From stems in a. a. The final a of a noun-stem oftenest remains unchanged: thus, amitrayáti plays the enemy, is hostile; devayáti cultivates the gods, is pious.

b. But final a is also often lengthened: thus, aghāyáti plans mischief; priyāyáte holds dear; açvāyáti seeks for horses; açanāyáti desires food.

c. While in the Veda the various modes of denominative formation are well distributed, no one showing a marked preponderance, in the later language the vast majority of denominatives (fully seven eighths) are of the two kinds just noticed: namely, made from a-stems, and of the form aya or āya, the former predominating. And there is seen a decided tendency to give the denominatives in aya an active form and transitive meaning, and those in āya a middle form and intransitive or reflexive meaning. In not a few cases, parallel formations from the same stem illustrate this distinction: e. g. kaluṣayati makes turbid, kaluṣāyate is or becomes turbid; taruṇayati rejuvenates, taruṇāyate is rejuvenated; çithilayati loosens,çithilāyate grows loose. No distinct traces of this distinction are recognizable in the Veda, although there also corresponding forms with short a and with long ā sometimes stand side by side.

d. Final a is sometimes changed to ī (very rarely i): thus, adhvarīyáti performs the sacrifice; taviṣīyáti is mighty; putrīyáti or putriyáti desires a son; māṅsīyáti craves flesh; sajjīyate is ready; candrakāntiīati is moonstonelike. Not fifty stems of this form are quotable.

e. It is occasionally dropped (after n or r): thus, turaṇyáti is rapid; adhvaryáti performs the sacrifice.

f. Other modes of treatment are sporadic: thus, the addition of s, as in stanasyati seeks the breast; the change of a to e, as in vareyáti plays the wooer.