Page:A Grammar of the Telugu language.djvu/29

Rh shaped exactly like the vowels ఋ ri and ౠ rū.

Instead of the initial forms ఉ and ఊ the consonants వూ Vū are generally used. Thus the word ŭdyōgam (employ) and ūshnam (heat) are in the dictionary spelt ఉద్యొగం ఊష్ణం andand ఊష్ణం [sic] but in common writing these always are spelt వుద్యొగం and వూష్ణం i e.i. e. [sic] Vud-yō-gam and Vūshnam. But the V is not sounded and accordingly the sound is udyōgam and ūshnam.

When the short u it is final, is written indeed, but very often dropped in pronunciation. Thus చేను chēnu a field is always called చేన్ chēn బాతు bātu a duck is pronounced బాత్ bāt దున్నపోతు a heifer in like manner is pronounced దున్నపొత్ dunnapōt. Thus also in words that end in ము mu బేరము bēramu (merchandize) is always pronounced బేరం bēram. Experience will shewshow [sic] us that in all such words the final U is necessary only in poetry. In words borrowed from Hindustāni, English, or other languages (and which have a final silent consonant) as firyād (a compaint) vakīl (a pleader) major (the English word) the Telugus do indeed add a final U, thus ఫిర్యాదు, వకీలు, మేఙరు. because it is awkward to attach the silent mark ్ to these consonants; so they write the vowel U but do not pronounce it.

ఋ is rĭ or rŏŏ as in the words rig, rich, trick, rŏŏk, brook. Thus ఋషి rĭshi, a prophet, ఋతు rŭtu a season ఋణం debt.

ౠ The same vowel pronounced long. The second forms are ృ (short) and  ౄ long. Thus తృప్తి tripti, fulnessfullness [sic]. కృప​ crĭpa favour.

The vowel ă is written (but not pronounced) a long with this