Indian Antiquary Vol 62

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

Page 154

142
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
( August, 1933
viz., the portion of the tongue which articulates is not the same as that which lies in normal rest-position exactly opposite to the point of articulation on the mouth-roof. In the case of 8-, if I may so put it, a portion of the tongue becomes active towards the region of the mouth-roof exactly opposite, while if the same portion of the tongue becomes active with the neighbouring region of the mouth-roof, é is produced; with one qualification, however, that when the region of the mouth-roof involved is that of the teeth, 8 is invariably produced."
Prof. Jespersen has noted two main varieties of & -one produced by the anterior portion of the foreblade of the tongue working against a region of the mouth-roof which lies farther back than that which, in rest-position, lies opposite to the foreblade of the tongue. This is the initial sound in English shed, shall, etc. The other variety is produced by a portion of the tongue-surface farther back than in the above, operating against a more forward region of the mouth-roof.
So far as Dravidian is concerned, I have noted the following peculiarities. In Tamil where - in initial positions is general, except in Tinnevelli and Jaffna, the fricative is produced by the raising of the middle of the foreblade of the tongue against the region of the mouthroof somewhat behind the teeth-ridge where a slight hole-like passage is formed through which air is allowed to escape. The sound approximates to the first variety of described by Jespersen, but the point of articulation appears to be a little more forward than that of the English sound. This is the value of - in Tamil words like så (to die), sinna (small), etc.
But, as we shall see later on, Tamil has an affricate c [=cs in IPA script) which is constituted of a plosive element and a fricative é. This fricative element in [o]is always produced in Tamil at a still more backward position than in the variety described above, so far as both the region of the mouth-roof and the portion of the tongue-blade are concerned. The region of the mouth-roof is almost the middle portion of the hard palate, i.e., the same point at which the plosive element (c) of [cs] or c of geminated medial cc of Tamil is produced.
In Malayalam, initially, c alone is used, while s occurs only medially in native words. The greater frequency of c in initial positions of native words has led to all &. sounds being enunciated on the model of the fricative involved in the affricate, i.e., at a slightly more backward position than for Tamil initial &.
Telugu, Kannada and Tuļu & is, so far as I could see, like the Malayalam sound produced at the position where the front stop element of the affricete c is produced.
The Dental Fricative. &is produced in all the Dravidian dialects with the foreblade of the tongue directly raised against the combined region of the teeth and the gums.
The Affricates. There are two groups belonging to this class (1) c =cl) and (=z), both of which appear in initial positions in Kannada. Tulu
and Telugu, while the voiceless variety alone is present in initial positions in
Malayalam. (2) ts and dz which appear as the variants of initial c. and j. in Telugu before the
dorsal vowels a, o and u. There appears to be little doubt that these sounds are genuine affricates, and not stops as they are usually described to be. In group (1) the plosive element e orj is discernible in
3 Sanskrit is a true dental, cand j are produced with the "upper flat surface of the tongue" against the palatal region, while in the "flat of the tongue operates against the forward part of the palatal arch." (Whitney's Grammar, pages 16 and 22.) The descriptions of the sound c() given by Tamil grammarians may be cited here:
Tolkåppiyam, Sutra 89 of Elutladigaram : F8 E SOLGT Freeri"and A are
produced with the middle of the tongue and the palate." Nonnul, Satra 79: "C and A are produced with the middle of the tongue and the middle of the
hard palate." For Tel, ts and dz, cf. Nannaya's Sūtra (10) : addantyurtáluvya cur vakrasydnmithasatarnatca