THE FORMATION OF NOUNS 161 sacivas, etc.). In Avestan we find this suffix used to form the nom, sg. of ^antf-stems, amavd nom, sg. of amavant- 1 strong Apart from the above examples the adjectiva l -yds has been having done jigivds- 4 having conquered tasthivds - * having stood babhuvds- 4 having been iusruvds- 4 having heard etc. These stems show an ancient apophony in declension, even though the original terminational accent in the oblique cases which caused it has been given up (gen. sg. tasihusas for
- tasthusds ) .
The adjectival ms-suffix was capable of taking the enlarge- ment -u (cf. vagvariu - above, a parallel extension of -van). - Examples are vibhavasu- * brilliant ’ and sactvasu- 1 powerful J based on the vas- stems which occur in the vocatives noted above. Compare also Pa. viddasu- 1 wise ' for *vi$vasu The specialisation of the adjectival - vas in the formation of these participles has resulted in its being separated completely from the corresponding compound neuter suffix which, as we have seen, usually takes the form -us. Consequently when adjectives are needed from these, it is done simply by adapting the neuters without change of form. As noted above (p. 138) this practice has parallels elsewhere and is old, although rare through the prevalence of the normal system. Examples are cdksus - ' eye ; seeing vdpus- ' marvel ; wondrous tapus -
- heat ; glowing ’ ; without corresponding neuters, nahus-
‘ ifeighbour mdnus- 1 man and with suffixal accent but not the corresponding gradation, vanus- 4 eager jayus - ' victor- ious ' and daksus- 1 flaming There is an adjectival suffix -yds which likewise underwent early specialisation and became totally divorced from the neuter suffix -is. This is used in Sanskrit, and in other languages for making comparative adjectives. Examples are : ndvyas- 4 newer p any as- 4 more wonderful bh-Uyas- 4 more rdbhyas- 4 more violent vdsyas- 4 better sdhyas- 4 more powerful sanyas - 4 older tdvyas- 1 stronger Similarly Avestan has spanyah - ‘ more holy tqiyah - 1 stronger dsyah- 4 swifter etc. This formation is the regular one in Avestan, but in Sanskrit it is much less common than a formation in which the -yas - is added no t directl y to the root, but to thej^opTu^ younger 9 (cf. gen. pi. kani-n-dm) t ndvtyas- 4 newer mrddtyas - 4 softer prdthiyas - 4 broader vdnyas - 4 wider 1 (cf. vdr-i-man
