NOTES ON ANCIENT SIMHALESE INSCRIPTIONS. 7 



showing the gradual transition of the suffix ka into ya, there 

 being both forms found here. 



6) Ati lege ati = Skt.-asti, Pali and Prakrt atthi, modern 

 Simhalese ; aeti and in composition yi. 



7) Walamani. If the second part of this name is== Skt. 

 mani, it should be written with n (Cer.) also in Simhalese ; 

 but perhaps the whole word is to be explained by Vard- 

 hamana. A tank, called Vaddkamana was constructed by 

 Dhatusena (Mahav. p. 257), which is possibly ours, but 

 then, I presume, the inscription was purposely written in 

 an antiquated style (comp. Abhivaddhamanavapi, con- 

 structed by King Vasabho, Mahav. p. 222. I have also met 

 with the name Wadamanaka in an ancient cave inscription.) 



8) Wawlya Skt. and Pali vapi, modern Simhalese wsewa. 



9) K&ti = kshatriya. 



10) Dakiki "he saw," an aorist from dak (dakinawa), 

 Prakrt dekkh, modern vernaculars dekh, but A^oka and 

 Magadhi dakhami (Kern. p. 101) maharashtri, causative 

 dakkhava (Hemac. IV. 32) from Skt Vdrc. 



The formation of the Aorist in ancient Simhalese is very 

 interesting. It was originally a participle combined with 

 kahi (= akarohit) " he made," but in some instances the 

 first part seems to be formed by the simple root (comp. 

 on the formation of the Aorist in the Gipsy dialects 

 Miklosich, Ueber die mundarten etc. der Zigeuner Europa's 

 II 16.) I must defer the investigation of these gramma- 

 tical forms until the publication of an article on Simhalese 

 conjugation ; I here only quote a few aorists from ancient 

 inscriptions : karikahi (== karyam akarohit, the long vowel 

 probably owing to the influence of the learned, as there are 

 also other tatsamas in the same inscription, inscription of 



(f This form I have found in a cave inscription certainly not subse- 

 quent to the first century, B.C. 



