1883.] G. A. Grierson —Essays on Bihari Declension. 121 
B. Declension. 
I. Case. 
I divide the consideration of this point into two heads : 
a. Organic declension. 
ft. Inorganic declension. 
By organic declension, I mean that kind of declension which is not 
formed by postpositions, but by actual inflection. By inorganic declension 
I mean that kind of declension which is formed by postpositions added to 
a base whether inflected or not. 
In Bihari there is a very full organic declension in the singular num¬ 
ber. It is found in its fullest form in the north Maithili dialect, and the 
terminations are as follows. They can only be added to the weak* form 
of a noun. 
Baiswari of 
North 
Other Bihari 
Ramayan. 
Maithili. 
dialects. 
Nom. 
— 
— 
Acc. 
ft, ft 
ff, ft 
— 
Instr. 
* 
* In South- 
ft, ft 
ff, ft 
Bhagulpuri if, e. g. 
ft, ‘I die 
ft, ft 
55 
of hunger.’ In 
Dat. 
55 
Purniya, the form 
is y, ^ wt. In 
western Bhojpuri it 
Abl. 
f^, ft 
ff 
is 
55, t 
*rtt<?rT. 
Gen. 
fv, ft 
55 
Loc. 
ft, ft 
fN, ft 
vl/ 
j ^ 
^5 
* I adopt the terms weak, strong, short, long, and redundant, from Hoernle s 
Gaudian Grammar. §§ 201, 356. 
B 
