Wilson Philological Lectures on Sanskrit and the Derived Languages c6.17.3

c6.17.3

When the root of the tongue touches the lower skirt of the palate, we have similarly क, ख, ग, घ, and ङ. If the intonated breath is allowed to pass away when the mouth is in its natural position with the lips open we have the vowel अ, and with greater force of breath, the aspirate ह. The vowel portion of ऋ and ऌ differs from अ in the whole lower part of the mouth being brought closer to the upper in pronouncing it, while in pronouncing आ the two parts of the mouth are more widely apart; so that the vowel sound involved in ऋ is the closest, आ, the most open. The diphthongs ऐ and औ are अ+इ and अ+उ pronounced hastily. In pronouncing the semi-vowels the organs are brought very close to each other, but do not form a complete contact; so that the breath is compressed and not shut up. Still, like the mutes, they cannot be pronounced without separating the organs. We pronounce व when we bring the two lips and the ends of the upper teeth into close proximity, and it thus corresponds to the vowel उ; for य the position is the same as that for इ, the proximity only being greater; while ल is formed a little above the dental position by emitting the breath by the sides of the tip of the tongue, and र a little below the cerebral.