MIALAYALIM LANGUAGE 15
sequently in dependance on the Brahmins, who for the most part are the
authors, translators, and expounders of their writings.
20. But, though such a practice is worse than unnecessary, and can-
not be too much deprecated, yet the nature of this language does, to a
certain extent, require that changes should take place in the letters; and
without exhausting the patience of the Student in noticing niceties that
may be more easily learned by practice as they occur in the course of his
studies; the following rules are submitted to assist him to ascertain how
such changes are effected.
PERMIUTATION OF VOWELS.
21. In general it may be remarked that since initial vowels can only
be used at the commencement of words, when any number of single words,
beginning or closing with vowels, coalesce and form a compound word;
these vowels require to be changed into their medial characters, or drop-
ped altogether: sometimes, however, other letters are inserted; as
ന്യായമല്ലാതെയുള്ള from ന്യായം അല്ലാതെ യ and ഉള്ള.
The rules for the permutations of the vowels are,
First. Of words ending in short അ. When a word ending with the
open vowel sound of അ is followed by another word that begins with
അ short; the first letter of the word to be affixed is dropped, and in this
state the words coalesce; the last letter of the first word retaining its
vowel sound; as
ഇരിക്കെണ്ടുന്നതാകുന്നു from ഇരിക്കെണ്ടുന്ന and അതാകുന്നു.
കൊതമ്പപ്പം from കൊതമ്പ, and അപ്പം.
Secondly. When a word ending in an open consonant is followed by
any vowel except അ short, the vowel sound of the final consonant is
dropped,6 and the initial vowel of the following word assumes its medial
6 In native writings the above rule holds good in every case, but this is
decidedly wrong, as such a practice, in some instances, confounds
words, renders their meaning ambiguous, changes the powers of the let-
ters, and causes them to be pronounced inaccurately: thus a native would
write സ്നെഹിച്ചാൾ, for സ്നെഹിച്ച, ആൾ; but according to the former mode
of spelling in this, as well as in similar instances, not only would the
pronounciation be inaccurate, but the word itself may readily be con-
founded with the past tenses of verbs which, in their poetic works,
