Page 149 - A GRAMMAR OF BHOJPURI _ PhD Dissertation 2020 TU

This usage in Bhojpuri contradicts with Nepali and Hindi in counting
numerals over a hundred. The general Sanskrit rule applied is अ /ʌ/ + उ /u/ = ओ /o/,

but we see ल् /l/ inserted between the two segments along with some other changes

and उ /u/ has fallen down to its semi-high counterpart instead of being assimilated

with अ /ʌ/.

5.5 Coalescence
Coalescence is the process whereby two contiguous segments are replaced by

one which shares features of the two original ones. Bhojpuri has such coalescent
words as shown in (40a-f).
(40) a. मyय /mʌd ̤ yʌ/ 'middle' + देश /des/ 'country/ = मधेश /mʌd ̤ es/ 'part of the middle

country now in Nepal covering Siwalik valleys and Terai'

b. भTा /b ̤ ʌddɑ/ ‘dirty’ + देस /des/ ‘country’ = भदेस /b ̤ ʌdes/ ‘dirty locality’

c. गोबर /ɡobʌr/ 'cow dung' + धन /d ̤ ʌn/ 'wealth' = गोधन /ɡod ̤ ʌn/ 'cattle property'

d. महान /mʌɦan/ 'great' + जन /jʌn/ 'person' = महाजन /mʌɦɑjʌn/ 'the great
person, creaditor'

e. कु /ku/ 'negative' + टेव /tew/ 'activity' = कुटेव /kutew/ 'mistake'

f. सु{र /sunnʌr/ 'beautiful' + नैना /nɛn ɑ/ 'eye' = सुनैना /sunɛnɑ/ 'attractive eyed'
5.6 Stress

Stress is not considered significant in Bhojpuri as it is very weak and is
frequently changing from one to another syllable (Tiwari, 1960:16). Likewise, Shukla

(1981:44) mentions stress in Bhojpuri as relative loudness of one syllable in contrast
to another but its status is not phonemic. But in my observation, stress in Bhojpuri is
significant and phonemic. The prominent word classes of nouns, adjectives and

adverbs turn into causative verbs mainly into imperative mood, both functionally and
semantically, if primary stress shifted to the final syllable either from its intitial or

from its medial one, as shown in (41a-c).
(41) a. Noun to verb

सोटा /'soʈɑ/ 'a short stick'  /so'ʈɑ/ 'be slim', बितया /'bʌtiyɑ/ 'a small tender

fruit, the matter'  /bʌti'yɑ/ 'talk', अगुआ /'ʌɡuɑ/ 'leader'  /ʌɡu'a/ 'be in
front, lead', केjिनया /ke'ɦuniya/ 'the elbow'  /keɦuni'yɑ/ 'hit with elbow',

बउआ /'bʌuɑ/ 'to address a male younster'  /bʌu'ɑ/ 'wander aimlessly'

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