The
structure of a
present-system
verb form
Ø Obtained
by the formula:
root in suitable form + stem forming affix + personal ending.
(The form of the root is defined by the personal ending.)
Ø In
the imperfect we also have a pre-augment `a-`
Ø In
the optative there is a suffix `ya-` after the stem forming suffix.
Thus, we have for su (to press out)
Present:
su + stem forming affix+ ti
= [S2]
Imperfect:
preaugment [S3]+su +
stem forming affix[S4]+ t =
[S5]
Optative:
su + stem forming affix[S6]+optative
suffix[S7] +m =
[S8]
Imperative:
su + stem forming affix[S9]+ ` `
= [S10]
Present third person singular:
dviù(in guõa form) [S11]+ti (in
sandhi form) [S12]= [S13]
|
Augment (Imperfect
only) |
Root |
Present-tense stem-forming
affix |
Optative
suffix (Optative
only) |
Personal
ending |
|
|
|
su |
-no |
|
-ti |
sunoti `s/he
presses out' |
|
a- |
su |
-no |
|
-t |
asunot `s/he
pressed out' |
|
|
su |
-nu |
-yà |
-t |
sunuyàm `s/he
might press out' |
|
|
su |
-nu |
|
|
sunu `press
out!' |
|
|
dveù |
|
|
-ñi |
dveùñi `s/he
hates' |
The ten classes of present-tense stems
Thematic Athematic
Class 1 (suffix -a) Class 2 (root class)
Class 4 (suffix -ya) Class
3 (reduplicating class)
Class 6 (suffix -a) Class
5 (no / nu class)
Class 10
(suffix -aya) Class 7 (nasal infixing
class)
Class
8 (o / u class)
Class
9 (nà / nã class)
Prefixes
1. The augment (a-) appears in imperfect forms, and--outside the present system--in
aorist and conditional forms.
The addition of the augment to a
vowel-initial root causes that vowel to become its vçddhi-grade form:
as-ya-
`throw'
ukù-a- `sprinkle'
Prefixes
2. Verbal
prefixes called preverbs are used
to modulate the meaning of a verb:
Önã `lead'
upa-nã-
`introduce'
vi-nã- `train'
The augment follows any preverbs:
vi-a-naya-t
(® vyanayat) `s/he trained'
Characteristics
of the four thematic classes
1. The
stem always ends in a.
2. The
stem doesn't exhibit vowel-grade alternations.
3. In
an open syllable, the stem-final a
lengthens before any ending beginning with m
or v;
thus, there is no lengthening before ‑m in the 1st person singular imperfect
active.
4. The
stem-final a is dropped before all
endings beginning with e.
5. The
2nd person singular imperative active is simply the stem.
6. The
optative suffix is ‑ã- before
consonants and ‑ãy- before
vowels. By sandhi,
a- + -ã-
® e ;
a- + -ãy-
® ey .
Stem formation
in the thematic classes
1st class (bhå- class) e.g. bhå‑ `become'
ruh‑
`grow'
stem = root + a- nã‑
`lead'
¯ jãv- `live'
guõa, if possible nind‑
`blame'
6th class (tud‑
class) e.g. tud‑ `push'
kùip- `throw'
stem = root + a- vi÷-
`enter'
¯
zero
grade
4th class (div‑
class) e.g. kup‑ `be angry'
nah- `bind'
stem = root + ya- pa÷-
`see'
¯ div- `play'
unchanged
10th class (cur‑ class)
stem = root
ending in a vowel e.g. bhå‑
`become'
root
ending in aC- pat- `fall'
¯
vçddhi + aya-
= root ending in VC- cur- `steal'
¯
guõa
= root ending in à- + paya- dà- `give'
Irregularities
in stem formation in the thematic classes
-ccha: Class
1 gam-
`go' gaccha-
yam- `furnish' yaccha-
Class
6 iù- `wish' iccha-
prach- `ask' pçccha-
ç- `move' çccha-
Irregularities in stem formation
in the thematic classes
lengthening of
root vowel:
Class 1 guh- `hide' gåha-
kram-
`step' kràma- (act.)
krama-
(mid.)
Class 4 ÷am-
`become quiet' ֈmya-
bhram-
`wander' bhràmya-
Irregularities in stem formation
in the thematic classes
loss of a nasal
after the root vowel:
Class 1 daü÷- `bite' da÷a-
Class 4 ra¤j-
`redden' rajya-
Irregularities in stem formation in the thematic classes
insertion of a
nasal after the root vowel:
Class 6 muc- `release' mu¤ca-
kçt- `cut' kçnta-
lip-
`besmear' limpa-
Irregularities in stem formation in the thematic classes
reduplication
of the root:
Class 1 sthà-
`stand' tiùñha-
ghrà-
`smell' jighra-
pà-
`drink' piba-
Irregularities in stem formation in the thematic classes
unexpected
vowel grade:
Class 4 jan- `be born' Class 10 janaya-
Class 4 dam- `tame' Class 10 damaya-
Personal
endings for thematic present-tense stems
|
|
|
|
Singular
|
Dual |
Plural |
|
Primary endings (present indicative) |
Active voice |
1st |
‑mi |
‑vaþ |
‑maþ |
|
2nd |
‑si |
‑thaþ
|
‑tha |
||
|
3rd |
‑ti |
‑taþ |
‑nti |
||
|
Middle voice |
1st |
‑e |
‑vahe |
‑mahe |
|
|
2nd |
‑se |
‑ethe |
‑dhve |
||
|
3rd |
‑te |
-ete |
‑nte |
Personal
endings for thematic present-tense stems
|
|
|
|
Singular |
Dual |
Plural |
|
Secondary endings (imperfect, [optative]) |
Active voice |
1st |
‑m
[-am] |
‑va |
‑ma |
|
2nd |
‑þ |
‑tam |
‑ta |
||
|
3rd |
‑t |
‑tàm |
‑n
[‑uþ] |
||
|
Middle voice |
1st |
‑i
[‑a] |
‑vahi |
‑mahi |
|
|
2nd |
‑thàþ |
‑ethàm [-àthàm] |
‑dhvam |
||
|
3rd |
‑ta |
‑etàm [‑àtàm] |
‑nta
[‑ran] |
Personal endings for thematic present-tense stems
|
|
|
|
Singular
|
Dual |
Plural |
|
Imperative endings |
Active voice |
1st |
‑àni |
‑àva |
‑àma |
|
2nd |
-- |
‑tam |
‑ta |
||
|
3rd |
‑tu |
‑tàm |
‑ntu |
||
|
Middle voice |
1st |
‑ai |
‑àvahai |
‑àmahai |
|
|
2nd |
‑sva |
‑ethàm
|
‑dhvam |
||
|
3rd |
‑tàm |
‑etàm |
‑ntàm
|
General
characteristics of the athematic conjugation
1. Athematic
stems never take the theme vowel a.
2. Athematic
stems show vowel gradation: the strong
(guõa grade) stem appears
- in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd singular indicative
active;
- in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd singular imperfect
active;
- in all 1st persons of the imperative active
and middle;
- in the 3rd singular imperative active.
Elsewhere, the weak stem appears.
3. In
the optative active, ‑yà- is
added to the weak stem;
‑yà- is reduced to -y-
before the 3rd plural optative active ending ‑ur.
In the optative middle, -ã- (before endings beginning with
consonants) or -ãy- (before endings
beginning with vowels) is added to the weak stem.
Stem formation
in the athematic conjugation
Class 2 (ad‑ class) e.g. ad- `eat'
vid- `know'
stem =
root
Class 3 (hu‑ class) e.g. hu‑ `sacrifice'
bhã‑
`be afraid'
stem =
reduplicated root bhç- `carry'
Roots: [ C V ... ]
[ C[sibilant]
C[voiceless] V ... ]
[ C1
C2 V ... ]
|
Root
consonant |
Reduplicative
consonant |
|
aspirate velar h Otherwise: C |
nonaspirate palatal j C |
|
Root
vowel |
Reduplicative
vowel |
|
long or short ç Otherwise: long or short V |
i V |
Class 5 (su- class) e.g. su‑ `press out'
àp- `obtain'
no-
stem = root +
nu-
Class 7 (rudh- class) e.g. rudh- `obstruct'
yuj- `join'
stem is the
result of infixing
-na-
after
the root vowel
-n-
Class 8 (tan- class) e.g. tan- `stretch'
kç-
`make'
o-
stem = root +
u-
Class 9 (krã-
class) e.g. krã- `buy'
a÷- `eat'
nà-
stem = root +
nã-
Particular
characteristics of the athematic classes
Class
5
1. If
the root ends with a vowel:
- nu‑
may reduce to n- before endings with
initial m or v: su-nu-vaþ or su-n-vaþ,
but àp-nu-vaþ.
- The 2nd singular imperative active is
endingless: sunu, but àpnuhi.
2. If
the root ends with a consonant:
- nu‑ ® nuv‑ before endings with initial vowels: àp-nuv-anti,
but su-nv-anti.
Particular characteristics of the
athematic classes
Class 8: identical in conjugation to class 5.
Particular
characteristics of the athematic classes
Class 9
1. nã- reduces to n- before endings beginning with vowels.
2. If the root
ends in a consonant, the 2nd singular imperative active has ‑àna, which replaces the stem-forming
suffix: a÷-àna, but krã-õã-hi.
Particular characteristics of the
athematic classes
Class 7: no idiosyncrasies.
Particular
characteristics of the athematic classes
Class 3
1. The endings of
the 3rd plural active in the indicative, imperfect, and imperative are ‑ati, -uþ, ‑atu, respectively.
2. A stem-final vowel appears in the guõa grade before the 3rd plural imperfect active ending ‑uþ.
Particular characteristics of the
athematic classes
Class 2
1. There
are a number of roots with idiosyncratic inflections in this class--see Gonda
sec. 64.
2. Certain roots
insert -i- before endings beginning
with consonants other than y; these
also insert -a-/-ã- before the 2nd and 3rd singular imperfect active endings--
an-i-ti `he breathes'
àn-a-t
/ àn-ã-t
`he breathed'
an-yà-t `he might breathe'
Personal endings for
athematic present-tense stems
|
|
|
|
Singular |
Dual |
Plural |
|
|
Active voice |
1st |
‑mi |
‑vaþ |
‑maþ |
|
Primary endings (present indicative) |
2nd |
‑si |
‑thaþ |
‑tha |
|
|
3rd |
‑ti |
‑taþ |
‑anti
(1) Cl. III: ‑ati (1) |
||
|
Middle voice |
1st |
‑e |
‑vahe |
‑mahe |
|
|
2nd |
‑se |
‑àthe
(1) |
‑dhve |
||
|
3rd |
‑te |
-àte
(1) |
‑ate
(1) |
(1) Differs
from the corresponding inflection for thematic stems.
Personal endings for
athematic present-tense stems
|
|
|
|
Singular |
Dual |
Plural |
|
|
Active voice |
1st |
‑am
(1) |
‑va |
‑ma |
|
Secondary endings (imperfect, [optative]) |
2nd |
‑þ |
‑tam |
‑ta |
|
|
3rd |
‑t |
‑tàm |
‑an
(1) Cl. III: ‑uþ (1) [‑uþ] |
||
|
|
1st |
‑i
[‑a] |
‑vahi |
‑mahi |
|
|
Middle voice |
2nd |
‑thàþ |
‑àthàm
(1) |
‑dhvam |
|
|
|
3rd |
‑ta |
‑àtàm
(1) |
‑ata
(1) [‑ran] |
(1) Differs
from the corresponding inflection for thematic stems.
Personal endings for athematic present-tense stems
|
|
|
|
Singular |
Dual |
Plural |
|
|
Active voice |
1st |
‑àni |
‑àva |
‑àma |
|
Imperative endings |
2nd |
‑dhi /C__ (1) ‑hi
/V__ (1) Cl. V,VIII: ‑‑ (2) Cl. IX: ‑àna (1),(3) |
‑tam |
‑ta |
|
|
3rd |
‑tu |
‑tàm |
‑antu
(1) Cl. III: ‑atu (1) |
||
|
Middle voice |
1st |
‑ai |
‑àvahai |
‑àmahai |
|
|
2nd |
‑sva |
‑àthàm
(1) |
‑dhvam |
||
|
|
3rd |
‑tàm |
‑àtàm
(1) |
‑atàm
(1) |
(1) Differs
from the corresponding inflection for thematic stems.
(2)
Only when the verb root ends with a vowel; otherwise, ‑hi.
(3) Replaces
the stem‑forming suffix if the root ends in a consonant.