Alliteration Of World Initial Consonant In Modern Gujarati Compounds

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Alliteration of the Word-initial consonant in Modern Gujarati Compounds" by H. C. Bhayani:

The article, "Alliteration of the Word-initial consonant in Modern Gujarati Compounds," by H. C. Bhayani, published by ZZ_Anusandhan, explores a specific linguistic phenomenon in Modern Gujarati: the formation of compounds where the initial consonants of the constituent words are the same (alliteration).

Bhayani begins by stating that alliteration, rhyme, jingle-formation, sound-symbolism, syllable rhythm, and onomatopoeia are significant in the formation of compounds and phrases in Gujarati, as in other Indo-Aryan languages. He specifically focuses on compounds exhibiting initial consonant alliteration, identifying them as a sub-class of Gujarati dvandva (copulative) compounds.

He distinguishes these alliterative compounds from dvandva compounds that can be easily dissolved with "and" or "or" (e.g., nanu motu - small and big). Instead, the compounds discussed possess several notable characteristics:

• Rhythm and Form: Many are characterized by various forms of rhythm. Some are reduplicative, featuring vowel variation in the initial syllable of the first meaningful constituent. Others are echoic or jingle formations based on the second meaningful constituent.
• Irreversibility: A significant number of these compounds are "irreversible binominals," meaning the order of their two constituents cannot be reversed without altering or destroying the compound's meaning or naturalness. This order is typically determined by the syllabic structure of the words or their socio-cultural importance in the context of use.
• Meaning:
  • Many are synonymous compounds, where the combined meaning is not just the sum of the individual meanings but implies "these and similar things," "these and so on," or "these etc."
  • In numerous cases, the meaning of one or both constituents is obscure.

Beyond these specific compounds, Bhayani notes the existence of numerous phrases or word-groups that also feature alliteration of initial consonants. He provides an extensive list of examples of these phrases, stating that this list is illustrative and can be considerably extended with more effort.

The article then presents a detailed list of alliterative compounds, offering approximate English equivalents. Bhayani mentions that the vocabulary draws from various sources, including loans from Urdu and Hindi, Sanskrit, literary discourse, and dialectal usage. He also clarifies that where a compound has a secondary or metaphorical meaning, the literal meanings of the constituents are provided where necessary. When the meaning of one or both parts is unclear, only the meaning of the compound as a whole is given.

The extensive list of compounds covers a wide range of meanings and semantic relationships, from concrete objects and actions to abstract concepts and social interactions. Examples include:

• Objects/Materials: kalm-kitab (pen and book), jara-zvērāt (money and jewelry), ḍholak-ḍhakaḷāṁ (branches and twigs), samūṁ-sūtarūṁ (straight and easy)
• Actions/States: kācūṁ-kōruṁ (uncooked and dry), khānā-kharābī (utter ruin), khamī khāvūṁ (to eat), jhapḍū-jhāpaṭū (to dust and strike)
• People/Family: kutumb-kabīlo (family etc.), bāl-baccāṁ (children), māmā-māśīnāṁ (related as mother's brother's or sister's children)
• Abstract Concepts/Qualities: kōl-karār (promise and agreement), dhīr-dhār (lending), māyā-mamata (love and sense of being one's own), sukh-saga vaḍ (happiness and comfort)
• Situations/Events: kaḍa-ka paḍa (difficulty and calamity), dharm-dhakkō (fruitless visit), tithi-tahevār (holiday and festive day)

The article concludes with a list of references, indicating that the paper is a revised and expanded version of sections from a previous work by the author on the structure of Gujarati words, focusing on their echoic, jingling, sound-symbolic, and rhythmic aspects. It also refers to the work of P. R. Teraiya on reduplicative uses in Gujarati.

In essence, Bhayani's article provides a linguistic analysis and a rich collection of examples illustrating how initial consonant alliteration contributes to the formation and character of numerous compounds and phrases in Modern Gujarati, highlighting their rhythmic, semantic, and structural peculiarities.