SECTION ii DIFFERENT ELEMENTS IN ASSAMESE 1. Sanskrit olement | We know that classical Sanskrit was based on one out of the many dialects spoken by the Aryan Indians. The vocabulary and gran Sanskrit and of the contemporary dialects ran in parallel streams. So, we should expect to find almost the same grammar and vocabulary in the living dialects of different parts of India. Thus, the important elements of Assamese may be traced to this highly developed and cultured language. Not a single radical element except what has been borrowed from the Tibeto-Burman family and Davidian and Austroasiatic languages was newly created for the formation of Assamese. We may assert without possibility of contradiction that almost the whole of the Assamese grammar and vocabulary. except the elements of a few other languages to be noticed later on, are to be found in Sanskrit. Grammatical forms may be lost in obscurity here and there. But that is not always the case with vocabulary. The Assamese words in many cases are so much like Sanskrit words that no doubt is possible as to their actual origin and derivation. As the Assamese grammar and vocabulary are mostly derived from Sanskrit or, more truly, from the contemporary popular dialects we shall not try here to notice the Sanskrit elements in Assamese. 2. Prevedic elements | But we cannot ignore the pre-Vedic and other elements that took firm root in Assamese. We shall begin with the pre-Vedic elements. It will be seen that certain pecularities of Assamese are connected with those of the Aryan languages of Persia and Europe. Thus, there is a certain similarity in sound and meaning between some Assamese words and words belonging to sucli languages. I give below a few examples :--- (i) Vocabulary:- Assamese Meaning. words. Abu =grand-mother Derivation, Ata =grandfather. L.av-us (=a grandfather). L avia (=a grand-mother). Tel.Edvy-a (=grand-mother), Gk.qta and L ata=a salutation used to old men equivalent to father. Goth -attan (=father).. V-taamaha (=grand-father : Ath. V. 24. 17.)
