पृष्ठम्:The Sanskrit Language (T.Burrow).djvu/११४

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PHONOLOGY IO7 theory of apophony was further complicated by the invention of original long diphthongs, possessing a weak grade n which was held to have developed into % (sometimes into -ay-), but there is nothing in the facts to justify the assumption of such long diphthongs or of the weak grades which are supposed to be de- rived from them. In addition a second ' shwa supposed to be a reduced grade of the short vowels wais introduced by certain authorities. As a result the theory of apophony, which, as will be seen below, is really of the utmost simplicity, became extra- ordinarily complicated. With the discovery of Hittite A, and the subsequent rise to popularity of the laryngeal theory, the main features of the old theory were transferred to the new. IE h was identified with the old shwa ( 2 ), and it was believed that all its varieties could function in a vocalic as well as a consonantal function like the liquids and nasals. It has even been common to use the sign 9 to indicate IE h in its conson- antal function (%, ? 2 , 2 a ), and the whole presentation of the laryngeal theory has continued to be vitiated by the original error of the invention of * shwa Needless to say the objections that apply to * shwaT* in the old form of the theory apply to it with equal force in the new. There is no satisfactory evidence to show that H in stay of its varieties could function as a vowel and it is certainly never represented in Sanskrit by i. The effects of IE h on the vowels have already been noticed. By the restoration of h a very considerable simplification of the vowel system is achieved. (i) The long vowels d t e t 0 (>Skt. a) may be long through vrddhi, in which case they have developed out of the short vowels a, e f 0. But there is another series of long vowels which are long by nature, e.g, the d, e, 0 in std- 1 to stand dhl- f to place ’ and do - ‘ to give ’ (Skt, sthd -, dhd- t da-). In such cases the laryngeal theory analyses the long vowel into short vow r el + several varieties of h (dheu lt ste h 2 , deu 3 ) the quality of the vowel being determined by the following laryngeal. Thus in all cases long vowels are of secondary origin. (ii) The varieties of guna vowel are partly due to qualitative alternation in Indo-European. This was particularly so in the case of the alternation ejo (</>epo> : ^dpo?). But some cases of 0 are left over which have been considered to be original (dcrreov ' bone ') and a can only rarely be put down to vocalic alterna- tion (Lat. quater, etc.). Cases of ' original * a, and 0 according to