THE FORMATION OF NOUNS 191 §18. The Suffixes d, t, u The suffix -a has two functions* On the one hand it forms the feminine of adjectives in -a ( bdla - masc. ' boy bald fem.
- girl '), and on the other hand it appears as an independent
suffix of derivation, producing action nouns, abstract nouns, and the like. In having the two functions, adjectival and non- adjectival, it resembles the suffixes previously discussed, but it differs from them in that its adjectival use is confined to the formation of feminines. This was the result of specialisation since the feminine gender was not present in the earliest Indo-European, and as a result of this development of adjectival -d, the action nouns too, which to begin with did not differ from the ordinary neuters {d, i.e. -#H, like - as , - ar , etc.), have acquired the feminine gender. The following are examples of action nouns and the like ter- minating in the suffix -a in Sanskrit : krida ' play day a * pity nindi f blame-, sarikd * doubt himsd '-injury ksamd ' pat- ience bhasd ' speech sevd ‘ service sprhd ‘ desire sdkhd ' branch siphd ' whip 7 (cf. Av. sif- ‘ to strike with a whip ’), did ' direction ', ukhti ' pot ulkd ‘ meteor vend ‘ longing ksapi ' night 7 , chdya f shadow 7 (cf. Gk. cr/ad), jar a ‘ old age 7 , dosi f evening ra$d ‘ moisture 7 (0. SI. rosa , Lith. rasa ' dew 7 ). There is no consistent rule about the accentuation of such words, but final accentuation is the commoner ; in the corre- sponding forms in Greek (yoinj, etc.) final accentuation is the rule. The old general rule about the distribution of accent has obviously long ceased to have any relevance to this class. The suffix -d is added to the other primary suffixes in the usual manner, producing a series of compound suffixes : -nd : tfsnd 1 thirst drna ' wool 1 (Av. varznd, Lith. vilna , etc^) ; -and : jar and ‘ old age arhand ' worth 7 , kapand ' cater- pillar 7 (cf. Gk. KafiTTTj ' id 7 ) ; -rd f surd ' strong liquor 7 , tdmisra 1 darkness 7 ; -sd, mantsd ' thought, wisdom * ; -vd, jihva ' tongue ' (Av. hizvd ), grtva * neck ' (O. SL griva ' mane f ), dmivd ' disease 7 , apvd f a kind of disease durva ' a kind of grass 7 ; -yd.jdya ' wife mdyi 1 magical, supernatural power ’, itya * course vidyd * knowledge ", kriya ' action 7 , samajyd ' assembly etc. ; -td, krsnatd ' blackness etc., etc. The suffix -T likewise is predominantly used for making feminines of adjectives, preferably from consonantal stems. In
