THE VERB 294 That is to say a root form *tres- (Skt. trdsati) would originally be a nominal stem meaning * fearing, one who fears and the alternative form *tirs- (Lat, terreo) would be a stem meaning
- fear
In these cases when the ultimate root has been reached by analysis it is seen never to consist of more than two consonants and the guna vowel {ter-, etc.), or if the root begins with a vowel, of this vowel and a following consonant ( ed-, £s-). The number of roots which can be so reduced is sufficiently great to justify the extension of this principle to other roots of three consonants, even where shorter or variant forms are not pre- served. There is little reason to doubt that the third consonant of all roots which have it is to be regarded as an incorporated suffix. §2. System of the Finite Verb Voice . The Sanskrit verb contains two voices, Active and Middle, which are distinguished by means of two sets of per- sonal terminations throughout the conjugation. The difference in meaning between the two is expressed by the names given to them by the Sanskrit grammarians, parasmai padam ' a word for another 1 and dtmane padam ' a word for oneself The middle is used when the subject is in some way or other specially implicated in the result of the action ; when this is not so the active is used. For instance katam karoti ' he makes a mat ' would be used of the workman employed in the trade of mat- making who makes a mat for another, while the middle katam kurute would be used of one who makes a mat for his own use. The same distinction is seen between pacati ‘ (the cook) cooks ' and pacate ' he cooks (a meal for himself) ' and between yajati ' (the priest) sacrifices (on behalf of another) ' and yajate ' (the householder) sacrifices (on behalf of himself) Again the special sense of the middle is seen in those cases where the direct object of the verb is a member of one's own body : nakhdni nikrntate ' he cuts his nails ', dato dhavate ‘ he cleans his teeth In another class of roots there appears a distinction of a different nature, that between transitive (active) and intransitive (middle) : drmhati ' makes firm drmhate * becomes firm vardhati ‘ increases, makes bigger vardhate * increases (intr.), becomes bigger ', vahati ' (chariot) carries (man) ', vahate ' (man) rides (in chariot) From this the development is not far to the
