Introductory Pages - An Introduction to Spoken Kashmiri
Introductory Pages - An Introduction to Spoken Kashmiri
Introductory Pages - An Introduction to Spoken Kashmiri
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>An</strong> <strong>Introduction</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Spoken</strong> <strong>Kashmiri</strong><br />
by Braj B. Kachru<br />
a anun <strong>to</strong> bring<br />
andar inside<br />
agar if<br />
asun <strong>to</strong> laugh<br />
amarna:th Amarnath ( proper name)<br />
a: a:va:z sound<br />
duka:n shop<br />
sapha: clean (adj.)<br />
a:rti: Hindu mass devotional singing<br />
Nasalized Vowels<br />
In section 2.1. we presentd sixteen vowels of <strong>Kashmiri</strong>. There are eight pairs which are<br />
distinguished on the basis of length. That is, one member of the pair is a short vowel and the<br />
other member is a long vowel. In <strong>Kashmiri</strong>, the vowel length is distinctive, and therefore, crucial<br />
for intelligibility.<br />
The other important characteristic of <strong>Kashmiri</strong> vowels is that they may be nasalized or nonnasalized.<br />
This charcteristic gives us another distinctive category of <strong>Kashmiri</strong> vowels. We shall<br />
present these vowels again in pairs of nasalized and non-nasalized so that the contrast becomes<br />
clearer.<br />
Nasalized Long Vowels<br />
The following long vowels are nasalized:<br />
(i) i: and i<br />
(ii) e: and e:<br />
(iii) ?: and ?:<br />
ri:th tradition<br />
:trih incessant cry<br />
s;e:kh a Muslim surname<br />
s;:khe a conch<br />
re:t rate, price<br />
tse:th somer sault<br />
?:th eight<br />
?:th the s<strong>to</strong>ne or a fruit<br />
t?:th dear (fem.)<br />
t? :th a thick or viscous sustance<br />
b? :th song<br />
b?:th bamboo<br />
© 2006 Braj B. Kachru (http://kachru.com) 13<br />
http://koshur.org/<strong>Spoken</strong><strong>Kashmiri</strong>
Change language