Dear Abhidhammika,
I have often wondered at the proper pronunciation of -v- in Pali. My Sri
Lankan monk-tutor pronounced it also somewhat as a -w- (I would say
midway between -v- and -w).

I listened to the cassette tape to Warder (spoken by Ven. H.
Saddhatissa). It is interesting, and he changes his pronunciation along
the way! At the beginning, he says the -v- as what an American would
call -w-. Here he is pronouncing the individual letters. On Warder p. 15
all the v’s are the same way. It sounds funny to my ear: puriso ewam
wadati... dewo amanusso hoti.... ewam wadaami... But later when he is
speaking faster (p. 307, DN 22), his v’s are all as the English -v-.

---------

In today’s Day by Day we have a sentence with -assa (dative):

21. The merchant brings a goat by cart for the teacher.
vaa.nijo / aaharati / aja.m / saka.tena / aacariyassa
Vaa.nijo saka.tena aacariyassa aja.m aaharati.

Yesterday we had a sentence with -aaya:

20. The doctor gives a garment to the hermit.
vejjo / dadaati / saa.taka.m / taapasaaya
Vejjo taapasaaya saa.taka.m dadaati.

I am trying to figure out the use of -assa vs. aaya (dative).
GEIGER (p.68) writes that -aaya is used “to express time, direction, and
purpose...”

This is quite broad, and would allow -aaya for both the above sentences.
It does not prohibit -assa, it would seem to me. He continues: “[-aaya]
is also used quite frequently as the equivalent of the infinitive...
longing after something...”

WARDER (p.67) writes: “In all declensions genitive forms are used for
the dative also, but a special dative inflection exists alongside [the
genitive] for the singular of masculines and neuters in -a: -aaya.”
He then becomes more specific: “The inflection -aaya has the specialized
meaning of purpose.” He gives the example: gaama.m pi.ndaaya paavisi (He
entered the village for alms.)

There doesn’t seem to be a firm rule here. Broadly (per Geiger) -aaya
can be used for both above sentences (but doesn’t have to be?) More
narrowly (per Warder) -aaya is used only in the top sentence:
aacariyaaya. (But would -assa still be correct here?)

The good news seems to be that one can use either ending pretty much at
will for all DATIVE meanings where the noun stem ends in -a. Further
clarifications appreciated...

Rene