Pronunciation of Tamil
The pronunciation of Tamil is very different from the typeface, but can be derived from it according to certain rules. The Tamil script is largely phonematic ; i.e., a grapheme (letter) represents a phoneme . However, these phonemes have numerous positional allophones , i. That is, they are realized as different sounds depending on their position in the word. Hence, the correct pronunciation of a written text requires a knowledge of the phonology of Tamil . Since loanwords are not subject to the phonological rules of Tamil, their pronunciation cannot be easily deduced from the typeface.
The pronunciation of Tamil is subject to regional variations. Many speakers do not master the prestigious standard wording of the ழ் ḻ as [ ɻ ], but pronounce it as [ j ] (in the north) or as [ ɭ ] (in the south). In Sri Lanka, for example, there is no jotation of / e / and / eː / at the beginning of the word.
The exact pronunciation of Tamil is sometimes described differently in the specialist literature. For example, the pronunciation of ழ் ḻ is given partly as an approximant [ ɻ ] and partly as a fricative [ ʐ ]. The following information is based essentially on Anton 1976. The scientific transliteration is in italics, the IPA phonetic transcription is given in square brackets .
Vowels
The allophony of the vowels is less pronounced than that of the consonants. The phonemes / a / and / u / are pronounced reduced in the unstressed position. The phonemes / i / and / e / and their long equivalents / iː / and / eː / are centralized by a subsequent retroflex consonant . At the beginning of the word, / e / and / eː / are given a [j] suggestion (so-called joting), in a similar way some words starting with / ɔ / are preceded by a [ ʋ ].
| character | pronunciation | example | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| அ | a | [ a ] | in the initial and in the first syllable like German short a | அம்மா Amma [ a Ma ] "Mother" |
| [ ʌ ] | in the second syllable, if it is closed, and in the ending -am as in English. but | மரம் maram [ ˈmaɾ ʌ m ] "tree" | ||
| [ ə ] | in final syllables and in front of morphemic borders as a reduced "marble vowel" similar to e in German please | அவன் avaṉ [ ˈaʋ ə n ] "he" | ||
| ஆ | - | [ aː ] | long a | ஆம் ām [ aː m ] "yes" |
| இ | i | [ i ] | short closed i | இந்த inta [ i n̪d̪ə ] "this" |
| [ ɨ ] | before retroflex consonants a short “dull” i | கிணறு kiṇaṟu [ ˈk ɨ ɳərɯ ] "fountain" | ||
| ஈ | ī | [ iː ] | long closed i | ஈ ī [ iː ] "fly" |
| [ ɨː ] | before retroflex consonants a long “dull” i | வீடு vīṭu [ ˈʋ ɨː ɖɯ ] "house" | ||
| உ | u | [ u ] | Initially and internally, briefly closed u | உரம் uram [ u ɾʌm ] "strength" |
| [ ɯ ] | reduced in the final and excessively short | நாடு nāṭu [ ˈnaːɖ ɯ ] "land" | ||
| ஊ | ū | [ uː ] | long closed u | ஊர் UR [ U ɾ ] "place" |
| எ | e | [ e ] | short e | மெல் mel [ m e l ] "soft" |
| [ j e ] | Initially with a j proposal | என் EN [ depending n ] "my" | ||
| [ ɘ ] | before retroflexes as a short "dull" e-sound | பெண் peṇ [ p ɘ ɳ ] "girl" | ||
| ஏ | ē | [ eː ] | long e | மேல் mēl [ m eː l ] "on" |
| [ j eː ] | Initially with a j proposal | ஏன் ēṉ [ jeː n ] "why" | ||
| [ ɘː ] | before retroflexes as a long “dull” e-sound | கேள் kēḷ [ k ɘː ɭ ] "ask" | ||
| ஐ | ai | [ a i̯ ] | similar to German egg | ஐந்து aintu [ AI n̪d̪ɯ ] "five" |
| [ ɛ i̯ ] | in the finals of polysyllabic words as in English pay | சிலுவை ciluvai [ siluʋ ɛi̯ ] "Cross" | ||
| ஒ | O | [ ɔ ] | short open o | ஒரு oru [ ɔ ɾɯ ] "on" |
| [ ʋ ɔ ] | Initially partly with a w -like suggestion | ஒன்று oṉṟu [ ʋɔ ndrɯ ] "one" | ||
| ஓ | O | [ oː ] | long closed o | ஓரம் Oram [ Ó ɾʌm ] "edge" |
| ஔ | ouch | [ a u̯ ] | similar to German blue | ஔடதம் auṭatam [ AU ɖʌðʌm ] "medicine" |
Consonants
In the consonants , the plosives ( plosives ) have a large number of allophones. In general, they are most letters and doubling voiceless and after nasal and between vowels voiced spoken. Between vowels, they also tend to be spoken as fricatives .
The sounds ந் / n̪ / and ன் / n / occur in a complementary distribution and can therefore be regarded as allophones of the same phoneme. In pronunciation, there is often no distinction between them, as well as between ர் / ɾ / and ற் / r /, which can contrast when pronounced more precisely. It should be noted, however, that the alveolar sound ற் / r / is pronounced in doubling as [ tː r ] and after nasal as [ d r ]. The old Tamil sound ஃ / h / ( āytam ) is very rare in the modern language.
| character | pronunciation | example | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| க் | k | [ k ] | initial and doubling voiceless like German k | கால் kāl [ k aːl ] "foot", பக்கம் pakkam [ ˈpa kː ʌm ] "side" |
| [ ɡ ] | after nasals voiced like German g | நாங்கள் nāṅkaḷ [ ˈn̪aːŋ ɡ əɭ ] "we" | ||
| [ x ] | between vowels in the vicinity of middle and back vowels such as ch in German ach | போகும் pōkum [ ˈpoː x um ] "it will work" | ||
| [ ɣ ] | between vowels in the vicinity of anterior vowels as a voiced fricative | செய்கிறேன் ceykiṟēṉ [ ˈsej ɣ ireːn ] "I do" | ||
| ங் | ṅ | [ ŋ ] | as ng in dt. eng | இங்கே iṅkē [ ˈi ŋ ɡeː ] "here" |
| ச் | c | [ s ] | at the initial and between vowels voiceless s | சோறு CORU [ s oːrɯ ] "cooked rice", பசி paci [ pa s i ] "Hunger" |
| [ ʧ ] | in doubling like German Tsch | பேச்சு pēccu [ ˈpeː ʧ ɯ ] "speech" | ||
| [ ʒ ] | after nasal like j in journalist | கொஞ்சம் koñcam [ ˈkɔɲ ʒ ʌm ] "a little" | ||
| ஞ் | ñ | [ ɲ ] | like gn in champagne | பஞ்சு Pancu [ pa ɲ ʒɯ ] "cotton" ஞாபகம் ñāpakam [ ɲ aːbəxʌm ] "Remembrance" |
| ட் | ṭ | [ ʈ ] | Initially (only with loan words) and doubled as voiceless retroflexes (spoken with the tip of the tongue bent back) t | டீ ṭī [ ʈ iː ] "tea", கட்டு kaṭṭu [ ˈka ʈː ɯ ] "to bind" |
| [ ɖ ] | after the nasal and between vowels as voiced retroflexes (spoken with the tip of the tongue bent back) d | ஆண்டு āṇṭu [ ˈaːɳ ɖ ɯ ] "year", படம் paṭam [ ˈpa ɖ ʌm ] "image" | ||
| ண் | ṇ | [ ɳ ] | retroflexes (spoken with the tip of the tongue bent back) n | பணம் paṇam [ ˈpa ɳ ʌm ] "money" |
| த் | t | [ t̪ ] | Initially and doubled as voiceless dental (spoken with the tongue on the teeth) t | தாய் tāy [ t̪ aːj ] "mother", சத்தம் cattam [ ˈsa t̪ː ʌm ] "noise" |
| [ d̪ ] | after nasal as voiced dental (spoken with the tongue on the teeth) d | அந்த anta [ ˈan̪ d̪ ə ] "that" | ||
| [ ð ] | between vowels similar to th in engl. the | மாதம் mātam [ ˈmaː ð ʌm ] "month" | ||
| ந் | n | [ n̪ ] | dentales (spoken with the tongue on the teeth) n | நான் nāṉ [ n̪ aːn ] "I" |
| ப் | p | [ p ] | in initial and doubling voiceless like German p | பல் pal [ p al ] "tooth", உப்பு uppu [ ˈu pː ɯ ] "salt" |
| [ b ] | after nasal voiced like German b | பாம்பு pāmpu [ paːm b ɯ ] "snake" | ||
| [ β ] | between vowels as a voiced fricative | தீபம் tīpam [ ˈt̪iː β ʌm ] "lamp" | ||
| ம் | m | [ m ] | like German m | மீன் mīṉ [ m iːn ] "fish" |
| ய் | y | [ j ] | like German j | யார் yār [ j aːɾ ] "who" |
| ர் | r | [ ɾ ] | "Rolled" r with one tongue | அரை arai [ ˈa ɾ ai̯ ] "half" |
| ல் | l | [ l ] | like German l | காலம் kālam [ ˈkaː l ʌm ] "time" |
| வ் | v | [ ʋ ] | similar to German w | வானம் vanam [ ʋ aːnʌm ] "Heaven" |
| ழ் | ḻ | [ ɻ ] | a retroflex (with the tongue turned back spoken) near sound, phonetically approximately between voiced sch , l and r | வழி vaḻi [ ˈʋa ɻ i ] "way" |
| ள் | ḷ | [ ɭ ] | retroflexes (spoken with the tongue bent back) l | நீளம் nīḷam [ ˈn̪ɨː ɭ ʌm ] "length" |
| ற் | ṟ | [ r ] | between vowels as a "rolled" r with several tongues | அறை aṟai [ ˈa r ai̯ ] "room" |
| [ tː r ] | doubled as a combination of voiceless alveolar (spoken with the tongue on the dental dam) t and r | காற்று kāṟṟu [ ˈkaː tːr ɯ ] "wind" | ||
| [ d r ] | after nasal as a combination of voiced alveolar (spoken with the tongue on the dental dam) d and r | பன்றி paṉṟi [ ˈpan dr i ] "pig" | ||
| ன் | ṉ | [ n ] | alveolares (spoken with the tongue on the dental dam) n | பூனை pūṉai [ ˈpuː n ai̯ ] "cat" |
| ஜ் | j | [ ʤ ] | as dsh in dt. jungle | ஜாதி jāti [ ʤ ADI ] "caste" |
| ஷ் | ṣ | [ ʂ ] | retroflexes (spoken with the tip of the tongue bent back) sch | கஷ்டம் kaṣṭam [ ˈka ʂ ʈʌm ] "difficulty" |
| ஸ் | s | [ s ] | voiceless s | புஸ்தகம் pustakam [ ˈpu s tʌxʌm ] |
| ஹ் | H | [ ɦ ] | voiced h | ஹஜி haji [ ɦ aʤi ] "pilgrims to Mecca" |
| ஃ | ḵ | [ h ] | like German h , but also clearly pronounced before the consonant | அஃறிணை aḵriṇai [ a h rɨɳɛi̯ ] "(grammatical) low class, neuter " |
Loanwords
Tamil has adopted a large number of loanwords, especially from Sanskrit and English . These often do not correspond to the rules of Tamil phonology, so voiced plosives at the beginning of the word (e.g. [ bas ] "bus", from English bus ) or sounds that are not present in real Tamil words (e.g. B. [ ˈkaːfi ] "coffee", from English coffee ) occur. Since there are no equivalents for these sounds in the Tamil script, பஸ் pas and காப்பி kāppi are written. At least more educated speakers try to pronounce such loanwords as close as possible to their sound in the source language. In this case, the pronunciation is not evident from the typeface. On the other hand, some speakers replace the foreign sounds with the corresponding Tamil sounds, so that the pronunciation of foreign words is by no means uniform.
literature
- Helga Anton: The Script and Pronunciation of Modern Tamil . Madras: Alamu Printing Works, 1976. pp. 19-74.
- AH Arden: A Progressive Grammar of the Tamil Language . Madras: Christian Literature Society, 1942 (reprinted 1969). Pp. 33-63.
- Hermann Beythan: Practical grammar of the Tamil language. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1943. pp. 17–37.
- Elinor Keane: "Tamil". In: Journal of the International Phonetic Association 34.1 (2004). Pp. 111-116.