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JUNE, 1909.1
A PRIMER OF DRAVIDIAN PHONOLOGY.
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(c) Malayalam. The medial a in Malayalam has a great tendency to become e and is written as e by the vulgar people. Again Pr. Dravidian final a which is written a, but pronounced æ in Malayalam is regularly written e when it becomes medial by the addition of suffixes; e. g. :
Tam, amaito fit' is ameyuya in Mal. Tamil asai to move is ayekka. Tamil talai head' is talekka dat, of talæ. (Vide Gundert's Mal. Dict., page 1.)
(d) Telugu.
1. In Teluga initial as by i-mutation, e. g.: - Tam, ari, to know. Telugu erugu.
(2) Initial asu by - mutation. Tam, mulai to sprout'is Tel. molatsu and molutsu; Tam. malai to wander' is Tel. malagu and malugu ; kadalu and kadulu, to move.
(3) In the inflexional suffixes, as a through the dropping of a nasal. Tamz avan is Tel. padu, and the adu of vadu is added in verbal inflexions. Again Tam, tangu to remain, is Telugu dagu.
V.-ā. (1) Pr. Drav. initial & remains :
Tamil.
Mal.
Can.
Tula.
Telngu.
adu...
...
ada...
...
adu...
... adu.
âņi.
adu (play) aņi (nail) aru (to be fall) & (cow)...
aru.
...
avu.
(2) Pr. Drav, medial a remains :
Tamil.
Mul.
.
Can.
Tuļu.
Telugu.
hâļu
kâdu (forest) pâl (ruins) takku (attack) ... náto (fix) vânam (sky and rains) ...
kadu på! ... tậkku
nattu ... vanam
.... kâdu ... pâl ...
tågu natu
... kâda ..... kada.
padu. tâgu tâgu.
nâu nâţu. .. bâne (hill) ...
vânatau.
...) bản ..
(3) Pr. Dravidian final d is found in the following words :-(1) Tam, á cow'; (2) kd 'to protect'; (3) 6d to die'; (4) ta 'to give'; (5) pd song '; (6) v. to come.'
But the Pr. Drav, final 4 was later either shortened to a or received a formative suffix kou, tu or tfu or pu; so that the above words appear as avu; kapu, sávu, patu, varu in Can. Tel. and Tulu. In Tamil, we have savu, kúppu, pattu and varu.
