Page:A Grammar of the Telugu language.djvu/38

20 Thus చంద్రుడు Chandrudu the moon చాకచక్యం chācachakiam brilliancy చొద్యం chodyam, marvel, miracle, give the hard sound of Ch. And జలం jalam water, జాలం jālam a net జూదం jūdam dice-play, give the hard sound of J.

The following words, being Telugu, give the soft sounds; చలం çalam anger చాచుట​ çāçuta to extend చోటు çōtu a place వచ్చుట​ vaççuta to come: which might be spelt in English letters tsalam, tsātsuta, tsōtu, vatsuta.

And the soft sound (dz) of జ is perceived in the Telugu words జబ్బు slow జాబు zābu, a letter or epistle. జోడు zōdu a pair.

The hard sounds, Ch and J are used in Telugu words only if the vowel is sharp: and the sharp vowels are ి I and  ె E whether short or long. Accordingly in the words చిప్ప​ chippa a plate చీమ​ chīma an ant, చీకటి chīkati, dark, చెప్పుట​ chepputa to say, చేరుట​ chēruta to arrive, జిలుగు jilugu small (as hand writing) జీడి jīdi sap, juice జెముడు jemudu the milk-hedge plant, the letter జ​ is sounded as J not Z.

In some grammars the marks ౧ and ౨ (1 and 2) have been placed over these letters: one denoting the soft sound, the other the sharp accent. But the principle is so easily understood that marks are superfluous.

In the rustic or ancient pronunciation the Telugus use the soft sounds alone. Thus we frequently hear the words చిన్న​ chinna, చెప్పు cheppu, జిలుగు jilugu, జెముడు jemudu pro-