to one ending in some other final. In the latter case, it is yā́, accented; this yā is appended to the weaker form of the tense-stem, and takes the regular series of secondary endings, with, in 3d plur., us instead of an, and loss of the ā before it. After an a-stem, it is ī, unaccented; this ī blends with the final a to e (which then is accented or not according to the accent of the a); and the e is maintained unchanged before a vowel-ending (am, us), by means of an interposed euphonic y.
b. In the middle voice, the mode-sign is ī throughout, and takes the secondary endings, with a in 1st sing., and ran in 3d pl. After an a-stem, the rules as to its combination to e, the accent of the latter, and its retention before a vowel-ending with interposition of a y, are the same as in the active. After any other final, the weaker form of stem is taken, and the accent is on the ending (except in one class of verbs, where it falls upon the tense-stem: see 645); and the ī (as when combined to e) takes an inserted y before the vowel-endings (a, āthām, ātām).
c. It is, of course, impossible to tell from the form whether i or ī is combined with the final of an a-stem to e; but no good reason appears to exist for assuming i, rather than the ī which shows itself in the other class of stems in the middle voice.
566. The combined mode-sign and endings of the optative, then, are as follows, in their double form, for a-stems and for others:
a. for non-a-stems.
| active. | middle. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s. | d. | p. | s. | d. | p. | |
| 1 | yā́m | yā́va | yā́ma | īyá | īváhi | īmáhi |
| 2 | yā́s | yā́tam | yā́ta | īthā́s | īyā́thām | īdhvám |
| 3 | yā́t | yā́tām | yús | ītá | īyā́tām | īrán |
b. combined with the final of a-stems.
| 1 | eyam | eva | ema | eya | evahi | emahi |
| 2 | es | etam | eta | ethās | eyāthām | edhvam |
| 3 | et | etām | eyus | eta | eyātām | eran |
c. The yā is in the Veda not seldom resolved into iā.
d. The contracted sanem, for saneyam, is found in TB. and Āpast. Certain Vedic 3d pl. middle forms in rata will be mentioned below, under the various formations.
567. Precative. Precative forms are such as have a sibilant inserted between the optative-sign and the ending. They are made almost only from the aorist stems, and, though allowed by the grammarians to be formed from every root — the active precative from the simple aorist, the middle from the sibilant aorist — are
