deriv LSK ETT STT aSTA ALPH OLDHOMEPAGE NEWHOMEPAGE
The /Natvam is the change of n न् into N ण् that sometimes happens when adding affixes.
This change is described by many /pANini rules such as raSAbhyAnnoN....
Coulson summarizes the /Natvam rules this way —
* after r र् R ऋ RR ॠ S ष्
* in spite of any intervening letters that do not move the tongue-tip fully forward
* n न् changes into N ण् and nn न्न् into NN ण्ण्
* but only if a vowel follows
* and only if everything from the r र् to the vowel is inside the same pada पद.
Simple examples —
vistIr- विस्तीर् + na- नॱ → **vistIrNa- विस्तीर्णॱ
pitR- पितृॱ + /nAm → pitRR पितॄ + /nAm → **pitRRNAm पितॄणाम्
Why do we say "in spite of intervening letters" ?
krAmam- क्रामम् + /zAnac → !**krAmamANa- क्राममाणॱ, here r र् changes n न् in spite of AmamA आममा
Why do we say "but not if a tongue-tip-lowering letter is in between" ?
kRSNena कृष्णेन, here S ष् does NOT change n न् because the in-between N ण् makes the tongue move down.
Any examples with nn न्न्?
niSad निषद् + na न → niSadna निषद्न → niSanna निषन्न → **niSaNNa- निषण्णॱ
What if no vowel follows?
he हे brahman ब्रह्मन्
pakSavantam पक्षवन्तम्
And why do we say "inside the same /pada"?
Any more examples?