Introductory Pages - An Introduction to Spoken Kashmiri

Stops
An Introduction to Spoken Kashmiri
by Braj B. Kachru
These are pronounced with a complete closure in the same way as in Hindi-Urdu and English.
The air pressure builds up behind the closure and is released with a mild explosion. The stop
sounds are of the following three types: (1)the voiceless unaspirated p t t k,(2)voiceless aspirated
ph th th kh, and (3)voiced unaspirated b, d, d g.
On the basis of place of articulation, these may be further be grouped into four types.
(i) Bilabial
The two lips are the primary articulators, and these are completely closed. The p, ph, and b are
bilabial stops. They are pronounced in the same way as p, ph, and b in such Hindi-Urdu words as
pa:ni: ‘water’, phu:l ‘flower’ and bartan ‘utensil’. The Kashmiri p is not aspirated, as in English
put, it is like p in spin. The b is pronounced the same way as the b in English bull or body.
p palav clothes
parun to read
pa:lakh spinach
ph pharun to steal
phal fruit
pNph father’s sister
phatun to be drowned
b bat0 Kashmiri Pandi
bat0 food, cooked rice
sabzi: vegetables
bah twelve
bab breast(woman’s)
(ii) Dental
The tongue tip articulates with the upper teeth. The t, th and d are dental stops. They are
pronounced in the same way as the comparable stops in Hindi-Urdu ta:l ‘rhythmic beat’, tha:na:
‘police station’, and dard ‘pain’.
t tal under
tulun to lift
vat0 roads
th thavun to keep
thod tall (mas., sing.)
kath story
d dNd milk
kad height
bNd wisdom
(iii) Retroflex
© 2006 Braj B. Kachru (http://kachru.com) 15
http://koshur.org/SpokenKashmiri