CONTENTS:

ON THE NATURE AND FUNCTION OF PUNARCCI VITIKAL (SANDHI RULES) IN TOLKAPPIYAM*

RANGAN KRISHNASAMY  

Abstract
Tolkāppiyam is the earliest and complete grammar of the Tamil language which has an unbroken history of two thousand years. The generalizations expressed in Tolkāppiyam had been converted into formal phonological rules (2012). We concentrate here to relate the output of the puņarcci viṯikaļ (morphophonemic/phonological rules) with the rules that deal with the combinations of the phonological elements. The combination of vowels is not allowed in a morpheme or word. When the preceding word ends in a vowel and the following word begins with a vowel, the rules either insert a semi-vowel y/v or delete a vowel in a sequence. Thus, the sequence of vowels, in a morpheme or word is obstructed. It is to be examined in future whether the rules (puņarcci viṯikaļ) obstruct the unpermitted combinations of consonants in the Tamil language.
[Abbreviations : V = Vowel, ⊽ = long vowel, v = short vowel, eḻu = Eḻuṯṯaṯikāram, allo = allomorph,      C = Consonant, dem = demonstrative, imp = Imperative, L = Lateral, meas = measure, N = Nasal, num = Numeral, Nn = Noun, P = Plosive, Vb = Verb.]
Transcription:           
ṯ - dental plosive, t – alveolar plosive, and ṭ - retroflex plosive, ṉ – dental nasal, n – alveolar nasal and ņ – retroflex nasal (differing from the transcription of Tamil Lexicon)

(* V.I. Subramoniam Endowment Lecture delivered at the 51stAICDL, Department of Linguistics, Tamil University, Thanjavur, June 2024. I also express my sincere thanks to Prof. K.S. Kamaleswaran for his kind help in the finalization of this article.)

THE ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD “NIRVANA”
(PĀLI NIBBĀNA, ARDHAMĀGADHĪ NIVVĀṆA, GĀNDHĀRĪ NIVAṆA, SANSKRIT NIRVĀṆA)      
Bryan G. Levman
Abstract
This study argues that the English word nirvana is not derived from Sanskrit nirvāṇa, but from the Proto-Dravidian verbal forms nīppaṉa and niṟpaṉa, meaning “abandoning” and “stopping/cessation.”
[Keywords: nirvāṇa, nivvāṇa, nibbāna, nivaṇa, Proto-Dravidian, Dravidian languages, Dravidian Buddhism
Abbreviations : AMg = ArdhaMāgadhī; AN = Aṅguttara Nikāya;  BHS = Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit (Edgerton 1953/1998); DED = Dravidian Etymological Dictionary (Emeneau and Burrow, 1984); DN = Dīgha Nikāya; IA = Indo-Aryan; MI = Middle Indic; MN = Majjhima Nikāya; OED = Oxford English Dictionary; OI = Old Indic (Vedic, Sanskrit); PD = Proto-Dravidian; Pischel = Pischel 1900/1981; PTS = Pali Text Society; RV = Ṛg Veda; S = Sanskrit; Se = Thai Syāmaraṭṭha recension of the Pāli canon; N = Saṃyutta Nikāya;              Sn = Sutta Nipāta; Spk = Sāratthappakāsinī (Saṃyuttanikāya-aṭṭhakathā); TL = Tamil Lexicon; Tolk = Tolkappīyam]

ABETTING SOUNDS LEADING TO PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES                                                  IN DRAVIDIAN LANGUAGES    
N. Nadarajapillai
Abstract
The sound changes noticed in Dravidian languages can be classified into two types viz. (1) unabetting and (2) abetting. The main focus given in the paper is on abetting sound changes. The abetting sounds can instigate or trigger nine phonological processes of which six are abetting and the rest non-abetting.  It is also proposed that instead of taking written Tamil forms as Proto-Dravidian forms as given in Dravidian Etymological Dictionary, the spoken Tamil forms need to be taken into account for analysis. If not, the spoken Tamil forms should also be given along with the written Tamil forms, which reduces the number of rules for the derivation of cognates, thus making the process economical. In the process of explaining, this article also suggests a few important phonological laws.

(* Prof. Nagamma Reddy Memorial Lecture delivered at the 51st All India Conference of Dravidian Linguists, Tamil University, Thanjavur.)

ASPECTS OF LANGUAGE CONTACTAMONG THE HAJONGS OF THE GOALPARA DISTRICT OF ASSAM      
Albina Narzary, Pankaj Dwivedi,  S. Arulmozi & Somdev Kar
 
Abstract
The study aims to investigate a sociolinguistic situation in the phenomenon of language maintenance or shift amongst the Hajongs of Assam, a small minority group inhabiting the state for many years. Language maintenance and shift refer to the processes by which languages change over time. Maintaining a language is frequently driven by a desire to uphold cultural identity and community communication. This may refer to making an effort to encourage language use through media, social networks, and education. Language shift refers to the gradual or rapid decline of a language due to socio-political, economic, or cultural factors (Fishman 1964). The study aims to measure language maintenance and shift among the Hajongs of Assam, examining their language proficiency, attitudes, and usage of Hajong and Assamese, using questionnaires, interviews, and field visits to different villages of the Goalpara district. The participant sample includes 100 Hajong individuals. Based on the study's findings, the Hajongs of Assam are gradually shifting toward the Assamese language. Most of them have limited proficiency in the four language skills of Hajong. It is used in very limited domains, while Assamese is used in various functions.
[Keywords: Language Contact, Language maintenance and shift, Language use, Language Proficiency, Language attitude, Hajong language]

A DESCRIPTION OF NON-VERBAL PREDICATION IN KUWI      
Gunti Prem Sagar & Anindita Sahoo
Abstract
This paper provides a descriptive account of non-verbal predicate sentences in the Kuwi language. The main aim is to determine the appropriate classification that predicts the distribution of zero copula and copular sentences, and describes how many types of non-verbal predications are available in Kuwi. We initiate the discussion by examining different kinds of classification of non-verbal predicate sentences in terms of categorial, functional/semantic, and morpho-syntactic features, and claim that morpho-syntactic classification is appropriate for describing non-verbal predicate sentences. Finally, we present a set of strategies that are employed by Kuwi to formulate non-verbal predicate constructions.
[Keywords: Kuwi, Non-verbal predication, Copular sentences, Zero copula sentences, Nominalizers
Abbreviations : 1=1st person; 2 = 2nd person; 3=3rd person; ACC= accusative case; COP=copula; DAT=dative case; DFLT=default agreement; DEF=definiteness; LOC=locative case; M=masculine; NEG=negation; NM=non-masculine; NMLZ=nominalizer; NPST= non-past tense; OBL=oblique case; PL=plural; POSS=possessive suffix; PRED=predicate head; PRES=present tense; PST=past tense; s=Semantic; SG=singular; TAM=Tense, Aspect, Mood;  Phi = agreement]
(Kuwi is pronounced as /Kuʔi/ by the native speakers. It has other alternative names, such as Jatapu, Kuvi, Khond, Kondh, Kuvinga, Koju and Samantu.)

MULTIVERB CONSTRUCTIONS OF BANGLA: SERIAL VERBS TO GRAMMATICALIZATION THROUGH METAPHORIZATION      
Namrata Paul & Sanjukta Ghosh
Abstract
The paper investigates semantically three different types of multiverb constructions of Bangla which apparently have an identical structure, viz., a serial verb with distinct core meaning, a serial verb with a metaphorical meaning and a compound verb with a completely grammaticalized meaning of the second verb or the vector.   It tries to explain the process of grammaticalization of the vector verbs in the compound verb constructions of Bangla through the stage of metaphorization using Image Schema and Cognitive Metaphor theory. The event structure of these constructions reveals that the serial verb with core sense as well as a metaphorical sense has two distinct events whereas a typically grammaticalized compound verb is cognized as one single event.
[Keywords: Grammaticalization, Metaphorical Meaning, Compound Verb, Cognitive Metaphor, Image Schema]

THE KUDMI COMMUNITY: LANGUAGE AND IDENTITY POLITICS AND CONTEMPORARY LANGUAGE ATTITUDES AND USE IN JHARKHAND      
Zoya Khalid
 
Abstract
The Kudmi community, today, lives in some parts of Jharkhand, Orissa, and West Bengal, and their native language is Kudmali. During British rule, ethnologists such as Dalton (1872) confused the ethnic identity of the Kudmi community of Chota Nagpur with the Kurmi community living in Bihar, even though these two communities were linguistically and culturally different, as was later pointed out by Risley (1892) and Grierson (1898). Despite their differentiation of the two, the Kudmi community was constantly clubbed with the Kurmi Hindu community of Bihar. The paper discusses the history of linguistic and identity politics related to the Kudmi community, pre- and post-independence, and its relation with the current Kudmi movement. It relies on primary data from an online survey to assess the current language use and language attitudes of the Kudmi community living in Jharkhand.
[Keywords: Kudmali, Kudmi movement, identity politics, language attitudes, mother tongue]