Lesson XXIV

Index

Lesson XXIV

RULES OF SANDHI (Combinations)

By Sandhi* is meant the combination of two letters that come in immediate contact with each other.

This combination may take place by elision, substitution, augment, etc.

* Formed of " saü ", together, with " dhà " to join.

In Pàëi there are three classes of Sandhi, viz :-

1. Sara sandhi -Vowel Combinations,

2. Vya¤jana sandhi -Consonant Combinations, and

3. Niggahita (ü) sandhi -Niggahita Combinations.

1. Sara sandhi -Vowel Combinations

1. When two vowels come together, the preceding vowel is often dropped. e.g.,

Loka - agga	= Lok'agga,	chief of the world
Pa¤¤à - indriya	= pa¤¤'indriya,	faculty of wisdom
Tãni - imàni	= tãn'imàni,	these three
Sabbo - eva	= sabb'eva,	verily all

2. Sometimes the following vowel is dropped, if it is preceded by a dissimilar vowel. e.g.,

Chàyà - iva	= chàyà'va,	like a shadow
Iti - api	= iti'pi,	such indeed
Pàto - eva	= pàto'va,	early morning

3. When the preceding dissimilar vowel is dropped, the following " i " and" u " short or long, are substituted by " e " and " o " respectively. e.g.,

Upa - eto	= Up'eto	constituted
Suriya - udaya	= suriy'udayu,	suriyodaya, sunrise

4. When the preceding vowel is dropped, the following vowel is sometimes lengthened. e.g.,

Buddha - anussati	= Buddh'ànussati,	reflection on the Buddha
Gacchàmi - iti	= gacchàm'ãti,	that I go
Bahu - upakàro	= bahåpakàro,	very helpful
Sace - ayaü	= sacàyaü,	if this
Idàni - ahaü	= idàn'àhaü,	now I

5. Sometimes the preceding vowel is lengthened when the following vowel is dropped. e.g.,

Lokassa - iti	= lokassà'ti,	thus to the world
Vi - atikkama	= vã'tikkama,	transgression
Sàdhu - iti	= sàdhå'ti,	thus good
Jãvitahetu - api	= jãvitahetå'pi,	even for the sake of life

6. When te, me, ye are followed by a vowel, " y " is sometimes substituted for their final " e ". e.g.,

Me - ayaü	= myayaü, myàyaü,	this by me
Te - ahaü	= tyahaü, tyàhaü,	I to thee
Ye - assa	= yyassa, yyàssa,	those to him

7. When " i ", " ã " and " u ", " o " are followed by a dissimilar vowel* " y " and " v "are sometimes substituted for them respectively. e.g.,

Vi - àkato	= vyàkato,	proclaimed
Su - àgataü	= svàgataü,	welcome
Anu - eti	= anveti,	follows
Ko - attho	= kvattho,	what good
So - ayaü	= svayaü, svàyaü,	he this

* For instance a and à are similar vowels, a and i are dissimilar vowels.

8. " Ti " of ati, iti, and pati, when followed by a vowel, is sometimes changed into " cc ". e.g.,

Ati - antaü	= accantaü,	exceedingly
Ati - eti	= acceti,	surpasses
Ati - odàto	= accodàto,	very white
Iti - etaü	= iccetaü,	thus that
Pati - àharati	= paccàharati,	brings back

9. Abhi, followed by a vowel is sometimes changed into " abbha ". e.g.,

Abhi - uggato

= ubbhuggato,

arose

10. " Adhi ", followed by a vowel, is sometimes changed into " ajjha ". e.g.,

Adhi - àgama

= ajjhàgama,

attained

11. Sometimes " t, d, n, m, y, r, ë, v " are inserted before a vowel. e.g.,

Ajja - agge	= ajjatagge,	from to-day
Atta - attha	= attadattha,	self-good
Ito - àyati	= itonàyati,	comes from here
Idha - àhu	= idhamàhu,	here they say
So - eva	= soyeva,	he himself
Ni - antaraü	= nirantaraü,	without an interval, intermittent
Cha - abhi¤¤à	= chaëabhi¤¤à,	six kinds of higher knowledge
Ti - aõgikaü	= tivaõgikaü,	three factors

2. Vya¤jana Sandhi - Consonant Combinations

1. The vowel preceding a consonant is sometimes lengthened. e.g.,

Te - assa	= tyàssa,	those to him
Municare	= munãcare,	the sage would wander
Su - akkhàto	= svàkkhàto,	well-expounded
Jàyati soko	= jàyatãsoko,	grief arises

2. Sometimes the vowel preceding a consonant is shortened. e.g.,

Yadi và sàvake	= yadivasàvake,	or if towards the disciples
Taõhà - khayo	= taõhakkhayo,	destruction (of) craving

3. Before a consonant the final " o " of the pronominal stems " eta " and " ta " is changed into " a ". e.g.,

Eso dhammo	= esa dhammo,	that nature
So muni	= sa muni,	he (is) a sage

4. The consonant following a vowel is sometimes duplicated. e.g.,

A - pamàdo	= appamàdo,	diligence
Vi - ¤àõaü	= vi¤¤àõaü,	conciousness

5. When an aspirated consonant is duplicated the preceding one is changed into the unaspirated form of the same consonant. e.g.,

Ni - bhayaü	= nibbhayaü,	fearless
sa - dhammo	= saddhammo,	noble Doctrine

3. Niggahita (ü) Sandhi - Niggahita Combinations

1. The Niggahita preceding a group consonant is changed into the nasal of that particular group; e.g.,

Taü khaõaü	= taïkhaõaü,	that instant
Saü jàta	= sa¤jàta,	born
Taü ¤àõaü	= ta¤¤àõaü,	that knowledge
Taü ñhànaü	= taõñhànaü,	that place
Ahaü te	= ahante,	I to thee
Saü nipàto	= sannipàto,	union
Saü bodhi	= sambodhi,	enlightenment
Saü màna	= sammàna,	honour

2. The Niggahita preceding " e " and " h " is changed into " ¤ ". Before " e " the substituted " ¤ " is duplicated. e.g.,

Taü - eva	= ta¤¤eva,	itself
Taü - hi	= ta¤hi,	it indeed

3. The Niggahita preceding " y " is sometimes changed into " ¤ "', " y " is afterwards dropped, and the substituted " ¤ " is duplicated. e.g.,

Saü - yamo

= sa¤¤amo,

restraint

4. The Niggahita, followed by a vowel, is sometimes changed into " m ", and into " d " if it is affixed to " ta " and " eta ". e.g.,

Taü - ahaü	= tamahaü,	that I
Etaü - avoca	= etadavoca,	this he said

5. Sometimes the Niggahita preceding a vowel is dropped. The initial vowel of the following word not followed by a double consonant, is lengthened, and the final vowel of the preceding word is dropped. e.g.,

Adàsiü ahaü,	adàsi - ahaü,	adà's - ahaü,	adàs'àhaü,	I gave
Evaü ahaü,	eva - ahaü,	ev'ahaü,	ev'àhaü,	thus I

6. Sometimes the Niggahita preceding a consonant is also dropped. e.g.,

Buddhànaü - sàsanaü

= Buddhànasàsanaü,

message of the Buddhas

7. Sometimes a Niggahita is inserted before a vowel or a consonant. e.g.,

Cakkhu udapàdi	= cakkhuü udapàdi,	the eye arose
Ava - siro	= avaüsiro,	head downwards

8. Sometimes the vowel following a Niggahita is dropped, and the Niggahita is afterwards nasalised. e.g.,

Idaü api	= idam'pi,	this too
Kiü iti	= kin'ti,	what is
Cakkaü iva	= cakkaü'va,	like a wheel