THE FORMATION OF NOUNS 183 rules of apophony shows that this form is very ancient. The same guna is found in Goth, sunaus, Lith. silnaus and, without reduction of the termination, in Gk, r}8e os- and Hitt, assawas. The distinction between neuter declension and adjectival de- clension appears elsewhere : Hitt, genuwas as opposed to asHawas , etc. The extension of the gunated suffix to the dat, and gen, sg, distinguishes these stems from the adjectival n- and r-stems. The latter are not normally distinguished in form in these cases from the neuter stems (yaknds, uksnas), because the adjectival stems retain the terminational accent. But outside Sanskrit there is some evidence that even these stems shared to some extent the tendency, notably in the case of Av. pitarg gen. sg. which is parallel in every way to agnds and sunos. On the other hand we have seen that sdkhd , dat. sdkhye follows the type of the adjectival r~ and n-stems, showing that two alternative types of inflection existed for adjectival stems. One became pre- dominant in r- and w-stems, the other in i- and u-stems, but to a certain extent both are represented in each of the two classes of stem. The root in these adjectives has usually the weak form in accordance with the accentuation. In the case of su- 1 good ' as opposed to Hitt, assus, Gk. ivs the suffixal accent has resulted in the complete reduction of the radical vowel. Since the word has ceased to be used except in composition, there is no evidence as to its earlier inflection, but in Av. haosravah- the gunated suffix which is in accordance with the adjectival accent is repre- sented. The prefix ku- ' bad ' appears to be of the same nature. The usual association of this with the interrogative pronoun can hardly be justified, so we may take it to be a w-adjective, similar in form and function to su. There are a few instances where corresponding neuters exist beside adjectives in -u : ayu - ' length of life ' (formed with simple ^-suffix and vrddhi from the IE root ai- ‘ to apportion, give i.e. 1 one's allotted span ') : ayu- 1 alive, mortal ' ; Gk. ttwv 1 herd, flock ' : Skt. pdyu - ' protector The plural jatrdvas 1 cartilages of the collar bones ' differs in meaning from the radically accented neuter jatru- ' collar-bone ' and is therefore likely to be an adjectival form. Earlier it may be presumed that such doublets were more regularly met with, and the interaction of the two types will account for radical guna or vrddhi appear-
