Wilson Philological Lectures on Sanskrit and the Derived Languages c6.17.2

c6.17.2

When *nâda* is forced out and allowed to pass away without being obstructed we pronounce vowels, and when both *s'vâsa* and *nâda* are obstructed at different parts of the mouth, the sounds that are formed are consonantal. Hence a consonant cannot be pronounced by itself; it is only when the touching organs are separated and the air allowed to pass through any one of the vowel positions, that the sound is produced. When the intonated breath is let off through the rounded lips, it forms उ, and with the lower lip a little further off, ओ; while if the lips completely touch each other, and the breath is thus obstructed in its passage, we have प which, with a greater force of respiration becomes फ, and when it is partly sent into the nose, it assumes the form of म. If the *s'vâsa* is in the same condition as *nâda* when it forms प and फ we have प and फ. When these two kinds of breath are shut up by the tip of the tongue forming a complete contact with the root of the upper teeth, we have त, थ, द, ध, and न. When the contact is effected higher up and the forepart of the tongue is made into a curve, we have ट, ठ, ड, ढ, and ण. If the middle of the tongue is brought near the palate, *nâda* passing through the intervening space forms the vowel इ; and when the tongue is a little further off and the mouth more open, we have ए; while if there is complete contact, the two kinds of breath give us च, छ, ज, झ, and ञ as before.