Marathi and Gujarati- A Linguistic Analysis (An Old and Rare Book)

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Marathi and Gujarati: A linguistic analysis, issued as No. 17 of the Panjab University Indological Series, presents in a succinct form the general features, grammatical categories and syntax of the Marathi and Gujarati languages and their main dialects. A detailed survey of these languages had been made by Sir. G. A. Grierson in Vols. VII and IX. Pt. ii of his monumental 11-volume Linguistic Survey of India (1903-28). which was effectively summarised, subsequently, by Dr. Siddheshwar Varma and issued in three volumes by the Vishveshvaranand Institute. (1972-76). While the said Summary was in press, it was decided to issue some of the more important sections, also, separately, for the benefit of scholars interested in individual language families. The pre- sent publication stems out of this decision.

Marathi is the only modern language which has been directly derived from the old Maharashtra Apabhramsa, which, in turn, is derived from Maharashtra Prakrta. Marathi is a remarkably uniform language, with but a few dialects. Its only real dialect is Konkanı, spoken, mainly, in Goa and the neighbouring areas.

Gujarati is a member of the Central group of Indo-Aryan languages and is spoken in Gujarat and by Gujarati migrants to different parts of the land. Unlike several other languages, Gujarati has few dialects worth the name.

The account af Marathi and Gujarati presented in the following pages sets out the provenance of these languages and analyses their grammatical categories and syntax. Towards illustrating actual usage, comparative tables are also provided, wherein standard words and sentences are given, indicating the variations which are found in the standard language and the variant speeches thereof.

As in the case of the three volumes of the Summary by Dr. Varma of the Linguistic Survey of India referred to above, the present reprint was also carefully seen through the press by Dr. S. L. Dogra, Asstt. Librarian, and Dr. Trilochan Singh Bindra, Lecturer, in this Institute. While acknowledging the services of these two scholars in the above regard, I also desire to put on record my thanks to the staff of the V. V. R. I. Press for the neat printing and nice get-up of this publication.