Page:The history of the Bengali language (1920).pdf/131

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LECTURE VII
109

also, that the emphasis-indicating 'very much' tends to duplicate the final consonant of a word; অত্‌ত from অত and এত্‌ত (so much!), এট্‌টু (very small), কোত্‌থাও, গোচ্ছা from গোছা, ছোট্ট, ঝক্কি from ঝুঁকি or ঝোঁক, ধাক্কা and ধক্কল, ফক্কা from ফাঁকা, বড্‌ড, বক্কেশ্বর from বকা, রগ্‌গা from রোগা, রত্তি, as in একরত্তি, from রতি, and সক্‌কাল বেলা (very early in the morning) are examples. We may compare similar forms in Oriya of Sambalpur, as খড্‌ডা (to fry) to indicate বেশী খড় খড়ে করে ভাজা (to make crisp by overdoing), and মেচ্ছা (for মেছা = moustache) মুরুছি (twirling) to express one's defiant attitude.

For my second example, regarding Vedic accent in metrical composition, I quote a Vedic verse, which is full of emotional sentiments. In this verse, the mixed feeling of eager solicitude and despondency has been expressed. The first portion of the first verse of the 95th Sukta of the 10th Mandal, which is addressed by Pururavā, to his fugitive wife Urvaśi, on meeting her accidentally, stands with accents as follows:—

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"য়ে জায়ে মনসা তিষ্ঠ ঘোরে
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বচাংশি মিশ্রা কৃণবাবহৈনু"

We cannot fail to notice, that many long vowels have been made either short or semi-short, with accents of lower grade upon them, and the short syllable ন in মনসা has a high accent on it. How on account of the subdued utterance of 'হয়ে,' and a high accent on the final syllable of 'জায়ে,' the feeling of coaxing with fervour, has been expressed, may be explained and appreciated, if in the first place, the verse is correctly recited, and in the second place, we carefully consider, how to express this very sentiment, we accentuate our words and modulate our voice to-day. If we translate হয়ে জায়ে by ওগো উর্ব্বশী or by ওগোও, we can