assimilation

[N. Ganesan]

Prof. Witzel, Substrates in OIA, 1999
<<<
        Though certain geminates, especially in word formation and
flexion (-tt-, -dd-, -nn- etc.), are allowed and common, they hardly
ever appear in the stem of a word (Sandhi cases such as anna, sanna
etc. of course excepted). Until the late BrAhmaNa texts, other
geminates, especially bb, dd, gg, jj, mm, ll, but also kk, pp, etc.,
are studiously avoided, except in the few loan words mentioned above
(pippala, gulgulu, katkaTa etc. (Kuiper 1991: 67 sqq.).
        It will be readily seen that Kuiper's seminal observation
reflects a tendency that can be observed throughout the Vedic texts.
Geminates, especially the mediae, apparently were regarded, with the
exception of a few inherited forms such as majj 'to dive under', as
'foreign' or 'barbaric'. They did not agree with the contemporary
Vedic (and even my own) feeling of correct speech (Sprachgefu"hl).
        However, starting with Epic Sanskrit, forms such as galla,
malla, palla, etc. are normal and very common (however, -mm-, perhaps
regarded as Drav.(?) remains rare); such words, in part derive from
normal MIA developments, in part from the substrate.
>>>

  Old Tamil 'rum' and 'run' changes to 'mm' and '_n_n'. In parallel
ways, Sanskrit 'rm' and 'rN' assimilates into 'mm' and '.n.n'.
Examples were  given under 'Tamil and Prakrit Consonant Assimilation'
(#438, June 1999). Comments of Prof. Parpola and Prof. K. Nachimuthu
are in Indology posts, #431 and #203 (June 1999). With the march of
Time, we see  words with -mm- and -.n.n-, Is this due to drav.
influence?

Regards,
N. Ganesan


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