Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

CHAPTER V.

Compound words.

*

35. When words of several significations are combined, so as to form one new term, the composition is called Samàsa. I shall now treat of its various distinctions. There are five classes of compounds: the 1st called & 1 O, being the construction of indeclinable or adverbial compounds; the 2nd 82, compounds of cases; the 3rd වෙසෙසුන් සමස්, compounds of adjectires; the 4th අන්අරුත් ∞, compounds (forming the attribute or epithet of an object, or) producing a signification different from that of the combined words; and the 5th copulative compounds.

First class of compounds.

Aviye-Samas is that compound which has an indeclinable particle, such as c,, ~,, &c. for its first member, governing the last; † e. g.

α.

Compounds of the genus සව්-සක්කැබිලිසි යො අගිනි Gala--§. A part of his body was infected with the white scrofula during-existence. [Here - is put for දිව්හිම්, until-the-end-of-existence.] යව් අමතමනන් අමත Call as many Brahamins as have been invited. [i. e. call Brahamins as-many-as have been invited.] තුණුහොලවටහලයත - බස

Sanscrit Grammarians arrange compounds (six in number) under four classes. That which is denominated in the Singhalese Ariye-samas, is called in the sanscrit Avyayè-bhavà. The second class of compounds termed in the Singhalese, Vibat-Samas, is called in the Sanscrit Tatpurusha,' which includes (what is unknown to the Singhalese), Dwigu compounds, and also the third class of compounds in the text called Vesesun-samas, known in the Sanscrit by the appellation of Karmma-dharaya. The fourth class of Singhalese compounds, An-arool-samas, are termed in the Sanscrit Bahuvrihi And the last which is D'aroot-samas in the Singhalese, is denominated in Sanscrit Dwandwa.

Avyaye-bhava in Sanscrit, see Wilson's S. Gram: p. p. 337, 8.

තොස්සිත්හල.[1]] [Here the compound යන ලබ is put for සම් profit-of-(any-any) whatever-kind.] 8 according

[blocks in formation]

despised-person; g^ę heresy, for &ęcęcę despised-faith; ę odour, forse pleasant smell.

-

C. Compounds of the genus — splendour, for
Do it illumines with supreme effulgence;

මේ තැවන neighbouring forest.

s

for

d. Compounds of the genus (privatives)*—8 demi-god, for he who is not a God;'

[ocr errors]

දෙන ලද්දේ ' that which is not given; ' අකුසල් de-merit, for magnesio that which is not merit.'

Observe, that certain words beginning with a vowel are formed into negative compounds by the substitution of ; many, for that which is not in-justice, for 440 that which is

e. g. 4-5

one;'

not lovely or just.'

Second class of compounds.

36. When the first of two nouns in combination has the signification of any of the nine cases, save the Nominative and the Vocative, the compound is called Vibat-Samas.t

[11] See the translation of this passage in Appendix C.

It is to be remarked, that nouns preceded by privatives are compounds of this species; as in the English words "in-justice" "un-able, "&c. But, it is also remarkable, that the Singhalese compounds are never formed of any other but nouns, i. e. declinable words. The privatives are used amongst the Singhalese for two purposes; Ist 'to denote something else than what the name would otherwise express;' as in (an animal which is) not-a-horse; 493 (he who is) not-a brahamin: and 2nd, 'to give a total change or opposite meaning to the word to which it is prefixed,' as in de-merit; un-manliness; ¶ demi-god, &c.

+ Professor Wilson gives the following definition of this species of compounds, at p. 310. "Talpurusha compoun ts-This class includes, as above remarked, three subdivisions; to the first of which the term Tatparusha may be for the present restricted. In compounds of this order

a. Words in the sense of the Accusative'one who composes verses,' produce

and God,

versi-fier,

a term for කිවි poet. කිඩි and කරනුයේ, ' one who sports,’ produce sportsman, a word for ge̟óɩąÊ juggler. S and ed, 'one who nourishes the earth,' Sed earthnourisher; hence Kshetriye. 3 and Dd, 'one who extracts sweets from flowers;' 3 honey-drinker, for គង្គ bee. පන and බොනුයේ, 'one who drinks after (sucking)’ පිනිපා after-drinker, for 8 elephant. Ses and wood, 'one who causes night,' night-producer, for ę moon. and 6, 'one who screens the sun,' 866

screen, for cumbrella.

Ն

86

sun

b. Words in the sense of the Instrumental. 6 from and, 'He who is nourished by another,' i. e. සමත් cuckoo,* or යදි හෝ beggar. බඹදත් from බඹහු විසින් and eco, 'that which was given by Brahama,' i. e. සිවුරු sacerdotal rodes. දෙව්දත් from දෙව්හු විසින් and † 6 oo, that which is given by God,' e. g. 2 food. Words in the sense of the Auxiliary case. Dórę from and ed, that which dazzles by reason of කි cluster (of flocers). අත්තම් from අත්කර නෙන් and වනකම්, ' that which is produced by means of hand.' බාසුරු from බා කර ගනෙන් and සුළුවූයේ, 'he who is valiant by means of his arms,' i. e.

C.

[ocr errors]

bees,' i. e. හැ

[blocks in formation]

6 lion. කැසුමු

god, 'that which drinks with

and 2, rice mixed up with

the words stand in a relation to each other which would require, if they were separated, the use of different cases; the one exercising a syntactical government over the other, and not being conuected, as in the preceding class, by copulatives understood, nor, as in the subdivision Karmmadharaya, by simple concordance."

[ocr errors]

* There is a belief amongst the Singhalese that the Cuckoo lays her eggs in a Crow's nest, and that they are invariably hatched by the latter. Hence the compound term, He-who-is-nourished-by-another' for the Cuckoo. This is in reference to the first robe which Budha received from Brbama.

curd-milk.' 32 from 8 and 2, 'rice cooked with milk.'

from

d. Words in the sense of the Dative case. බමුනන්ට දිය යුතු and දන්, ' alms given to Brahamins. ' සිවුරු පිලී from සිවුරුපිනිස පිරිනැමූ and වලී ‘clothes set apart for sacerdotal robes.'

e. Words in the sense of the Ablative case. 6 from සොරුගෙන් and බිය, ' fear resulting from thieves.' මිනි මුතු and 9, 'that which escapes from the sheath.' gown and go, 'that which escapes from

from

69 from Rahu.'

f. Words in the sense of the Genitive case. 688 from රජුගේ and පිරිස්, 'king's attendants ' බුදුගුණ from බුදුන්

ගේ and ගුණ, ' Budha's virtues.' රිය හිමි fromරියගේ and හිමි, ' the lord of love. ' සුර සතුරු from සුරනට and සතුරු, 'enemy of God.'

g. Words in the sense of the Locative case. cóc, from උරෙහි and දා ' borne in the bosom.' දහම්සොඬ from දහම්හි and 'great delight in the scriptures.' menné from God and cocoanut oil.' තැඹිලියේ and තෙල්, ' king's-cocoanut oil.’ සරාසඳ from සරා කල්හි and සඳ, ‘moon in autumn.'

6

Note, that certain words, as in

from

(locative) and,

which produce ɩɩ sub-ject, or scholar, retain the terminations peculiar to their cases, in being compounded with other words.

Third class of compounds.

37. Called Vesesun Samast are formed of nouns (with adjectives) attributive of some peculiarity, or expressive of a distinguishing characteristic of the object, e. g.

It is to be remarked, that in some MSS of the text the words and End are respectively written God and end. Vide note [*] to § 36 Appendix A.

"Compounds of (this class) Karmmadharaya division of Tatpurusha do not require that the members of which they consist should exercise any government the one over the other; they are connected together by im

නිළු පුල් from නිල් blue, and උපුල් Lotus. හෙලිල්ලඹු from

[blocks in formation]

Lion, which means 'lion-like.' like, and

from 6 manly, and

Ee from & creeperලිය කොමල ලිය

tenderness. ó ó from 6 feet, and con lotus, 'the very-feet-a-lotus.' from one, ළකව්රn එක and £6ɩ valiant, the only-valiant-(person).'* oce3 from e two, and world, 'two-worlds.' from three, help, 'three-fold-help.' ego from

and

[ocr errors]

or ocean, 'fourfold-ocean.' down from

four, and five, and

So great-river, 'five-fold river.' eso es from es six, and oes taste, ‘six-fold taste.' ie from ∞ ♫ seven, and කුලපව් rocks, ‘seven-fold rock. ĉe e from & caste of elephants, 'eight-castes of elephants.'

nine, and 6 door, 'a nine-fold door.'

eight, and 3.94€

from

දසර ජදම්

¿§ from

çe ten, and oʊç☎ royal virtues, 'ten-fold royal virtues.'

Fourth class of compounds.

36. When by the combination of many words of various significations, a meaning is produced different from that which the words (themselves) convey, the compound is called

; and it is to be taken in the sense of one of the seven cases (already referred to). †

EXAMPLES.

-Swan-stuck place' i. e. tank, which is góʊ—'one by whom the

in the sense of the Accusative.

plied, though not expressed concordance, or by copulatives understood. The most numerous series of Karmmadharaya compounds is that in which the attribute is combined with the object; as cogo ‘a blue lotus." &c.-Wilson, p. 343.

* The ten last examples illustrate the Dwigu Tatpurusha compounds of Sanscrit grammarians; and they are compounds of aggregates of any given number of things formed with numerals to signify attributes of weight, measure, or number.

The above species called in the Sanscrit, Bahuvrehi compounds is thus defined by Professor Wilson, p. 348. "Two or more words, or two or more compound terms, may be put together to form the attribute or epithet of an object......When the principal term retains the sign of the case it may be put first."

« AnteriorContinua »