Page:The history of the Bengali language (1920).pdf/119

Rh regarding the Dravidian alphabet system. In the Tamil script, we get only ক to represent all the consonants of ক-বর্গ and this ক is uttered with slight variations to pronounce খ, গ and ঘ. The usual Tamil sound of ক is almost খ to our ears. Similarly there are only ট, ত and প for all the letters of their বর্গ or class. There is only one letter to represent চ and শ and the sound of চ is peculiarly sibilant in all the Dravidian languages. In connection with the phonetic value of the Tamil consonants, a few remarks relating to the consonants of the Aryan speech, may be fittingly introduced.

From the admirable scientific analysis of the sounds of our letters, in old grammatical works, we get considerable information, regarding the genesis of the consonants. Professor Sayce, after considering the value of the grammatical works of the Greeks and other peoples, has rightly made this remark, regarding the Sanskrit grammar and phonology: "Far more thorough-going and scientific were the phonological labours and classification of the Hindu Prātisākhyas………The Hindus had carefully analysed the organs of speech, some centuries before the Christian era, and composed phonological treatises which may favourably be compared with those of our own day."

That ক changes into গ by slightly raising the accent (বাক্ + অর্থ = বাগর্থ) and that খ and ঘ are but aspirated sounds of ক and গ, need not be demonstrated; that চ is a variant of ক, ছ is an aspirated sound of চ, that জ and গ are always interchangeable, may be detected even on reference to the Sandhi rules. To serve the purpose I have in view, let me adduce here some examples from the Vedic or Chāndasa speech. From শুচ্ (glow of light) we get শুক্র and শুক্ল, both of which are identical in form and Rh