THE DECLENSION OF NOUNS 253 vrkyds, Loc. gauri ; Du, N.A.V. vrkyd(u), I.D. Ab. vrkibhydm, G.L. vrkyds ; PI. N.A.V. vrkyds, I. vrkibhis t D, Ab. vrkibhyas, G. vrkindm, L. vrkisu. (B) Sg. M. devi, A. devhn, I. devyti, D, devyai, Ab. G. devyds, L. devyim, V. devi ; Du. N.A. hfetyaw], I.D. Ab. devibhydm , G.L. devyos ; PI. N, [^evyas], A. I. devibhis , D. Ab. devtbhyas, G. devindm , L. devisu . - u : Sg. N. tanus, A. tanvdm , I. tanvd, D. Ab. G. L. ianvt, V. /anw ; D. N.A.V. tanvdu, I.D. Ab. tanUbhydm, G.L. tanvds ; PI, N.A. tanvas, I. tanubhis , D. Ab, tamibhyas, G. tanU- ndm, L. tantisu. The nouns of these classes have in common an IE suffix -H (-ah, -t-H, -w-h> a, L w). With this suffix action nouns could be formed which originally did not differ from the usual neuter types (cf. the neuters in - as , -is, -us), and also adjectives which came eventually to be specialised as feminines. The dual type of inflection which appears in the f-stems is traceable to the dis- tinction of these two types, since wffiereas the vrki type inflects according to a system which may appear in both neuter and adjectival types, the devi declension contains inflections (devyd-s, etc.) of a specifically adjectival nature, in which the strong form of the suffix is due to the original adjectival accent. The stems of the vrki type consist of both action nouns (dehi ‘ rampart J ) and nouns of adjectival type, masculine and feminine (rathi- f charioteer vrki ' she-wolf ’). In the former the accent has been shifted to the suffix, where it remains throughout the declension, in the same way as has happened in the stems in -is (havis, havisas, similarly -in, -i'hos). In the adjectival class the strong form of the stem (*vrkyd), whose original existence is to be assumed on the basis of the accentua- tion and of the general system {pitd, etc.), has been replaced by the weak form, a process for which a parallel is to be found in the m-stems [bait, balinas). As a result of these processes, and becahse of the acquisition of feminine gender by action nouns with suffix -H, the two classes become completely fused to- gether in declension. The same two types are found among the i?-stem$ ((1) tanU -
- body ', (2) svasrti- ‘ mother-in-law ') and their fusion has pro-
ceeded in the same way. Since the -s of the nom. sg. was originally not characteristic of the H-stems. from which it remains absent elsewhere, its
