a. Examples are, of roots: ac and añc, grath and granth, vid and vind, daç and daṅç, sras and sraṅs, dṛh and dṛṅh: of endings, bhárantam and bháratā, mánasī and mánāṅsi.
256. A final n, whether of stem or of root, is less stable than any other consonant, where a weaker form is called for: thus, from rā́jan we have rā́jā and rā́jabhis, and in composition rāja; from dhanín, dhanī́ and dhaníbhis and dháni; from √han we have hathá and hatá, etc. A final radical m is sometimes treated in the same way; thus, from √gam, gahí, gatám, gatá, gáti.
257. Inserted n. On the other hand, the nasal n has come to be used with great — and, in the later history of the language, with increasing — frequency as a union-consonant, inserted between vowels: thus, from agní, agnínā and agnīnā́m; from mádhu, mádhunas, mádhunī, mádhūni; from çivá, çivéna, çīvā́ni, çīvā́nām.
258. Inserted y. a. After final ā of a root, a y is often found as apparently a mere union-consonant before another vowel: thus, in inflection, ádhāyi etc. (844), çāyáyati etc. (1042), çivā́yās etc. (363 c), gā́yati etc. (761 e); further, in derivation, -gāya, -yāyam, dāyaka etc.; -sthāyika; pāyána, -gāyana; dhā́yas, -hāyas; sthāyin etc. (many cases); -hitāyin, -tatāyin; sthāyuka.
b. Other more sporadic cases of inserted y — such as that in the pronoun-forms ayam, iyam, vayam, yūyam, svayam; and in optative inflection before an ending beginning with a vowel (565) — will be pointed out below in their connection.
Reduplication.
259. Reduplication of a root (originating doubtless in its complete repetition) has come to be a method of radical increment or strengthening in various formative processes: namely,
a. in present-stem formation (642 ff.): as dádāmi, bibhármi;
b. in perfect-stem formation, almost universally (782 ff.): as tatā́na, dadhāú, cakā́ra, riréca, lulópa;
c. in aorist-stem formation (856 ff.): as ádīdharam, ácucyavam;
d. in intensive and desiderative-stem formation, throughout (1000 ff., 1026 ff.): as ján̄ghanti, jóhavīti, marmṛjyáte; pípāsati, jíghāṅsati;
e. in the formation of derivative noun-stems (1143 e): as pápri, cárcara, sāsahí, cikitú, malimlucá.
f. Rules for the treatment of reduplication in these several cases will be given in the proper connection below.
260. As, by reason of the strengthening and weakening changes indicated above, the same root or stem not seldom exhibits, in the processes of inflection and derivation, varieties of stronger and weaker form, the distinction and description of these varieties forms an important part of the subjects hereafter to be treated.
