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zvelebil points out that the most important and obvious single isogloss dividing Gondi dialects into
two main groups is provided by the threatment of original s- < *c-.
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This is preserved with a few exceptions, in norther Gondi and in western Gondi. Further to the south and east, in Chanda, northern Baster and Kanker it has been changed to h-, while in the Hill-Maria dialect and in Koya this h- has been completely elided (Burrow and Bhattacharya, 1960 : 63).
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There are some instances where h- is retained, though in some items h- is completely elided.
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Maria. hi:, hi:ya:na: to give; Go (north and west), si:-, si:ya:na: id; south-east Go. hi:, hi:ya:na; Koya. i:-.
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Maria. hoyde:l fireplace, hearth; Go (Adilabad). sodde:; Koya. ojjel; Ta. ulai; Ko. elka:l; Ka. ole; Pa. col gel, cogel; Kui. so u.
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Maria hellu: flea, beetle; Ta. cellu flea, tick, te , teu, teku flea; Ma. ceu flea, tick, a large bettle on coconut trees, palmworm, woodworm; Ko. cei id.
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Maria. hurve: honey comb; Ta. curumpu bee; Kol. surund honey comb; Nk. surund bee, honey; Pa. curud, curdi sp. of bee; Go. surwe-phuki: bee which builds in hollow bouighs, surve, medium-sized beehive; Kuvi. horu: swarm of bees.
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| -h- < *-r- |
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Maria. ke:ha:na to shut; Ta. cirai to restrain, imprison; Ma. cira dam, tank; Ko. ker tank; To. ser imprisonment; Ka. kir shut, cover; Te. cera prison; Kol. get too close; Pa. kep, to shut (doo); Go kehta:na: to shut (DED.1648).
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Subrahmanyam (1968 : 176) points out that the initial h- in native Gondi words like, hirp mahva tree (Ta. iruppai, DED. 410); hermi: female buffalo (Ta. erumai, DED. 699) corresponds to nothing in the other Dravidian languages and therefore, it must be a very recent development.
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