THE FORMATION OF NOUNS I36 other languages. When we compare the thematic type of neuter, e.g. Skt. sanara- ' acquisition/, karvara- r act ' with the non-thematic stems in - ar , - var , etc., illustrated above, it is dear that the thematic suffix here has no grammatical function. This, coupled with the absence of such formations in Hittite is an argument for the secondary origin of this type ; clearly as between Lat. unguen and Skt. anjana- the former is the older formation. It is not difficult to see how such forms arose. There were agent nouns of the type brahman- beside brdhman- nt. but also from the earliest period another type of agent noun/adjective made by the addition of the accented thematic vowel (Gk. iarpos beside larv f p , Hitt, ve&aras beside Av. vdstar-). It was then natural and easy to create a neuter thematic type balancing the thematic adjectival type (kdrana- nt. after karand -, etc,). Thematic neuter stems corresponding to the various r- and n-stems listed above may appear either with the guna of this suffix (karvara- ‘ deed ’) or with the reduced grade (dhdrtra- ' support '). Both types occur from simple r-stems : (1) sanara- r gain tasara - ' shuttle panjara- ‘ cage ' ; framework of the *.*50 ribs (cf. pajra- adj. 1 fixed, firm Lat. pan-go , etc.), gambhdra- 1 depth uddra - ‘ belly It will be noticed, here and below, that there is a certain fluctuation in the accent of the tri- syllabic forms. Final accentuation, the characteristic of adjec- tives, is avoided, but the accent may fall on the penultimate 'syllable instead of on the root. (2) dgra- 1 point rdndhra-
- hole svdbhra - * pit There are a few substantives with final
accentuation but these are adjectival in origin, e.g. krcchrd - nt, ‘ difficulty but also krcchrd- adj. ‘ difficult riprd- nt. ‘ defile- ment ', but cf. Gk. Xcnapos ' greasy abhrd nt. ' cloud cf. Gk. appo$ f foam 1 masc. (nt. dtnbhas - ‘ moisture 1 beside which 7 there must have been *dmbhar, cf. Lat. imber) t kstrd - nt,
- milk 1 of uncertain etymology but from its accent of adjectival
origin. In sth-dla - ' place, ground 1 there is a thematic neuter forma- tion involving the suffix. A few old neuters in -var have been extended by the thematic vowel: karvara - 'deed', replacing earlier *kdrvar t gdhvara- ‘ hiding place pharvara- ' sowing, sowed field ' (*(s)phar - : 0 / t ^ ^ Gk. €T7T€ipiu) , catvara - ' quadrangle, cross-roads ' (from a neuter +catvar on which the adjectival catvaras ' four ' is based). -ntxrf'p*
