|
i,i:
|
C-C
|
ti
|
‘to
burn’
|
|
|
|
ti:
|
‘to
carry something by hanging’
|
|
o,o:
|
C-C
|
sor
|
‘to
sneeze’
|
|
|
|
so:r
|
‘to
move like flash’
|
|
u,u:
|
¹-C
|
ur
|
‘to
dig’
|
|
|
|
u:r
|
‘skin’
|
|
|
| Setting
up of the segmental phonemes: Some controversial points. |
| With the list of
all the instances of complementary distributions, free variations
and contrasts, the setting up of the following groups of phonemes
may be held as complete with the given broad distributional characteristics: |
|
I
|
Consonants
|
(i) Stops:
p,b,t,d,
|
All occur
initailly and
|
|
|
|
 ,·,k,g,c,ļ |
medially
except b,d
|
|
|
|
(ii) Constrictives:
s
|
g, which
occur also
|
|
|
|
|
finally
in checkedforms.
|
|
II.
|
Liquids
|
(i) Nasals:
m,n,,
|
All
occur inallthe
|
|
|
|
(ii) Non-nasals:r,l
|
threepositionsexcept
|
|
|
|
|
[N], which is never initial
and [ø] always
intervocalic.
|
|
III.
|
Glide-Contoid
|
h
|
Occurs
only initially.
|
|
IV
|
Vowels
|
a,e,i,o,u
|
Occurs
in all the threepositions.
|
|
|
| In this way, on the
basis of distributional characterstics the Munda phonemes can be classified
in the above four categories of consonants, liquids, glide and vowels. |
| The long an short
vowels which contrast in ¹-C
and C-C positions, vary freely in final positions. Actually, in final
posi-tions the long counterpats do not occur but as a rule the final
vowel specially in ¹C-¹
positions become somewhat long with some modification in the quality
also*. |
| The segments [?b]
and [?d] mean two things. First, that, before a voiceless consonant
medially they are slightly devoiced and yet they are not exactly [?p]
and [?t]. Second, obviously they contrast with [p] and [t] in this
situation, so that the phonemic contrasts of /b/ and/p/as well as/d/and/t/are
maintained here also. |
| [?] has two situations
of occurrence, viz., *-¹
and V-C. Phonetically it has similarity with [g] and [k]. However,
as medially it contrasts with [k], it can be assigned only to [g].
Nowhere there is any contrast of [?] and [g]. On the other hand there
are number of illustrations of their complementation. There will also
be, then, symmetry of only voiced consonants occurring finally. Morpho-phonemically
we get exapmles like seta?+a?= setaga? |
| Phonemes
with exceptionally limited distribution: |
| Examples of borrowing:
Due to increasing intercourse between the Munda and Hindi (specially
Sadani) speaking people a great number of loan words have been adopted
by the Mundas from Hindi. This borrowing is recent and can be clearly
assigned to the foreign, sources. Therefore, Mundari has not yet been
able to digest them fully by Mundarization and hence they cannot be
fitted in the Munda phonemic system. Some of them are quite new sounds
and others vary in distribution as compared to the Hasada dilect.
Since all. |
| *However,
in cases where the final vowel is historically a contraction of VhV,
it becomes a long V, e.g., the word for flower in the Naguri dialect
is [baha] but in Hasada we have [ba:] having a definite long pronunciation
in the end. |
|
