পৃষ্ঠা:অসমীয়া ব্যাকৰণ আৰু ভাষাতত্ত্ব.djvu/১১৯

DRODUCTION v ' Double letter under a ref. (') has been omitted. In Sanskrit and Vedic this is optional. Double letter under a re. is a pecularity of Bengal. In Northern and Western India it is often avoided. In a few cases I have optionally used Patic spelling to indicate the real pronun- ciation, c.g, jetek, yetek : jetia, yetia yetiya : jeve yeve; tetia, tetiya : &c. | There are several Assamese gammars in current use in the schools. But some of them are like Sanskrit grammars more or less written appa- rently in imitation of Bengali works. The first real Assamese gammar, though in an elementary form, was composed by Rev. N. Brown of the American Mission. The late Pundit Narayana gandra Vidyabhusana also attempted to write such a grammar. The best work of the kind is the Bahal Vyakarana of the late Assamese scholar s. N. Bara B.L. The other grammars generally deal unnecessarily with rules of Sanskrit sandhi, Sanskrit suffixes and Sanskrit compounds, but omit a few of the Assamese grammatical forms. In making this remark I must not be understood, in any way, to underrate their intrinsic worth. 1 myself derived much benefit from them as I must frankly admit. My object in making this remark is to show the necessity for writing a grammar like the present. | The plan of the work is to explain first the rammatical forms and then to try to trace their origin. Old Assamese forms of words and grammar have been illustrated, in most cases, by quotations and refer- ences to their peculiar and important uses indicated. Afinities with the other Prakrtic languages of Eastern India have been noted wherever thought necessary. For a clear understanding of the suggested derivation Prakrtic forms have been added. In a few cases Pali forms have also been inserted. | It will be observed that the origin and derivation suggested in this work are in several cases, mere matters of guess-work and based mainly on resemblances. It is quite possible that some of the resemblances would turn out to be accidental. A few cases may even appear to be fanciful and arbitrary. Though I have suggested no derivation without sufficient reasons, I have not the slightest desire to make light of my errors, inaccuracies and defects, both of omissions and commissions, which can- not be avoided in a work of this kind in the first attempt. Palpable mistakes will, at once, attract attention of the public; and I shall be grateful to any reader who would do me the honour of kindly pointing them out and indicate the places which require corrections, additions or improvements so as to enable me to remove the errors and defects in the second edition, if indeed the work goes to the press again. I am, however, pursuaded that the materials placed before the public will be of some help to the earnest and worthy scholars for a more systematic and thorough study of the subject in future. | I must now greatfully acknowledge the help I have received from different sources. In doing so I must dve first place to the ra৮