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Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c27.s4: 7.3 Dependent sounds (cārpeluttu)

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c27.s4

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7.3 Dependent sounds (cārpeluttu)

7.3.1 Shortened -i (kuṟṟiyal-ikaram)

c27.s4.t1.1

While there is no graphic representation of the sound, its presence in the language can be inferred from the following passage:

c27.s4.t1.2

*mēṟcēriku-y=āṭi* 'having fought for Mēṟcēri' (112.2-3)

c27.s4.t1.3

Here *-ku* seems to have been pronounced *-ki* as indicated by the glide *-y-* following it. Cf. *Tol. Eḻu.* 35 & 410. It also appears that the shortened *-u* following the front vowel *-i* has changed into the shortened *-i*. See Commentary for discussion.

7.3.2 Shortened -u (kuṟṟiyal-ukaram)

c27.s4.t2.1

There seems to have been an interesting but short-lived attempt in the Early Tamil-Brāhmī script to distinguish the shortened *-u* from the short *-u* as illustrated by the following example:

c27.s4.t2.2

**ū** **pu** for *upu* (*uppu*) 'salt' (39.1.a)

c27.s4.t2.3

where the initial *ū-* stands for *u-* and the final *-u* for the shortened *-u*. In this orthographic system, the graphic **ū** stands for the vowels *ū* or *u* and the graphic **u** for the short vowel *u* or the shortened *-u* according to the context. See section 6.15 for explanation of the rationale of this system.

7.3.3 The āytam (ẖ)

c27.s4.t3.1

The unique Tamil sound *āytam* (*ẖ*) is mentioned in *Tolkāppiyam* (*Eḻu.* 2). The sound has been reconstructed to Proto-Dravidian (Bh. Krishnamurti 1997: pp. 147-151). Even though the *āytam* does not occur in the Tamil-Brāhmī or Early Vaṭṭeḻuttu inscriptions, its presence in the language may be inferred from the words:

c27.s4.t3.2

*ittā-a* < *iẖtu* + *ā-a* 'lo, behold, look here !' (1.4)
*ītā* < *iẖtu* + *ā* id. (2.4, 16.1)
(cf. LT *itā* / *ītā* in the same sense.)

c27.s4.t3.3

*itta* < *iẖtu* + *a* 'this (accusative case)' (13.3)
(cf. LT *itai* / *ittai* in the same sense.)

c27.s4.t3.4

In these words, the *āytam* (*ẖ*) seems to be elided with compensatory doubling of the succeeding stop or lengthening of the preceding vowel (see Bh. Krishnamurti 1997: p. 160 for the rule).

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