52 A GRAMMAR OF THE
എത and എവ, which; എവൻ, എവൾ and എവർ, who, which
man, &c. are declined like the Personal Pronoun അവൻ, &c.
എവൻ, എവൾ, എവർ, and എവ are seldom used.
എത, is prefixed to any nouns, and in that connexion means which,
what; as,
അവൻ എത വഴി പൊയി?
Which way did he go?
എത മനുഷ്യർ ഇവിടെ വരുന്നു?
What men are coming here?
എന്ത what, is declined like അത, but seldom used except in the
Nom. Dat. And Ab. cases.
DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS.
62. The demonstrative pronouns are അവൻ, അവൾ, അത,
that man, &c. ഇവൻ, ഇവൾ, ഇത, this man, &c. they are declined
like അവൻ, considered as a personal pronoun.
The letters ആ and ൟ prefixed to any noun of whatever number,
gender or case, are used as demonstratives: ആ answering to that and
those; ൟ to this and these: the letter എ answering to which, is some-
times used in the same way.
| ആ മനുഷ്യൻ, | that man. | ആ മനുഷ്യർ, | these men. |
| ൟ സ്ത്രീ, | this woman. | ൟ സ്ത്രീകൾ, | these women. |
It is to be observed that in many native writings these letters when
prefixed to nouns, are changed into അ and ഇ, and the first letter of
the noun is double ; thus for ആ കാലം, or ൟ കാലം, the people write
അക്കാലം, ഇക്കാലം.
Though these forms may be tolerated in poetic works, they ought not
to be otherwise adopted, as they are calculated to cause ambiguity, and
a false pronounciation: but when ആ or ൟ is prefixed to the particle
പ്രകാരം, the short vowel must be used; as,
നീ അപ്രകാരം ചെയ്യെണം,
You must do so; or, in that manner.
അവൻ ഇപ്രകാരം ചെയ്തു.
He did so; or, in this manner.
