Journal | Bhasha
Monographic journal issue | 2 | 2 | 2023
Research Article | Pāṇini and the Non-Head (upasarjana) of Attributive Endocentric Compounds
Pāṇini and the Non-Head (upasarjana) of Attributive Endocentric Compounds
Abstract
This study aims at contributing to our understanding of Pāṇini’s classification of compounds. In particular, this study investigates the notion upasarjana – roughly translatable as ‘non-head’ – in attributive endocentric (so-called karmadhāraya) compounds like nava-jvāra- ‘new suffering’, by addressing the following questions: do the units that Pāṇini designated as upasarjana in subordinate endocentric (so-called tatpuruṣa ‘proper’) compounds like aśva-śapha- ‘horse’s hoof’ share any feature with the units that he designated as upasarjana in karmadhārayas? More generally, what is the hallmark of the units designated as upasarjana? To answer these questions, we shall delve into several rules of Pāṇini’s grammar – the Aṣṭādhyāyī – which conceal such powerful grammatical tools as silent case endings and the operation of case-copying.
Submitted: July 27, 2023 | Accepted: Oct. 11, 2023 | Published Dec. 13, 2023 | Language: en
Keywords Derivational levels • Case-copying • Sanskrit • Headedness • Compounding
Copyright © 2023 Davide Mocci. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/bhasha/2785-5953/2023/02/005
