Indian Antiquary Vol 61

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 380

9127
ON THE MODERN INDO-ARYAN VERNACULARS
(FEBRUARY, 1932
Pre
Pronunciation when followed by
ceding
vowel.
a-mātrā (including 4- and e-mātrā).
i-matra.
u-mātra.
i-matra.
yil, us in nila, pr. nyūl", blue (sg. masc.).
ut, as in ger, pr.
gubri, horses. ū, as in gør', pr. gūiri cowherds.
p
i, dg in lędør, pr.
lidar, be yellow.
yo, as in teel, pr. Ya, as in tselu, pr.
tryolu, squeezed (eg. tsküla, squeezed masc.).
(sg. fem.).
e
i, as in brother, i, as in pheri, pr. yü, as in pher", pr. i, as in pheri, pr.
pr. brithar, make phir, turned (pl. phyūr", turned (sg. phirt, turned (sg. foolish. masc.). masc.).
fem.).
ai or
o
u
(no example) ü, as in kütt, howl 1 as in kür", how , as in kitsi, how
many! (pl. masc.). much? (sg. masc.) much? (eg.fem.). , as in lokar, pr. u', as in bộz, pr. u, as in boza, pr. u, as in bộzid, pr. lūlar, make small. būzi, heard (pl. būz, heard (eg. būzi, heard (eg. masc.). masc.).
fem.) something between öf, 29 in woth, o, as in woth, pr. ü, as in woth", pr. i and u, but near- pr. woth', arisen (pl.) woth, arisen (sg wüthi arisen (sg. er 7, as in hólher, maso.).
masc.).
fem.). pr. nearly hökhar, make dry
Of the above, the vowel & followed by a-mātrā is the only one that offers any considerable difficulty in pronunciation. I have said that it somewhat resembles a short German ö. It is a sound which reaches different ears in a different manner. In Ks. Man. 17 I have described it as something between the w in the English hut' and the ő in the English
hot,' but others hear it differently. Thus, one friend who is familiar with the Kš. of the rural parts of the country compares its sound with that of the a in English cancelled.' On the whole, to my ear, the sound is best represented by 7. It must be remembered that, when final, the mätra-vowels are very slightly sounded. This is specially the case with u-mātrā and i-mātrā, which, when final, are inaudible to most English eans, although educated natives claim that they can hear them distinctly.
127. In Kāšmiri, and probably in all the Dardic languages, the following pairs of vowels are commonly confused, one person using one of a pair, and another another of the same pair. Indeed, in the larger towns, the uneducated are unable to distinguish either by ear or by tongue between the two members of each pair , e; i, ē; , 0; and i, o.
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