Vriddhi

The term Vriddhi (Sanskrit: वृद्धि vṛddhi [ ˈʋrɪddʰɪ ], lit. “growth”) describes the strongest of the three ablaut levels in the Sanskrit grammar . It is used, among other things, to create derivations with the meaning “belonging to X”. The term Vriddhi derivation is also used in Indo-European studies for comparable derivations in other Indo-European languages .

Vriddhi in Sanskrit

Sanskrit has a system of threefold stem gradation. Here, the basic level is converted into the guna level ( गुण guṇa, "[high] degree") by simply increasing it, and by further increasing it into the vriddhi level ( वृद्धि vṛddhi, "growth"). In terms of linguistic history, the stem gradation of Sanskrit goes back to the Urindo-European Ablaut , whereby the Guna level actually represents the basic level, which is weakened to the shrinkage level or strengthened to the expansion level. In Sanskrit the triple regular gradation in the plays flexion a large role: appearing root भृ BHR "carry" the past participle passive भृत bhṛta in the basic level, in the present tense बिभर्ति bibharti in Guna-stage and in the perfect tense बभार babhāra in Vriddhi form.

Gradation of tribe in Sanskrit
Elementary level	-	इ i, ई ī	उ u, ऊ ū	ऋ ṛ, ॠ ṝ	ऌ ḷ
Guṇa level	अ a	ए e	ओ o	अर् ar	अल् al
Vṛddhi level	आ ā	ऐ ai	औ au	आर् ār	-

Vriddhi derivative

The Vriddhi derivation is a form of derivation in which the derived word is formed by lengthening the vowel into the Vriddhi stage. It expresses the meaning "belonging to X". In Sanskrit, the Vriddhi derivation is an extremely productive means of word formation. For example, from the name of the founder of the religion जिन Jina, the Vriddhi derivation जैन jaina "belonging to Jina, follower of Jainism " is formed. Also patronyms are often formed by the vriddhi lead. For example, the term कौरव Kaurava , "descendant of Kuru", is derived from the name कुरु Kuru .

In addition to Sanskrit, the Vriddhi derivation can also be found in other Indo-European languages. In Germanic it is a very ancient educational medium that persists in word pairs such as rooster - chicken (originally "belonging to the rooster"). Cases like brother-in-law - brother-in-law show that the formation must have taken place before Verner's law came into effect .

literature

Georges Darms: Brother-in-law and brother-in-law, rooster and chicken. The Vṛddhi derivation in Germanic (= Munich Studies in Linguistics, New Series, Supplement . Volume 9 ). Kitzinger, Munich 1978, ISBN 3-920645-26-X .
Jürgen Udolph : Name studies on the German problem . In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde, supplementary volume . tape 9 . de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1994, ISBN 978-3-11-014138-2 .

Individual evidence

↑ Manfred Mayrhofer: Sanskrit grammar with comparative language explanations . 3. through Edition. De Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1978, pp. 32-34.
↑ Jürgen Udolph : onenological studies on the German problem . In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde, supplementary volume . tape 9 . de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1994, ISBN 978-3-11-014138-2 , pp. 119 ( books.google.de ).

[1] Manfred Mayrhofer: Sanskrit grammar with comparative language explanations . 3. through Edition. De Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1978, pp. 32-34.

[2] Jürgen Udolph : onenological studies on the German problem . In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde, supplementary volume . tape 9 . de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1994, ISBN 978-3-11-014138-2 , pp. 119 ( books.google.de ).