Page:A Grammar of the Telugu language.djvu/44

26 The words are Sanscrit: but in some Telugu words the letter ఁ called the half sunna, or semicircle is used by some grammarians, but in common use the circle alone is used: though it sometimes is pronounced full N as in the English word son, and elsewhere as half N as in the French word son.

In the ancient pronunciation of Telugu, which the rustic and uncultivated classes still retain, the nasal sound was very prevalent in Telugu: as it is to this day among the rural population of England. But in each country the educated classes have laid aside this disagreeable accent.

The nasal is preserved in many Telugu words: as వాడు he వీక​ strength, తోక​ a tail, కాక​ heat which the rustic classes write వాండు, వీంక​, తోంక​, కాంక​ a mode of spelling which we find in several manuscripts, but which is in common use laid asideaside. [sic] The learned have attempted to reconcile this discrepancy by using ఁ the semicircle: thus they wish such words to be written thus వాఁడు, వీఁక​, తోఁక​, క. In like manner the forms చేయగా, పోవగా, రాగా, (doing, going, coming) are commonly written చేయంగా, పోవంగా, రాంగా. And grammarians wish to retain the semicircle చేయఁగా, పోవఁగా, to denote the slightly nasal sound: which answers to the indistinct N used in French or in the Hindustani language.

But this semicircle has never come into general use among the people, and it will be hard to prove the expedience of a refinement like this: which is discountenanced by most manuscripts of the poets and is entirely unprofitable.

The accent accords with the spelling and the principle is easy.