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Studies in the Grammar of Chand Barden.—By John Beames, B. C. S., &c. 
As the first fasciculus of the text of this ancient poet has now been 
published, it may he hoped that scholars in various parts of India will begin 
to co-operate with those few persons who have hitherto had access to the 
MSS. in elucidating the mysteries of his crabbed and archaic style. The 
time seems opportune, therefore, for collecting such observations as I have 
been able to make from time to time on the grammatical peculiarities which 
Chand’s language exhibits. I have not been able to study the whole of the 
vast work, indeed such a task would take up all the time of more than one 
student even if he were not like me much occupied with official duties ; but 
as the style, even in its irregularities, seems to be uniform throughout, 
notes on those books which have been examined, will probably be found 
applicable to the rest. The illustrations hereinafter given are taken chiefly 
from the 1st book as it is now in print. The 19tli, 64th and 65tli books, 
have also been cited. There are, moreover, several quotations from various 
parts of the first eighteen books, and one or two from the 21st, the 
celebrated Mahoba Ivhand. 
By way of getting at a sound working basis, it is necessary first to 
clear out of the road certain obstructions partly peculiar to Chand and 
partly shared by him with all early Indian poets. The first of these is 
the uncertainty of the spelling ; in respect of vowels, we find the same word 
written at one time with a long vowel, at another with a short one; vowels 
are inserted or omitted at will, and diphthongs are written in two or three 
different ways. In respect of consonants, arbitrary insertions or omissions 
occur, double consonants are written as single, and single as double, aspirates 
are deprived of their aspiration, and unaspirated letters are aspirated at will. 
The following examples may be taken : 
a. Vowels, -srifx and ; qTcT, ^eT, «Tfr and q?r, and ; 
and frfv fc^ and \ (^?fb); and fhpr; 
and NTT; qyqq for ^frT or ^rq^T, and 
• juft;, Jirct, Jrefr, and ; «T5K, #rqT, and «rr; and 
; -JifirqT and am ; and ; ^tBt, %TfH and 
ljT<T; oTf and and fq«TTW 5 and 
th and 
b. Consonants. and Splfsr, and ; W, 
and St ; and qfTpnjf and q\p5T also ; faq and fqxq • and 
31 ^; and^^T^f; 3T^, and 3K; qq and qq; qr*3T, 
qn*r} and qtere; and Tqr*r fw*r, and : wi«r, ^»rT»r, 
and and ; f%q, fspq, and f%vi; ^«t, and 
and ; qjqvrrr, and ww, and ; with many others. 
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