User:Sengai Podhuvan/Phonemes (Individual capacities) Tolkappiyam 1-1
Chapter one of the first part of Tolkappiyam explains the individual capacity of the Tamil phonemes. The written form of the phonemes is called letters. The contents of the chapter are given below in analyzed catalogs with its serial number of the grammatical verses (sutras).
Named Categories of phonemes[edit]
| - | - | - | - | Sutra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phonemes (letters) | எழுத்து | 30 |
12 vowels and 18 consonants |
1-1 |
| Short-phonemes in between words | சார்பெழுத்து | 3 kinds |
Short-[i], short-[u] and soft-phoneme [ஃ] |
1-2 |
| Short-vowels | குறில் | 5 |
[a], [i], [u], [e] and [o] |
1-3 |
| Long-vowels | நெடில் | 7 |
[aa], [ii], [uu], [ee], [ai], [oo] and [au] |
1-4 |
| Vowels | உயிர்-எழுத்து | 12 |
[a], [aa], [i], [ii], [u], [uu], [e], [ee], [ai], [o], [oo] and [au] |
1-8 |
| Consonants | மெய்-எழுத்து | 18 |
[k], [ng] or [nk], [s] or [c], [nj], [t], [nt], [th], [nth], [p], [m], [y], [r], [l], [v], [l"] or [z], [l'], [tr] and [n] |
1-9 |
| Hard consonants (surds) | வல்லலினம் | 6 |
[k], [c], [t], [th], [p] and [tr] |
1-19 |
| Soft consonants (nasals) | மெல்லினம் | 6 |
[nk], [nj], [n'], [n"], [m] and [n] |
1-20 |
| Medial consonants | இடையினம் | 6 |
[y], [r], [l], [v], [l“] or [z] and [l’] |
1-21 |
| Demonstrative functional letters | சுட்டு-எழுத்து | 3 |
[a], [i] and [u] |
1-31 |
| Interrogative functional letters | வினா-எழுத்து | 3 |
[aa], [ee] and [oo] |
1- 32 |
Phonetic measures[edit]
- The time of length of natural wink of eyes during a sight is one unit of phonic-measure. (1-7)
- Articulation of short-vowel is one unit (1-3) and the long-vowel takes two units (1-4|
- No phoneme articulates beyond two phonic measures. (1-5)
- If needs beyond two phonic measures, same short-vowel is added in writings. (1-6)
- Lengthening of phonemes beyond the phonetic measures is witnessed too in deft music with stringed instruments, as say the learned men. (1-33)
- Even if the vowel mingled with consonants the duration of the phonic-measure will not change. (1-10)
- Consonant articulates in half unit of phonic-measure. (1-11)
- Short-phonemes, even though they are vowels, sounds as consonants do in half unit of phonic-measure. (1-12)
- Consonant [m] in its particular context sounds quarter unit of phonic-measure. (1-13)
Writing Form[edit]
- Short-[m] (1-13) will be written with a dot in its middle, along with its dot on the top as each consonant has on top. (1-14)
- Consonant has a dot on its top. (1-15)
- Vowels [e] [எ] and [o] [ஒ] also written with a dot on the top. (1-16)
- Blended with consonant, each vowel has been written in two ways of manifest: with [a] in its form without dot on the top and with others with some alterations. (1-17)
Cluster of phonemes[edit]
- In articulation, vowel follows the consonant. (1-18)
- Medial consonants almost all twin with other two types of consonants. (1-22]
| Consonants [k], [c] and [p] cluster after the consonants [t], [tr], [l] and [l’]. |
வெட்கம் vetkkam = shame, |
1-23 |
| Consonants [y] and [v] also cluster after [l] and [l’]. |
கொல்-யானை kol-yaanai = killing or being killed elephant, |
1-24 |
| Consonants [ng], [nj], [nt], [nth], [m], and [n] yoke as pairs of kindred nature in usage |
சங்கு sangu = conch, |
1-25 |
| Consonants [nt] and [n] draw the seven [k], [c], [nj], [p], [m], [y] and [v] to couple. |
வெண்கலம் - ven'kalam - bronze |
1-26 |
| While consonant [y] follows clustering with [nj], [nth], [m] and [v] doubling the end. |
உரிஞ்யாது - urinjyaathu - which is the skin? |
1-27 |
| Consonants [v] cluster after the consonant [m]. | திரும்வாழ்வு - thirumvazvu - returned or returning or going to return life | 1-28 |
| Consonants [y] [ய்], [r] [ர்] and [z] [ழ்] ending in words cluster with all the initial letters of the words. | - | 1-29 |
| Consonants except [m] and [z] double in words. |
மக்கள் - makkal' - people |
1-30 |