Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases, and of Kindred Terms, Etymological, Historical, Geographical and Discursive c7.5

c7.5

The first of the three Sanskrit sibilants is expressed by (*ś*), and, as in Wilson's Glossary, no distinction is marked between the Indian aspirated *k*, *g*, and the Arabic gutturals *kh*, *gh*. Also, in words transliterated from Arabic, the sixteenth letter of the Arabic alphabet is expressed by (*ṭ*). This is the same type that is used for the cerebral Indian (*ṭ*). Though it can hardly give rise to any confusion, it would have been better to mark them by distinct types. The fact is, that it was wished at first to make as few demands as possible for distinct types, and, having begun so, change could not be made.