from that of the mass accelerated by the assimilation of the-aboriginal races resulted in the formation of the popular dialects, iheprakrits—proceeding from the original Bhasha by the assimilation of consonants and by the curtailment or loss-of termination.
3. The phonetic condition of Sanskrit remains almost exactly the same as that of the earliest Vedic. In the matter of grammatical forms, the language shows itself almost stationary. Hardly any new formations or inflexions make their appearence yet. The most notable of these grammatical changes were the disappearance of the subjunctive mood and the reduction of a dozen infinitives to a single one. In declension the change consisted chiefly in the dropping of a number of synonymous forms.
4. The vocabulary of the language has undergone the greatest modifications. It has been extended by derivation and composition according to recognised types. Numerous words though old seem to be new, because they happen by accident not to occur in the Vedic literature. Many new words have come in through continental borrowings from ai lower stratum of language, while already existing words have undergone great changes of meaning.
Secondly, as regards the subject matter\;—
1. The Vedic literature handles its various subjects only in their details and almost solely in their relation to sacrifice,,, whereas the classical discusses them in their general relations.
2. In the former a simple and compact prose had gradually been developed, but in the latter this form is abandoneden the apparent simplicity" says Colebrooke, " vanishes in the perplexity of structure. The endless pursuit of exceptions and limitations so disjoins the general precepts, that the reader cannot keep in view their intended