sound when it occurs initially or medially in stressed syllables (whether the stress is a primary one or a secondary one).
(ii) In unaccented syllables, [ʌ] verges on [ə]: e.g., [ʌnʌntənɑˑrɑˑjəṇən] Ananta-nārāyaṇan, a proper name.
(ii) When this sound forms a syllable with a preceding voiced plosive, or [j], [r], [r], [l] or [ḷ], then the sound changes into [ə], and sometimes into a full [e]: e.g.,
[ɟ͡ʒenəm] people; [bendɦu] friend; [reʋi] suu; [leta] branch; [jeɟ͡ʒəmɑˑnən] master; [jentrəm] machine; [ɟ͡ʒeləm] water; [gembɦirəm] majestic; [ɡeŋŋa] the Ganges. In all the above instances the [e] of the first syllable is developed from [ʌ]. Also in [mɑˑḷeʋika] Mālavikā, a proper name, and [kʌleɦəm] dispute, the [e] of the second syllable is developed from [ʌ].
(iii) When the sound is associated in any way with the bilabial [m], it may sometimes, in the speech of certain people, change into a kind of [ɔ], as in the following instances: [kʌʃ̣ṭɔm] misery; [nɔm] we; [pɔʋɔnɔm] wind. This change, however, is not so important or widespread as the previous one.
(iv) When [ʌ] occurs finally, it has always a more open value: I think that this sound may be represented by [a], as the completely open character of the back sound [ɑ] is never attained; [ʌmma] mother; [ɑːʃa] hope; [poːka] to go.
(v) In association with [j], the [ʌ] becomes [ə] or [e] even when the [j] may be a compound with some other consonant: e.g., [vjʌsʌnʌm] sorrow becomes [vəzənəm]; so also [prɑˑpjem] oblainable; [sʌtjəm] truth; [ʋʌljə] big.
(vi) The pure sound [ʌ] cannot be lengthened without disturbing its quality. The Malayali invariably uses the [ɑː] when he wants to lengthen [ʌ]. It was probably this fact that created the confusion that [ʌ] was the short sound of [ɑː].
(vii) [a], as indicated above, represents the sound-value of a final [ʌ]. Many Sanskrit words ending in [ɑː] are shortened in Malayalam into [a], e.g., [prəbɦa] splendour; [ɡeŋŋa] the Ganges; [ɑ:ʃa] hope; [kʌla] art. In Tamil these Sanskrit words are naturalised with an [əi] or [ej] ending, as final long vowels and even final [ʌ] are not favoured in Tamil. This tendency has been inherited by Malayalam in a much less intense form, and this is what probably accounts for the shortening of final [ɑː] of Sanskrit words when they are naturalised in Malayalam.
