Pluti

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Pluti is the term for overlong vowels in Sanskrit. Pluti vowels are usually noted with a numeral "3" (indicating length of three morae), , also .

Pluti is recorded only in two instances in the Rigveda, representing the intonation of a question, both in the late tenth book.

• 10.146.1d "are you not afraid?"
• 10.129.5d "was it above? was it below?"

The pluti reaches the peak of its popularity in the Brahmana period of late Vedic Sanskrit (roughly 8th century BC), with e.g. some 40 instances in the Shatapatha Brahmana. The Astadhyayi records rules for pluti in spoken language, for example 8.2.82 "[the last syllable becomes pluti] when replying to the greeting of a non-shudra".

Literature

• Klaus Strunk, Typische Merkmale von Fragesätzen und die altindische 'Pluti' , Munich (1983).

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Last updated on Wednesday October 17, 2007 at 16:31:54 PDT (GMT -0700)
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