Chapter 9

Constituent-order in Sanskrit Bahuvrīhi compounds

Modern and ancient interpreters contrast karmadhārayas, made up of two co-referential constituents, i.e. a qualifier and a qualificand, with bahuvrīhis, in an attempt to understand “where” the “adjective” occurs. They concentrate on the fact that, unlike in karmadhārayas, in bahuvrīhis the qualifier unexpectedly occupies the right-hand slot. Pāṇini’s compounding rules are indeed targeted on singling out the non-head of the compounds which is attributed the first place by default, mirroring the natural order of the alternating syntagm. In particular cases some different principles govern their constituent-order: one of them, illustrated in Aṣṭādhyāyi 2.2.35, is based on the concept of viśeṣaṇa which shares several features with the modern notion of qualifier. The present inquiry aims at showing how in Pāṇini’s system the concept of upasarjana as the constituent whose syntax is frozen is kept separated from that of qualifier, with the consequent re-appraisal of his role within the history of linguistics.