aF BHAEATAVARSA OR INDIA; 
31 
wliicli tlieir descendants are still scattered, are well worthj of 
a careful research being made into their past historj. 
Philological Remarks. 
Before entering upon the historical part of this inquiry, 
a few general philological remarks will not be out of place. 
Every one who is even slightly acquainted with the laws 
which govern the interchange of letters, knows that the labial 
nasal m is often permuted into the other labials as />, h, or v 
and vice versa. Mumha is thus changed to Bombay, and 
Mallava into Ballava ; Marukaccha is identical with Bharu- 
kaccha ; Sanskrit pramdna is altered to Kanarese pavanu or 
havanu, measure ; mattai, stem, in Tamil resembles pattai, 
bark ; madandai in Tamil, woman, corresponds to padati in 
Telugu, and Medlar to Pallar, &o. On the other hand, Bhavdni 
becomes Bhamani; Vdnam, heaven, is changed in Tamil to 
Mdnani) Palavaneri to Palamaneri; PaUava to Vallama 
(Velama) and Vallamba; pallddu, goat, in Tamil, to velladu ; 
Vadavan to Vadaman ; the words Ciruvan and Ciruman, 
youth, both occur ; pirahku, to shine, in Tamil corresponds to 
the Telugu merungu, &c. 
Tbe above-mentioned rule is general and applies to 
other languages as well, for in Greek, omma, e.g., becomes 
oppa ; meta, peda ; memhras, bembi'as ; pallein, ballein, and 
patein, batein, &c. ; but nowhere else does there exist such 
a variety and difference of pronunciation as in the vernacular- 
languages of India. Their system of writing is a proof 
of this fact. Tamil has, e.g., only one sign for the four 
sounds ^ belonging to each of the five classes ; in fact 20 
different sounds are expressed by five letters, and even 
where, as in Telugu, these 20 sounds are provided with 20 
1 <s for k, kh, g, gh ; >ff= for c, ch, j, jh ; (-1 for t, Ih, d, dh ; jff for t, th, 
d, dh ; and u for p, ph, b, 1311. In tlieir transliteration accordingly are only 
used k, e, i, t and p,. which indicate the letter, hurt not the sounds 
