NOTES ON ANCIENT SIMHALESE INSCRIPTIONS. 3 



syllable (comp. Hindi bunda, bumda, Mar. Pan). Giy. 

 id., Sindhi bumdo, bumda, Beames Comp. Gr. I 135). In 

 the middle of 'a word, we fiud the same process to have taken 

 place in api "we," Pali and Prakrt : anike, Oriya ambke 

 (Beames Compar. Gr. I 262), Gipsy ame (Miklosich II. 24) 

 — topi " 3 T e" for tumhe Oriya tumbke (Beames ibid), Magadhi 

 tupke (Kern, Over de Faartelling, etc., p. 102, 103), Gipsy 

 ttime (Miklosich ibid)f and sporadic instances in ancient 

 inscriptions, as Mahanaka (= Mahanaga), Alunaka (Maha- 

 vamso : Ilanago),J Sari Naka (= Siri Nago), Nakasena 

 {= Nagasena), Mekawana ( == Meghavarna), ydku (for 

 Pali yagu = Samskrt yavagn), baka ( = bhaga, see below 

 IY. 27) ; again p for Samskrt rv appears in kapanawa " to 

 bite, chew" Samskrt Vearv, Marathi cavanem (Beames Com- 

 parative Gr. I. 352). In the end of a word, of course, as in 

 other languages this change is frequent. 



This word parumaka. strangely enough, in later times has 

 been assumed as a title by kings. Thus we find : Sarima 

 parumaka maharaji (see III.), (but purumuka said of a 

 thero in the inscription at Tissamaharamo (see IV.) — Siri 



•j") In explaining the surds in (api and topi) 1 have followed Profes- 

 sor Kern. But perhaps it is more correct to ascribe the hardening to 

 the influence of s, sh (thus *tusme — *tuspe — tuphe), comparative in 

 Maharatshtii bhappa for bhasman Hemacandra II. 5i, bliippa for bhishma 

 ib. 54, sepha for cleshman, ib. 55. 



f|) Ilanago, though in the Mahavamso he is called the son of a sister 

 of Amandagamani and consequently the grandson of Mahanago, was,, 

 according to an inscription of his on the top of the Dagabaof the Naga- 

 mahaviharo (which I lately copied), the son of Mahanago (Mahanaka 

 rajaha pute Alunaka raja). There is internal evidence for the correct- 

 ness of my identification. 



This is the first instance indeed where I can with certainty convict 

 Mahanamo of inaccuracy. But there are so many genealogical allu- 

 sions in inscriptions which cannot be identified that I have sadly lost 

 my faith in the old chronicler. 



