Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 62
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
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August, 1933]
INITIAL FRICATIVES AND AFFRICATES OF DRAVIDIAN
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INITIAL FRICATIVES AND AFFRICATES OF DRAVIDIAN. BY L. V. RAMASWAMI AIYAR, M.A., B.L. (MALARAJA'S COLLEGE, ERNAKULAM). The affricates and fricatives occurring in initial positions of native Dravidian words are the following -
I. () The affricate c- and its voiced variety j.
(6) The dental affricate ts- and its voiced variety dz-. (c) The dental sibilant-fricative 8..
(d) The palatal sibilant-fricative s.. II. The labial fricative v.. III. (a) The velar fricative x [x] (b) The glottal fricative or aspirate h..1
I [A] The distribution of initial c-, j., 8., and 6. among the dialects :--
Clj. 118Tamil Malayalam Kannada Telugu Kodagi Kui Gòndi Kurukh Brahôi
*=of common occurrence.
t=of rare [B] The phonolic values of these sounds :
It would be necessary for the Dravidist who concerns himself with the history of these sounds to have a clear and definite idea of their precise phonetic values. The remarks made below regarding the values of the sounds of the southern dialects (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Tuļu) are the result of personal observations made by the present writer. I have of course not had the help of instruments in analysing the peculiarities of these sounds, but I have tried to fix the common features of the enunciation of each pound by observing closely as many native speakers as possible. For the desoriptions of the sounds of Kûi, Gôndi, Kurukh and Bråhùi I have had to rely on grammars dealing with these speeches.
The fricatives of this group are st and s.. The voiced varieties of the sound do not occur initially in any of the dialects of Dravidian.
The difference between 8- and s., while unmistakable to the speaker and to the hearer, has rosisted easy and summary definition by the phonotician, probably on account of the fact that several varieties of &- could be produced, not all of which could be grouped together in one category on the basis of the features of articulation involved. Prof. Jespersen has pointed out (Lehrbuch der Phonetik, page 46) that no two phoneticians have definitely agreed in regard to the difference between 8 and s. He has tried to get to the root of the matter by laying down the following rule: "There are two chief types of & [J]. sounds which differ in the manner of production but which have something in common, whereby they differ from 8. sounds; and that, therefore, should be the characteristic feature of difference,
1 I have already dealt with the secondary glottal fricative of Dravidian in two previous pepers of mine published in the columns.
* The voiced variety of this sound, viz., 6 (=dx] easily morges into the affricato j (=z) in the contexts in which it may be presumed to have coourred. E, the voicod fricativo, is unstable in modial positions aloo.
