2 A GRAMMAR OF THE
THE ALPHABET.
5. The Malayalim letters are 53 in number: of these 16 are
vowels, distinguished thus,
| Short. അ ă, | ഇ ĭ, | ഉ ŭ, | ഋ rŭ, | ഌ lŭ, | എ e, | ഒ o, | അം am. |
| Long. ആ ā, | ൟ ī, | ഊ ū, | ൠ rū, | ൡ lū, | ഐ ai, | ഔ ow, | അഃ ah. |
6. The number of consonants are 37; of these follow the
order of the Sanscrit ; thus :
| 5 GUTTARALS | ക ka, | ഖ kha, | ഗ ga, | ഘ gha | ങ nga. |
| 5 PALATALS | ച cha, | ഛ chha, | ജ ja, | ഝ jha, | ഞ nya. |
| 5 CEREBRALS | ട ta, | ഠ tha, | ഡ da, | ഢ dha, | ണ na. |
| 5 DENTALS | ത ta, | ഥ tha, | ദ da, | ധ dha | ന na. |
| 5 LABIALS | പ pa, | ഫ pha, | ബ ba, | ഭ bha, | മ ma. |
| 4 SEMI-VOWELS | യ ya, | ര ra, | ല la, | വ wa. | |
| 4 SIBILANTS | ശ s'a, | ഷ sha, | സ sa, | ഹ ha,asp. | ക്ഷ ksha. |
7. The three remaining characters derived from an ancient Alphabet
are ള la, റ ra, and ഴ ra.
8. The above are the forms of the letters when they occur as
initials; when used as medials or finals, some of them assume a dif-
ferent shape as will be hereafter explained.
OF PRONUNCIATION.
9. Nothing more under this head is intended than to give a
general idea of the sound of the Malayalim letters; as in writing, it is
quite impossible in most cases, to do more than this; many of the
sounds can only be learned by paying strict attention to their pronun-
ciation as uttered by an efficient teacher.
| അ...... | has the short sound of final a in Sophia. |
| ആ.... | has the sound of final a in papa. |
| ഇ....... | is similar to i in folio. |
| ൟ.... | sometimes written ഈ is like I in pique. |
| ഉ....... | has the sound of u in full. |
| ഊ..... | is like oo in fool. |
| ഋ....... | something like ru in rue. |
| ൠ....... | same sound but lengthened. |
| ഌ...... | something like our word loo. |
| ൡ...... | a similar sound but lengthened. |
