Welsh Romani

Abstract

THE main ground of my criticism of Dr. Sampson's book was that in it he pays little regard to the principle of the constancy of sound-laws. In his reply, however, he professes his adherence to this principle; and proceeds forthwith to deny it. For by this method, he says, he arrived at the new conclusion, among others, that bār, ‘stone’, is derived from Sanskrit vata. It is true that initial v- regularly becomes b, and that intervocalic -t- regularly becomes r. So far, so good. But it is a well-established law that in European Romani Skt. &acaron; followed by one consonant only becomes e, as appears to be admitted by Dr. Sampson on p. 44 of his book. Therefore if br is to be derived from vata, a special explanation of the presence of (instead of e) is required: Dr. Sampson offers none, nor even indicates the need. He has already betrayed the principle of the constancy of sound laws. Actually this word is derived from a Middle Indian *vatta- (cf. Pali vatto, round, rolling), common in the N.W. languages, e.g. Panjabi wattā, which Khowar bǒrt shows to be from earlier varta-.