Page:A Grammar of the Telugu language.djvu/20

2 Here we see that the mark (which is ă) is attached to the consonant: it is certainly superfluous in sound, but is always used.

Yet there are nine consonants which form an exception. These are ఖ​ kha ఙ​ gna జ​ ja ఞ jna ట ṭa ణ ṇa బ​ ba ల​ la ఱ in which a is called inherent; that is it is pronounced without being written.

The mark written under certain consonants makes them aspirates: thus ద​ is D but ధ is Dh so ప​ is P but ఫ​ is Ph.

The names of the consonants are formed by adding ă or ā. Thus ద is called dă or dā; ధ is called dhă or dhā.

Sometimes the word కారం cāram (letter) is added. Thus ద is called దకారం dacāram, letter D.

A small circle ం or dot •  is in some places used for N or M. Thus అంత or అ•త is anta అంగం or అ•గ• is angam which is instead of అన్త​ and అగ్గం.

The circle is usually formed like the English letter o. Thus అంగం is angam. But to distinguish it from the English letter, I shall frequently use the form ం in this grammar.

As certain consonants have the vowel a “inherent” so the consonant య ya has the vowel I inherent. For if written without the letter యి is i or yi.

The mark ా added to some vowels lengthens the sound. Thus క is short că but కా is long cā. Thus గా is gā and చా is chā. Thus కు becomes కూ kū.

As i is inherent in y, యీ is yī or ī like ī in machine, or ee in deep.

The letter ă అ is called అచరం, ă-caram, or letter A. but the sign ă is called తలకట్టు, or crest. The letter ఇ I is called ఇచరం i-caram: but the sign ి, ĭ, is called గుడి gudi or whirl.