (lord/master, noble)
kurvanti>kuvvanti>kubbanti (they do/make)
*‘kubbati’ is false analogy from the word ‘kubbanti’.

Notes of kurvanti/kubbanti    ekavacana     dvivacana     bahuvacana
        ti                   taḥ            anti
        si                  thaḥ           tha
       mi                   vaḥ          maḥ
ekavacana (singular) is strong verbal termination
dvivacana and bahuvacana is weak verbal termination.
    √kṛ + u + ti
Rule 1: ‘u’ conjugation sign becomes ‘o’ in strong verbal termination, remains as it is for weaker verbal termination.
Rule 2: root √kṛ becomes ‘kar’ for strong one, ‘kur’ for weaker one.

√kṛ + u + ti > karoti
    kar   o  
√kṛ + u + taḥ > kurutaḥ
   kur
kar + o + ti,si, mi   > karoti, karosi, karomi
kur + u + taḥ, thaḥ, > kurutaḥ, kuruthaḥ. kuruvaḥ
kur + u + anti          >   kuru + a + anti > kurvanti> kubbanti (rv>vv>bb)   
                                         rv>vv>bb
√kṛ +vaḥ > kur + vaḥ > kurvaḥ
√kṛ + maḥ > kur +maḥ > kurmaḥ


Thus, possible forms are:
singular     dual             plural
karoti         kurutaḥ        kubbanti
karosi        kuruthaḥ       kurutha  
karomi       kurvaḥ          kurmaḥ

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