TRACING VEDIC DIALECTS - People.fas.harvard.edu

ut ŚBK uttarhai 4.2.3.15 (of the Kuru-
Mahāvṛṣa): i.e. the speak with higher pitch
than their more Eastern neighbours 319 . -
- they have different names for wells, Pāṇ.4.2.74
- in general, their language is disregarded,
despised (they speak: riprátarāḥ, śapanátarā,
āhanasyāvādítarā bhavanti, ŚB 9.3.1.24)
Northern speech, partly known from Pāṇini's
bhāṣā and a few statements in the Brāhmaṇa
texts is generally praised for its high
standard (KB 7.2), but partly overlaps with
that of the Bāhīkas. 320
- Border area dialects, like that of Varṇu (Pāṇini
4.2.103 kāṇṭhaka instead of kāṇṭhika); or that of
the Kamboja, an Eastern Iranian language, cf. Kamb.
śavati for YAv. auuaiti, 321 vs. Vedic gacchati in
Nirukta and Patañjali, who adds Saurāṣṭrian hammati
(attested only in Eastern NIA).
- Some local peculiarities of Kurukṣetra, the land between the
Sarasvatī and Dṛṣadvatī rivers in E. Panjab, like the auśānasa
stones BŚS 18.47:7, or nyubja as name of bowls (see above,
§ 1), perhaps Vaiśambhaly as a name of the River
Sarasvatī (TB 2.5.8.7, ĀpŚS 4.14.4 , Wack.II,1,206)
- 'Asura' speech (Eastern ?) : he 'lavo he 'lavo ŚB,
but cf. ŚBK hailo hailo, (see above, ann. 280, 240)
Unfortunately there are more lacunae. We would like to have more
material from the important S.region (of the Jaim.); so far there is
directly localisable evidence only from JB and JUB; if we had more,
connections with Pāli would be probably still be easier to establish.
We do not have an Eastern SV text, unless part of PB was composed and
redacted there; the Br. text of the Bhāllavin (which employed, like ŚB,
319 Cf. author, On Late Vedic pitch accent, forthc.
320 It is curious that a Western text, ŚB 9, raises this point. The Panjab was overrun by new
waves of immigration at the time of composition of this passage, cf., the role of the Salvas at
JB 2.208 who conquered Kurukṣetra, of the Malla (JB §198) and of the Vṛji (Pāṇini
4.2.131); see above.
321 See author, Persica IX,1980, p. 92.
120