Gujarati phonology

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The Gujarati language is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Indian state of Gujarat. Much of its phonology is derived from Sanskrit.

Contents

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close iu
Close-mid eəo
Open-mid ɛɔ
Open (æ)ɑ

Consonants

Consonants
Labial Dental/
Alveolar
Retroflex Postal.
/Palatal
Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ɳ
Plosive voiceless p t ʈ k
voiced b d ɖ ɡ
aspirated ʈʰtʃʰ
murmured ɖʱdʒʱɡʱ
Fricative voiceless ( f ) s (ʂ) ʃ
voiced ( z ) ɦ
Approximant ʋ l 𝼈 [6] j
Flap ɾ

Phonotactical constraints include:

Gemination can serve as intensification. In some adjectives and adverbs, a singular consonant before the agreement vowel can be doubled for intensification. [13] #VCũ → #VCCũ.

big[moʈũ][moʈʈũ]big
straight[sidʱũ][siddʱũ]straight
considerably[kʰɑsũ][kʰɑssũ]considerably

Stress

The matter of stress is not quite clear:

ə-deletion

Schwa-deletion, along with a-reduction and [ʋ]-insertion, is a phonological process at work in the combination of morphemes. It is a common feature among Indo-Aryan languages, referring to the deletion of a stem's final syllable's /ə/ before a suffix starting with a vowel. [14]

This does not apply for monosyllabic stems and consonant clusters. So, better put, #VCəC + V# → #VCCV#. It also doesn't apply when the addition is an o plural marker (see Gujarati grammar#Nouns ) or e as an ergative case marker (see Gujarati grammar#Postpositions ). [17] It sometimes doesn't apply for e as a locative marker.

StemSuffixSuffixed stemC/VDelNotes
verb root[keɭəʋ]educate[iʃ]1st person singular, future[keɭʋiʃ]will educateCVCəC + VC → CVCCVCYesPolysyllabic stem with /ə/ in its final syllable, with a suffix starting with a vowel (verbal declension).
[səmədʒ]understand[jɑ]masculine plural, perfective[səmdʒjɑ]understoodCVCəC + CV → CVCCCVPolysyllabic stem with /ə/ in its final syllable, with a suffix starting with a semi-vowel (verbal declension).
[utəɾ]descend[to]masculine singular, imperfective[utəɾto]descendingVCəC + CV → VCəCCVNoSuffix starting with a consonant.
[təɾ]swim, float[ɛ]2nd person singular, present[təɾɛ]swimming, floatingCəC + V → CəCVMonosyllabic.
[ʋəɾɳəʋ]describe[i]feminine, perfective[ʋəɾɳəʋi]describedCVCCəC + VC → CVCCəCVCConsonant cluster.
[ɑɭoʈ]wallow, roll[iʃũ]1st person plural, future[ɑɭoʈiʃũ]will wallow, rollVCoC + VCV → VCoCVCVNon-ə.
noun[ɑɭəs]laziness[ũ]adjectival marker[ɑɭsũ]lazyVCəC + V → VCCVYesPolysyllabic stem with /ə/ in its final syllable, with a suffix starting with a vowel (adjectival marking).
[ʋəkʰət]time[e]locative marker[ʋəkte]at (the) timeCVCəC + V → CVCCVSometimes yes — e as a locative marker.
[diʋəs]day[diʋəse]on (the) dayCVCəC + V → CVCəCVNoSometimes no — e as a locative marker.
[ɾəmət]game[o]plural marker[ɾəməto]gamesCVCəC + V → CVCəCVPlural o number marker suffix.
adjective[ɡəɾəm]hot[i]noun marker[ɡəɾmi]heatCVCəC + V → CVCCVYesPolysyllabic stem with /ə/ in its final syllable, with a suffix starting with a vowel (noun marking).

ɑ-reduction

A stem's final syllable's /ɑ/ will reduce to /ə/ before a suffix starting with /ɑ/. #ɑC(C) + ɑ# → #əC(C)ɑ#. This can be seen in the derivation of nouns from adjective stems, and in the formation of passive and causative forms of verb stems. [18]

StemSuffixSuffixed StemReduced
cut[kɑp][ɑ][kəpɑ]be cutPassiveYes
[ɑʋ][kəpɑʋ]cause to cutCausative
cause
to cut
[kəpɑʋ][ɑ][kəpɑʋɑ]cause to be cutCausative PassiveNo [lower-alpha 1]
[ɖɑʋ][kəpɑʋɖɑʋ]cause to cause to cutDouble Causative
use[ʋɑpəɾ][ɑ][ʋəpɾɑ] [lower-alpha 2] be usedPassiveYes
long[lɑmb][ɑi][ləmbɑi]lengthNoun
  1. It does not happen a second time.
  2. It can take place after an ə-deletion. #ɑCəC + ɑ# → #əCCɑ#.

[ʋ]-insertion

Between a stem ending in a vowel and its suffix starting with a vowel, a [ʋ] is inserted. [19] #V + V# → #VʋV#. This can be seen in the formation of passive and causative forms of verb stems.

StemSuffixSuffixed stem
see[dʒo][ɑ][dʒoʋɑ]be seen
sing[ɡɑ][ɑɽ][ɡəʋɑɽ]cause to sing

The second example shows an ɑ-reduction as well.

ə-insertion

ə finds itself inserted between the emphatic particle /dʒ/ and consonant-terminating words it postpositions. [20]

one[ek][ekədʒ]one
that[e][edʒ]that

Murmur

/ɦ/ serves as a source for murmur, of which there are three rules: [21]

RuleFormal [lower-alpha 1] CasualEnglish
1Word-initial ɦV [lower-alpha 2] [ɦəʋe][ə̤ʋe]now
[ɦɑɽkũ][ɑ̤ɽkũ]bone
2əɦVnon-high
non-high, more open
[səɦelũ][sɛ̤lũ]easy
[bəɦoɭũ][bɔ̤ɭũ]large
[dəɦɑɽo][da̤ɽo] [lower-alpha 3] day
3ə/aɦVhighə̤/ɑ̤ (glide)[ɾəɦi][ɾə̤j]stayed
[bəɦu][bə̤ʋ]very
  1. Gujarati spelling reflects this mode. The script has no direct notation for murmur.
  2. Rule 1 creates allomorphs for nouns. For example, /ɦəd/ ('limit') by itself can be ə̤d, but can only be ɦəd in beɦəd ('limitless').
  3. More open.

The table below compares declensions of the verbs [kəɾʋũ] ('to do') and [kɛ̤ʋũ] ('to say'). The former follows the regular pattern of the stable root /kəɾ/ serving as a point for characteristic suffixations. The latter, on the other hand, is deviant and irregular in this respect.

InfinitivePerfectiveImperative1sg. Future
[kəɾʋũ][kəɾjũ][kəɾo][kəɾiʃ]
[kɛ̤ʋũ][kəɦjũ][kɔ̤][kə̤jʃ]

The [kɛ̤ʋũ] situation can be explained through murmur. If to a formal or historical root of /kəɦe/ these rules are considered then predicted, explained, and made regular is the irregularity that is [kɛ̤ʋũ] (romanized as kahevũ).

Thus below are the declensions of [kɛ̤ʋũ]/ɦ/-possessing, murmur-eliciting root /kəɦe/, this time with the application of the murmur rules on the root shown, also to which a preceding rule must be taken into account:

0. A final root vowel gets deleted before a suffix starting with a non-consonant.
RuleInfinitivePerfectiveImperative1sg. Future
[kəɦe-ʋũ][kəɦe-jũ][kəɦe-o][kəɦe-iʃ]
0[kəɦ-jũ][kəɦ-o][kəɦ-iʃ]
2[kɛ̤-ʋũ][kɔ̤]
3[kə̤-jʃ]
[kɛ̤ʋũ][kəɦjũ][kɔ̤][kə̤jʃ]

However, in the end not all instances of /ɦ/ become murmured and not all murmur comes from instances of /ɦ/.

One other predictable source for murmur is voiced aspirated stops. A clear vowel followed by a voiced aspirated stop can vary with a pair gaining murmur and losing aspiration: #VCʱ←→#V̤C.

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References

  1. Mistry (2003), p. 115.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Mistry (2003), p. 116.
  3. 1 2 Cardona & Suthar (2003), p. 662.
  4. Mistry (2003), pp. 115–116.
  5. Mistry (1996), pp. 391–393.
  6. 1 2 Masica (1991), p. 97.
  7. 1 2 3 Mistry (1997), p. 659.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Cardona & Suthar (2003), p. 665.
  9. Mistry (2001), p. 275.
  10. Mistry (1997), p. 658.
  11. 1 2 3 Cardona & Suthar (2003), p. 666.
  12. Mistry (2001), p. 274.
  13. Mistry (1997), p. 670.
  14. 1 2 Mistry (1997), p. 660.
  15. Campbell (1991), p. ?.
  16. UCLA Language Materials Project: Gujarati. Archived 2011-06-05 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2007-04-29
  17. Mistry (1997), pp. 661–662.
  18. Mistry (1997), p. 662.
  19. Mistry (1997), p. 663.
  20. Cardona & Suthar (2003), p. 667.
  21. Mistry (1997), pp. 666–668.

Bibliography