Re: [INDOLOGY] Symbols in Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa text

[Richard G. Salomon]

I have occasionally wondered whether the rendering in Vedic recitation of
anusvāra with an additional syllable *guṃ *is a mnemonic device to
discourage a weak pronunciation or elision entirely of the anusvāra. In
fact I even wonder whether the standard modern rendering of anusvāra with
an echo vowel serves the same purpose. Neither of these renditions of
anusvāra seem to be phonetically motivated; the normal development of final
sibilants would I think be > spirantization > elision (as in Prakrit,
etc.).

I would be interested in hearing the experts' opinion on this.

Rich Salomon

On Tue, Oct 6, 2020 at 12:15 AM Walter Slaje via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info> wrote:

> Dear Harry Spier,
>
> according to my limited knowledge, Vājasaneyins pronounce(d) Anunāsika
> before semi-vowels, sibilants and h as "*ṅg*", represented in writing by
> a special sign (as in your edition): śata*ṃ* śṛṇuyāma → "śata*ṅg*
> śṛṇuyāma".
> Quite similar to how Germans - in the majority of cases - pronounce French
> nasalizations, e.g. "Karto*ng*" for "carto*n*"
>
> However, the pronunciation when reciting Saṃhitā texts replaces the
> articulation of Anusvāra with a spoken "guṃ". So "tā *guṃ *haitām ..."
> for tā*ṃ* haitām ..."
>
> Your symbol represents an Anusvāra sign in a particular phonetic
> environment.
>
> Vedicists will know better.
>
> Best,
> WS
>
>
> Am Di., 6. Okt. 2020 um 04:02 Uhr schrieb Harry Spier via INDOLOGY <
> indology at list.indology.info>:
>
>> I pasted an image of a page in the text with the symbols but I've been
>> informed off-list that it didn't showup so I'm attaching it.
>> Thanks,
>> Harry Spier
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Oct 5, 2020 at 5:39 PM Harry Spier <vasishtha.spier at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> First thank you to Lauren Bausch, Steven Lindquest for the information
>>> about the editions and Caley Smith who pointed me to Weber's edition on
>>> archive.org.
>>>
>>> I've just looked at the Weber's printed text .  In the first line  of
>>> the image from the text I've pasted below there are two symbols I don't
>>> understand and have highlighted in red.  I've never seen the first.  The
>>> second looks like avagraha but I'm not clear why it is where it is between
>>> long a and a.
>>>
>>> [image: image.png]
>>> Harry Spier
>>>
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