Page:The history of the Bengali language (1920).pdf/98

76 pronounce অ as আ short. The Bengali sound of অ, as verging upon the sound of 'ও,' is naturally subdued when it is in the beginning or in the middle of a word, but it is distinct at the end of a word, when the final vowel, as a matter of course, is not হসন্ত in sound. Forgetting this natural mode of pronunciation, some writers unnecessarily write মতো for মত (like), ভালো for ভাল (good), কোনো for কোন (certain), etc. This process may be called wasting the black paint to paint a Negro black. The spelling reformers, moreover, fail to see that the sound of অ as a final, only approaches the sound of ও, and it will be creating confusion, if this sound be made identical with 'ও'.

(ii) The pronunciation of অ in Oriyā is midway between the Bengali and the Tamil pronunciation. The sound in Oriyā is similar to 'a' in ball; while we pronounce রবি as Robi, the Oriyās pronounce it as Raw-bi. This Oriyā pronunciation of অ is the highest exercise we make in producing the ancient sound, when reading Sanskrit, and this is the sound we produce, when accent is put upon অ not followed by ই or উ sound in a word. For example, when there is an accent on অ of অত (so much), the অ sounds like 'aw' in raw or like 'a' in ball. অ in অতি, however, does not change the normal Bengali sound, even though accented, as the ই sound follows it. Our spelling reformers may also take notice of the fact, that even when we attempt to maintain the purity of the sound of অ, as in অত, the sound is almost an 'ও' to the men of other provinces of India.

The Vedic sound for অ may no doubt be presumed to be our short আ, but we notice in the Atharvan Prātiśākhya (e.g. 1, 36) that besides the open sound, there was also a close or, saṁvṛta, sound of অ, which it appears, we have only inherited in Bengal. It is difficult to say, if this