54 



Essay on Telugu Literature. 



[JtJLY 



ant of this pedantic whim (equally unknown even now to the nation at 

 large), surely we are justified in rejecting it as absurd. 



41. In etymology Appa Cavi discriminates Telugu words into four 

 classes, called I.Tatsama, II. Tadbhava, III. Desya, IV. Gramya. I omit 

 other refinements: but these four phrases so often occur that they call 

 for remark. I. Tatsama " equivalent" denotes, " altered" from Sanscrit : 

 thus carmam an act becomes carmamu. Sevaca becomes Sevacudu, a 

 servant and Raja a king, Razu. Thus in English we derive capital from 

 capitalis, poet from poeta, nation from natio, temple from templum, cir- 

 cle from circulus, ration from ratio, tradition from traditio. These of 

 course are distinct from Sanscrit words used in an unaltered form, such as 

 cavi a poet, or stri a woman — like doctor, tutor, and so forth in English. 

 II. Tadbhava "proceeding" denotes much altered : thus samudrah,ihese'A, 

 becomes sandram, yatra,pilgrimage, becomes zatra : thus from the Pracrita 

 word pavdlo, coral, is formed pavadam : from canso, bell metal, comes 

 cancu. Thus in English we change ratio into reason, satio into season : 

 traditio into treason and moneta into money. III. Desya, or primitive 

 Telugu words, such as gurram a horse, cannu an eye, illu a house, and so 

 forth ; which like the corresponding English words are primeval and 

 cannot be traced to any root. A subdivision of this class is Anyadesya, 

 or local. Thus the words polati, toyyali, melata, and many other words 

 for woman; rautu a soldier, reddi a farmer, gidda a bullock, muduca 

 old, bittari beauty, bittali naked, and many more ; some of which are 

 supposed to be Tamil and others are Canada: just as we consider some 

 of our words English, others Scotch, and others Irish. TV. Gramya, or 

 barbarisms* including all Hindustani and other corruptions. 



42. Appa Cavi's work may indeed be valuable as a guide in forming 

 accurate ideas on the themes he discusses. Brt it seems to have deter- 

 red many (at least such is the general belief) from poetical composition : 

 as according to this Aristarchus it is almost impossible to write cor- 

 rectly. But they may observe that he is not infallible: for after defining 

 all that is of good and evil omen to the poet, he has left his own work 

 less than half completed. 



43. The next grammarian to be spoken of is Ahobala Pandit, author 

 of the Cavi Siro Bhushanam, a voluminous commentary written in San- 

 son this subject the following observation occurs in Rees's C3-clopce<dia, under this 



word. " Barbarism is often charged with great justice on modern writers i'n the learn- 

 " ed languages : the Latin books of late ages are full of Anglicisms, Gallicisms and the 

 " like.' But what shall we say to those who accuse even Cicero himself of barbarisms 

 " in his own language?" Thus Appa Cavi declares the exordium of the Telugu Naishad- 

 ham to contain (gramya) barbarisms. 



