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A GRAMMAR OF THE MALAYALIM LANGUAGE

JOSEPH PEET

009 PERMIUTATION OF VOWELS.

21. In general it may be remarked that since initial vowels can only be used at the commencement of words, when any number of single words, beginning or closing with vowels, coalesce and form a compound word; these vowels require to be changed into their medial characters, or dropped altogether: sometimes, however, other letters are inserted; as ന്യായമല്ലാതെയുള്ള from ന്യായം അല്ലാതെ യ and ഉള്ള.
The rules for the permutations of the vowels are,
First. Of words ending in short അ. When a word ending with the open vowel sound of അ is followed by another word that begins with അ short; the first letter of the word to be affixed is dropped, and in this state the words coalesce; the last letter of the first word retaining its vowel sound; asഇരിക്കെണ്ടുന്നതാകുന്നു from ഇരിക്കെണ്ടുന്ന and അതാകുന്നു. കൊതമ്പപ്പം from കൊതമ്പ, and അപ്പം.
Secondly. When a word ending in an open consonant is followed by any vowel except അ short, the vowel sound of the final consonant is dropped, In native writings the above rule holds good in every case, but this is decidedly wrong, as such a practice, in some instances, confounds words, renders their meaning ambiguous, changes the powers of the letters, and causes them to be pronounced inaccurately: thus a native would write സ്നെഹിച്ചാൾ, for സ്നെഹിച്ച, ആൾ; but according to the former mode of spelling in this, as well as in similar instances, not only would the pronounciation be inaccurate, but the word itself may readily be confounded with the past tenses of verbs which, in their poetic works, and the initial vowel of the following word assumes its medial form and coalesces with the consonant from which the vowel is removed;

Thirdly. When words, ending with long ആ are followed by അ, the അ, is sometimes changed into യ; if it be ആ, into യാ; as

Fourthly. When the last vowel of the first word is ഇ, and the first word of the second അ or ആ, the last rule applies: as,

Sometimes words that end in ഇ and begin with ആ, are altered thus; the ഇ of the first word is changed into ്യ and the ആ into its medial: as,

frequently have a feminine termination, the form of which is the same with the one above: the രാവണസഹൊദരിപിന്നെയും
രഘുകുലനായകനൊട
ചൊന്നാൾ Rawenens sister spoke again to Regukulenyyeken.
Fifthly. If the last vowel of the word prefixed, and the first of the word to be added, end in ഇ, the ഇ of the first word remains, and for the second ഇ, യ with a medial ഇ placed over it is inserted; as,
എഴുതിയിരിക്കുന്നവൻ, from എഴുതി and ഇരിക്കുന്നവൻ.
നല്കിയിരിക്കുന്നു, ,, നൽകി ,, ഇരിക്കുന്നു.

If the first word ends in യി; the first ഇ of the second word is omitted altogether; as,
പൊയിരിക്കുന്നു, from പൊയി and ഇരിക്കുന്നു.
ശൂന്യമായിരിക്കുന്നു, ,, ശൂന്യമായി ,, ഇരിക്കുന്നു.

In many words of Sanscrit origin where the connecting letters are ഇ or ൟ, both are rejected, and a medial long ൟ placed over the last consonant of the first word; thus,
കവീന്ദ്രൻ, from കവി and ഇന്ദ്രൻ
യൊഗീശ്വരൻ, ,, യൊഗി ,, ൟശ്വരൻ.

Sixthly. In words where the last vowel of the preceding word ends in ഇ, and the first letter of the following word begins with ഉ, the ഉ is changed into its medial and placed under a യ; and the words are then connected; as,
ശക്തിയുള്ളവൻ, from ശക്തി, യ and ഉള്ളവൻ.

Sometimes the ഇ of the first word is dropped and a ്യ subscribed to the consonant to which the medial ഉ of the second word is added; thus,
അത്യുത്തമം, from അതി and ഉത്തമം.

Seventhly. If the second word begins with ഊ, its medial with യ is used as above; thus,
മുരളിയൂത്ത, from മുരളി and ഊത്ത.
വഴിയൂട്ട, ,, വഴി ,, ഊട്ട.

Eighthly. Where the last letter of the word prefixed ends in ഉ, and the first letter of the second word begins with ഇ, the first vowel is dropped, and the medial of the ഇ is placed over the last consonant of the first word to which the remaining letters of the second word are added; thus,
കുഴിച്ചിട്ടു, from കുഴിച്ചു and ഇട്ടു.
അറിയിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു, ,, അറിയിച്ചു ,, ഇരിക്കുന്നു.

Ninthly. Where the coalescing letters are both ഉ, the second is changed into its medial and placed under a വ, and in this state it is affixed to the first word; as,
വിഷ്ണുവും, from വിഷ്ണു, വ and ഉം.
പശുവും, ,, പശു, വ ,, ഉം.

Tenthly. ഊ when beginning a word that is affixed to words ending in a vowel is, for the most part, changed into its medial, and written thus;
കുളിച്ചൂത്തു, from കുളിച്ചു and ഊത്തു.
ൟയൂഴം, ,, ൟ, യ ,, ഊഴം.

യ is inserted in the last example, for the sake of euphony.

Eleventhly. In cases where words, beginning with the letter എ, are affixed to others ending in a vowel, the എ is changed into its medial and placed before the last consonant of the word prefixed, from which its own vowel has been previously removed; as,
ഉയിൎത്തെഴുനീറ്റു, from ഉയിൎത്തു and എഴുനീറ്റു.
കണ്ടെത്തി, ,, കണ്ടു ,, എത്തി.
വീണ്ടെടുപ്പ, ,, വീണ്ടു ,, എടുപ്പ.
എന്തകൊണ്ടെന്നാൽ, ,, എന്തകൊണ്ട ,, എന്നാൽ.

Twelfthly. ഒ annexed to another word ending in അ or യ, is changed into its medial and coalesces thus;
മറ്റൊരുത്തൻ, from മറ്റ and ഒരുത്തൻ.
മുടന്തനായൊരുമനുഷ്യൻ, ,, മുടന്തനായ, ഒരു ,, മനുഷ്യൻ.

If the last consonant, of the word to be prefixed, be one of the final letters, it is changed into its corresponding initial with which the medial ഒ coalesces, as in the former case; thus,
കാൎയ്യങ്ങളൊക്കെയും, from കാര്യങ്ങൾ and ഒക്കെയും.
ജനങ്ങളൊരുമിച്ചുകൂടി, ,, ജനങ്ങൾ ,, ഒരുമിച്ച കൂടി.

ഒ is much in use, as the sign of interrogation; in such cases it never stands alone, but is changed into its medial and either coalesces with the last consonant of a word, or with വ or യ, which are then annexed to a word thus,
ചെയ്യുന്നുണ്ടൊ? from ചെയ്യുന്നുണ്ട and ഒ.
ചെയ്യുന്നുവൊ? ,, ചെയ്യുന്നു, വ ,, ഒ.
അവൻ തന്നെയൊ? ,, അവൻ തന്നെ, യ ,, ഒ.

Thirteenthly. ഔ in combination is changed into its medial and used thus;
നഞ്ചായുള്ളൌഷധി, from നഞ്ചായുള്ള and ഔഷധി.
ഭയങ്കരമായുള്ളൌൎവാഗ്നി, ,, ഭയങ്കരമായുള്ള ,, ഔൎവാഗ്നി.

Fourteenthly. Words ending with ം, when prefixed to words beginning with അ, change ം into മ, and the അ of the second word is dropped thus,
കാൎയ്യമല്ല, from കാൎയ്യം and അല്ല.
സ്ഥലമല്ല, ,, സ്ഥലം ,, അല്ല.

If അപ്പോൾ be affixed to words ending with ം, the ം and അ are dropped and പ്പ is changed into മ്പ; as,
പൊകുമ്പൊൾ, from പൊകും and അപ്പൊൾ.

If the first letter of the annexed word begin with ആ it is changed into its medial; thus,
പൂൎണ്ണമായിട്ട, from പൂൎണ്ണം and ആയിട്ട.
പതിനാറാമാണ്ട, ,, പതിനാറാം ,, ആണ്ട.

If the first letter of the annexed word be ഇ; thus,
കാൎയ്യമില്ല, from കാൎയ്യം and ഇല്ല.
കൊടമിട്ടു, ,, കൊടം ,, ഇട്ടു.

If the first letter of the second word be ഉ; thus,
സ്വസ്ഥമുള്ള, from സ്വസ്ഥം and ഉള്ള.
മഹത്വമുള്ള, ,, മഹത്വം ,, ഉള്ള.

If the first letter of the second word be എ; thus,
ഞാനുമെങ്ങുംപൊയില്ല, from ഞാനും, എങ്ങും and പൊയില്ല.
അതുമെതുമില്ല, ,, അതും, എതും ,, ഇല്ല.
പറയുമെങ്കിൽ, ,, പറയും ,, എങ്കിൽ.

If the first letter of the second word begin with ഐ, ഒ or ഔ; thus,
നാടുമൈശ്വൎയ്യവും, from നാടും and ഐശ്വൎയ്യവും.
പറഞ്ഞതുമൊത്തു, ,, പറഞ്ഞതും ,, ഒത്തു.
അവന്നുമൌദാൎയ്യമുണ്ട, ,, അവന്നും, ഔദാൎയ്യം ,, ഉണ്ട.

In many words, chiefly of Sanscrit origin, when the word to be prefixed ends in ം, that character is dropped altogether; thus,
ഫലമൂലാദികൾ, from ഫലം, മൂലം and ആദികൾ.
ഭയപ്പെടുന്നു, ,, ഭയം ,, പെടുന്നു.

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