A grammar of the Telugu language/BOOK SIXTH

A grammar of the Telugu language (1857) రచించినవారు చార్లెస్ ఫిలిప్ బ్రౌన్
BOOK SIXTH

such rule. It is sufficient to know that these words have each two forms.

The learner need not even peruse the rules concerning Druta and Cala. Native tutors insist greatly on them: but they are unnecessary.

BOOK SIXTH

ON ADJECTIVES.

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On Plurals.

The Singular is called kS'sStf^tfM, and the plural wSx<u:Sffj5 'Ga. The usual plural form is t» as 5:^_tu dogs gb^Souo guns. ?<>lTrtu horses.

The plural form is sometimes used when the conjunction is understood. Thus w^ss^eu elder and younger brothers: ^^.xS T8°sfc sisters; elder and younger.

In such compounds it may be uncertain whether either word is intended to be plural. Thus either or #sS»«sb (or neither) may be plural. And the same of and In such

compounds the word is generic not specific. There may be three elder brothers and only one who is younger: and still the compound ig«i^B^«M.

[The Second Declension has two forms in the plural, aft sS»e» and T§Ve». The form "cST'oo, $)~6s^tx>t ^"S^ew, is by native tutors condemned as inelegant. But it is in general use; and the oldest Grammarian (Nann. § XII) merely observes that ' it is to be used in verse only with words that poetical authority justifies'].

Other instances; &r»Kji a&tfsfctfoo east and west, S*Jfcs&"e5 «« towns and villages, SSao^oj parents. Herein is spelt 83. Again $o\& 8^sSb&ew father and son. feS-rSaa^w (Nala D. 3. 604.) hunger and thirst. Htrt^tosix>£~ winning and losing. s^P^^t" loss and gain, "SoSKOTVKjSaseu silver and gold. (Vaizayanti. 3. 93) foafc&p'i&eu topsy turvy, upside down, tyc&zf&vS* with fear and devotion, j6<sfi$r<s6;&KesS>otf 8ofi using persuasions and threats. Also see M. 9. 2. 141.

This is a series of comparative superlatives. • Our native tutors are usually bramhans, and instruct us to speak proudly, is bramhans dot saying We instead of land Our instead of my. In Pritcheti's translation of the New Testament he always uses this mode regarding our Lord. Thus " They seeing the multitudes, went up into a mountain and their disciples having come, they opened their mouth and said"—and in Matt. XVI 16. Ye are the Christ. This is the French fashion. 'Roi du Ciel! je m' aneantis devant vans' This version by Mr. Pritchett was printed in 1819 and 1829. The Rev. Mr. Hough having spoken well of it in (vol. 4. p. 270) his History of Christianity in India, 1845, (citing History of British and Foreign Bible Society vol. 3. p. 462, 463) I will mention that in 1826 I met Gurumurti Sastri the Head Telugu Master in the College: whose .favourable opinion is there cited. He acknowledged that he had declared to Mr. Campbell his approbation of Pritchett's version: I therefore challenged him to read and understand a chapter in the Gospels. He admitted he scarcely could: and laughed at some odd expressions. On my asking him why he had given it that sanction which had promoted its publication, he replied (likea true bramhan) "Sir," who am I, that I should oppose Mr, Campbell, when he wished to encourage the version?" Mr. Gordon and some other missionaries have since printed Telugu versions of parts of the Bible, but these are inferior to Pritchett's, which is founded on Desgranges' Telugu New Testament. The 'Telinga' version printed at Serampore in 1818 is in some parts tolerably good: probably by Desgranges: other parts are apparently translated from the Sanscrit by a native. Elsewhere it is evidently composed by an Englishman who knew little of Telugu grammar. పుట:A grammar of the Telugu language.pdf/223 పుట:A grammar of the Telugu language.pdf/224 పుట:A grammar of the Telugu language.pdf/225

ON THE COMBINATION OF NOUNS WITH PRONOUNS.

When a noun is compounded with a pronoun of the first or second person (I, we, thou, ye) the termination is changed; by adding affixes borrowed from the pronoun.

If the noun ends in I the affix uses the same vowel. Thus, from So|_4 a father and a mother.

9o[ip I am (his) father.

"^£> &top I am (his) mother,

^ijj tfol&a Thou art his father.

«Sa Thou art his mother.

In ordinary talking these affixes are not much used. Thus

ON COMPOUND NOUNS (samasa.)

Samasam ■^s^'Ssfc in Sanscrit signifies combination of words: formation of compound terms: unting several nouns in one phrase; the final word alone having the sings of case.

These rules regarding compound nouns are not to be studied until the student can speak Telugu easily. పుట:A grammar of the Telugu language.pdf/241

RULES REGARDING PROPER NAMES.

Among the Telugus the family name is in the genitive case: and it therefore stands first: the personal name follows it.*

• Thus in botanical Latin we write the name of the species but abbreviate that of the genus; -which is placed first, like the Telugu family name. The C. P. Brown's Telugu Grammar. c c

The personal name is often that of a Hindu god or goddess : as TPsfccsfig Ramaiia, and «X Laxmi: but the family name is usually that of a place. Thus ZiS&Tr>s&,<&g Ramaiia of Kadapa. It is hence called either ssto£j-=&& house-name or Stfl'Sao village name.

Among Europeans the family name is known to all, even to strangers: the Christian name is not so often heard. Among the Telugus the contrary is the case: we may know a man well by name, though we may never have heard his family name. A man baptized at Madras in 1837 was named Wesley Abraham.

The English contract the christian or personal name and write the family name at length : the Telugus do the contrary. Thus j^Ha^c&g 'P. Chinnaiia' may stand for *ft^^e3ajSjcBSe 0r Chinnaya of the Pasupuleti family. In signatures the personal name alone is generally written. In marriage the wife takes her husband's family name. But some persons and castes have no family name.

The family name is often that of a place. Thus there are places named &fr-4)-$& and §"o£i>ao whence ^rM^iS"^^^ Ramaya of Pasupuleru foaSfiS^cseg Krishnaya of Condavidu. If asked the names of their respective families, these men would answer (using plural forms) "^sS»*f&>^"343«r«oi£8S» we are of Pasupuleru &c.

In such genitives ^"^ is inadmissible.

When two or more persons bearing the same family name are mentioned together, cor° 'This' (equivalent to Ditto) is used. Thus*£^«^*>«*$,«r«*)&<*6S Ramaya and Krishnaya of Pasupuleru. Or, Pasupuleru Ramaya, and ditto Krishnaya: like 'John and Charles Wesley.' Thus Eo^jiS-^oSg Narasaya of your family. s^xr'sacss our Ramaya, &c.

Chinese too place the family name first. So in old English, John of Gaunt, Anne of Geierstein, Balfour ofBurley. The same is the custom among the Finns and also the Hungarians. See Foreign Quarterly Review No. 57, p. 65, where ' John living at Kinte' was called ' Kinte's John' &c. See Blackwood's Magazine No. 334, page 178.

When junior and senior are intended the words ^>g elder and ^<Sj. younger are used. Thus "3<uK'jgr»4 wgjjsc&g cra-» fiiS^&tfcsS Viraya senior and junior of Velagapudi. The words for senior and junior being applied to the personal names.

Servants who have long been attached to some English or Musulman or French masters occasionally bear their names. Thus a native Hindu family at Masulipatam bears the name of Holland. Another bears the name of Majumdar ; that is, Accountant.

Just as William or Elizabeth may become Will or Bill, Betsy or Betty, the same Telugu name may take various forms, some respectful and others familiar. Thus Jagannath Rao, Jagga Rao, Jagannatham, Jaggaya, Jaggappa: and a female name Laxmi may become and even fly So among men. ^EotJsStj may

become x3o«nvTSS but the word "7r*«*b (equivalent to fellow,) is applied only to the lowest persons. In speaking they often contract such names into ^oeSnv* in the vocative; dropping the last syllable. This should be avoided.

Some personal names as a&"CP'o3o:3'«S», JjlSs'Sox'sfcD &c. have a neuter form. Or the termination e» as stf £jsv. See the rules for the plural.

As names (personal) take forms so numerous,* & misnomer cannot well be pleaded, unless regarding the family names. Some few, particularly men of learning, assume new names ; or epithets: but cases are rare of an alias assumed for a fraudulent design.

Sometimes one person signs on behalf of another; using this phrase i>i£^Bp "3o ;SeMc3;5 "^oa-SSj^^p-^f) ' signed by me, Medideh Krishnamma, on behalf of my uncle Viresa.' Literally • Signature (H. nisMn) of Krishnamma by consent of Viresa.'

It is considered improper for a man to call his wife, or a wife to call her husband, or, in short to call any respected person, by name. Thus English servants if respectful, do not speak

So in ancient English, some names as Raleigh, Burleigh, Shakespeare, were spelt in various ways, without any rule.

of their master or mistress by name. A man never mentions his wife's name; nor does a woman mention her husband's; unless by compulsion in a court of justice: where it is considered a hardship and indignity. A woman speaks of her husband as j£r»c33*js£^i&JSo or as 'Fer <sfc|S Master, or my Lord.

Though Sita (the spouse of Rama) is a feminine name (in Telugu it is also borne by men, with the masculine affix, viz. |>3cSS£ Sitaya (as Maria forms the name of some Frenchmen; or as Helena and Helenus in Greek). But Telugu ladies of rank (Velamas) use the masculine affix : and sign their names as |>3ctfg Sitaya, or tfoXcjCg Rangaiia ; instead of |>3°£> Sitamma or tfoxsfc Rangamma.

This refinement originates in pride: the common salutation "Madam " is 'Amma' Mother; but a proud Hindu dame scorning to let every man, whatever his caste, addresses her as mother, assumes the title «*a«6e 'Ayya' "Father "—equivalent to Sir or Lord. Such is the reason alledged.

Thus Moriamur pro rege nostro Maria. Theresa. The Highland Scotch use the word Sir respectfully to ladies.

Hindu letters generally commence with absurd flatteries. "To the most noble, most reverend" &c. which are mere expressions of course, like'your obedient servant.' In modern days Hindus see the emptiness of this ; and to get rid of the custom many begin their letters with "My dear Sir" (written in English) adding, at

the end, "Your obedient servant" while the rest of the letter

is written in Telugu or Tamil. In the native newspapers correspondents fairly commence in the English fashion, with 'Sir' ending with #jfc^siSo^iS 'your servant.' Even the English mode of using a fanciful signature "A Friend" " An Observer" &c is imitated.

Ill as the natives pronounce English names we enunciate their names yet worse. Thus on the map we see Kotta Kotta for E~ S^ii Kotta Kota, (New Fort) and a^^a&AJsio Visakha Patnam becomes Vizagapatam, LfT^&tfrfao Sricaculam is written Chicacole: )fr'lSvT'& Giidulur becomes Cuddalore. :Sc«sr»^ Vandavasi becomes Wandiwash: Hiroda is turned into Errode. పుట:A grammar of the Telugu language.pdf/246 పుట:A grammar of the Telugu language.pdf/247 పుట:A grammar of the Telugu language.pdf/248 పుట:A grammar of the Telugu language.pdf/249 పుట:A grammar of the Telugu language.pdf/250

Some other words admit of gender and therefore may be considered with pronouns. £>& ' where' (with the hard D) is masculine, and &9 ' where' (with the soft D) is feminine ; thus; <So\& «5oS 'where is my father' dj>«ba where is my mother.

In addressing a superior, the Hindus use the respectful pronouns Sxr»& 'you' or self, selves. But in respectful affection or strong devotion 'Thou' is the only phrase. So in poetry, (H. D. 2. 151.) the wife addresses her husband with reverence as r>6 Thou.

In addressing a respectable native (particularly a paid tutor) Ot»3j You is the proper word. But in conversation we may gradually learn how to avoid pronouns: thus instead of {jy^^sy hast thou written it? we can say \_»r»§§d;5"n,> {9 it written? Instead of d^ow^a^ go (thou) and tell him, we can say S^om^*^ sSe>#;sa ilfaut dire. But the niceties of conversational style can only be acquired by closely observing the manner in which natives express themselves. There are delicate points of politeness which cannot be defined in rules.

Relative pronouns are sometimes translated without the relative form Thus 53- ^"fcr& 53os5$eS oSo&> 3« pn>Bo? Did anybody (quis) do anything (quid) to the box ? Lit. Who did what?

The defective pronoun t9o«£>5 (noticed under the Adverbial declension) may be added as a gerund to any past or Aorist p|| thus ; 5SS^o&-,5 «by coming' Tyfio&tf < by not coming,' sSfi^So for having come. And it uses a plural dative form rrXao efcoSS (ad veniendum) that (he) may be able to come.

Relative words (who, where, which, wherefore,) must often be turned into Telugu by 'he, they, there, it, therefore? In the 135th Psalm, in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, as also in many parts of the Liturgy, a series of relative pronouns cannot be translated intelligibly into Telugu Tamil or Cannadi without such an alteration.