 |
Introductory Note
:
All human speech-sounds are produced by the breath going out
of (or into) the lungs through the larynx and cavities of
the mouth and the nose. The larynx is the cavity in the throat
(just behind the `Adam's Apple') holding the two vocal chords.
The latter resemble two lips running horizontally from back
to front . They may be kept apart, the air can pass freely
between them which produces viceless sound, but when the vocal
chords are close together, the breath forcing itself out through
them sets the chords in vibration which produces voice sound.
In producing consonatns,
some sort of complete or incomplete obstruction is creatd
in the mouth with the help of the lips, (upper) teeth, palate
and the tongue. The two lips can be drawn together, or the
lower lip placed against the upper teeth for creating an obstruction.
The tongue can be pressed against the upper teeth, or against
their ridge, or against some part of the palate (``roof''
of the mouth), and thus obstruct the passage of the outgoing
breath. (The front part of the palate is called ``hard'',
while the back part is called ``sift''.)
In uttering vowels,
there is obstruction in the larynx only, but none in the mouth.
The vibration of the vocal chords produces ``voice'', while
the various qualities of vowels depend on the variations of
``the shape of the air passage above the larynx. This passage
forms what is known as resonance chamber. The shape of the
air passage above the larynx is governed, and hence vowel
quality is governed, chiefly by the position of the lips)''
(D. Jones). When the ``front'' of the tongue is raised considerably
high towards the hard palate, we get high (or close) front
vowels like i when the ``back'' vowels like u. When the tongue
is low down inthe mouth and very slightly raised at the back,
we get a low (or open) back vowel like a. When the middle''
of the tongue is slightly raised (or, in some cases, depresses)
we get a half-open front vowels like ai, half-close back vowels
likeo, and half open back vowels like au. The vowel quality
is also affacted by the position of the lips. Thus, in pronouncing
u or o, the lips are drawn together so as to form a round
opening. While in pronouncing i or a the lips are either slightly
spread or have a ``neutral'' position. Vowels are short (i,
u, a,) or long (e,o, a,) according to the time taken to utter
them. Each vpwe; can be nasalized. i.e. formed by letting
the air pass out through the nose, as well as through the
mouth. Two vowels pronounced as a single syllable are said
to form a diphthong.
3. (1) (a) is
a short, half-open, middle vowel. It is pronounced somewhat
like the u in but, or the o in son:
ά (ab) `now',
ά£ (agar) `if'.
- ά (a) is a
long, open, back vowel. It is pronounced like the a in far
or father:
άά (ag) `fire'
άά (ap) `you' (honoific).
- (i) is a
short, close, front vowel. It is pronounced like the i in
pin or it.
ά£ (idhar)
`hither', Ε¬άΨ (iksath) `sixty-one'.
- Δ (i) is a
long, close, front vowel. It is pronounced like the i in
machine or like the ee in heed:
Δ©ά (is) `God',
Δά (ikh) 2 `sugar-cane.'
Note:- Δ is,
in fact, not only longer, but also closer than . Moreover,
in uttering it, ``the tongue is in a state of considerable
muscular tension'', while in uttering , the tongue ``the
held loosely'' (D. Jones).
Cf.
below.
- (u) is a
short, close, back, rounded vowel. It is pronounced like
the u in put or the oo in book :
ά£ (udhar)
`thither'. Ϊ‘ά (uday) `rise'.
-
(u) is short,
close, back, rounded vowel. It is pronounced like u in June,
or oo in fool:
ά£ (upar)
`up, above',
ά (un) `wool'.
Note:-
is,
in fact, not only longer but also closer than . Moreover,
in uttering it, ``the tongue is in a state of considerable
muscular tension '' while in uttering , the tongue ``is
held loosely''. Cf. Δ above.
- (r) is short
and pronounced as the ri in rip :
΅ά (rn) `debt.'
See Note (i) below.
- (e) is a
long, half-close, front vowel. It is pronounced like the
a in make or fame (but as a single vowel, as in Scottish
English) :
Ε (ek) `one'.
- ½ (ai) is
a long, half-open, front vowel, It is pronounced some what
like the a in bad or glad:
½ά (aib) `defect,
vice', ½άΕ (ainak) `pair of spectacles'.
- ά½ (o) is
a long, half-close, back vowel. It is pronounced like the
o in bolt or both (but as a single vowel, as in Scottish
English);
ά½½¬ά (os)
`dew', ά½Ϋ! (oh) `oh'!
- άΎ (au) is
a long, half-open, back vowel. It is pronounced some what
like the aw in saw or lawn:
άΎ£χά (aurat)
`woman', άΎ£ (aur) `and, more'.
Note :- (i) In
Hindi, is not a vowel sound, but simply the consonant r+the
short vowel i (not r+u, as in esome South Indian languages).
It is included among vowel letters because it occurs in Sanskrit
words where it has the value of a true vowel.
(ii) For all practical
purposes, -Δ, -
as well as -ά may be regarded as pairs
of short and long vowels.
(iii) ½ amd άΎ
in native Hindi and common Sanskrit words are usually pronounced
as simple, long vowels, as explained above. However, in the
`learned' pronunciation of Sanskrit words borrowed into Hindi,
or where followed by semi-vowels ‘ά (άΎ‘άά maiya mother')
and ¨ά (ΕάΎ¨άά kauya `crow') respectively, ½ and άΎ are
made into clear diphthongs and pronounced like (ai) and
(au) respectively.
(iv) Any vowel,
short or long, can be nasalized (spoken through the nose also):
Β a, άΒ a, Β e, ά½Ώ o etc.:
άΒά (akh) `eye',
Δ (it) `brick',
Β (ut) `camel', ά½ΏΨ (oth)2 lip'.
|
|
