7 and 8. [ḍ] and [ḍɦ] occur only in Sanskrit words.
[ḍ] sometimes changes into [ḷ] in Malayalam: e.g.,
[sʌmrɑˑḍ] king > [sʌmrɑˑḷ];
[ɡuḍikɑ] pill > [ɡuḷika].
[ḍ] changes a following [ʌ] into [e], e.g.,
[ḍʌmbɦəm] pride > [ḍembɦəm].
9. [t] (i) This is a slightly more forward sound than the sound in English "enter", but does not approach the interdental [t]. It can therefore be described as an alveolar sound. The manner of articulation is also different from that of the dental [t], for the blade of the tongue is not spread out as for [t]. This sound never occurs initially or singly (except when it forms a conjunct consonant with [n]): e.g.,
Mal. [ente] my; [kɑːttə] wind; [ʋittə] having sold; cf. Tamil [c͡ʃentrɯ] having gone.
(ii) The genitive ending of certain nouns, and the past participle endings of certain verbs are formed with [ttə].
(iii) This sound is gradually disappearing from Tamil, while in Malayalam it may be said still to hold its own, as shown above. But colloquially, sometimes [tt] appears instead of [tt], although purists correctly utter the [tt].
[ellɑːttilum] in all > colloquial [ellɑˑttilum].
(iv) The symbol for this sound in Malayalam is a double [r]; the reasons for the adoption of this symbol are rather complex, and a discussion of these reasons does not fall within the purview of this short sketch.
The following is a short poetic passage where [tt] occurs in profusion:
[kɑːttum mʌɹ̣əjum ʋeilum mʌɲɲum
eːttuŋkoṇṭuṭʌnɑːtʌlinoːṭe
eːttʌmurʌkkəm mɑːtti pʌric͡ʃotu
noːttukiṭənnuṭəneːttəmirənnum......]
The jewel that I have won after suffering the hardships of Wind, Rain, Sun, and Dew, after suffering the greatest amount of sleepless anxiety and hunger...
10 and 11. [t] and [th]. (i) [t] is a pure dental plosive and not a fricative like English th as in "thin" [θ]. Many speakers of Tamil and Malayalam quite wrongly use th as the equivalent of [t] in writing names and words of their own language in English letters.
(ii) In the colloquial of the masses, the aspirates are not correctly pronounced, and voiced and breathed sounds are freely interchanged.
[c͡ʃoˑdicc͡ʃ] asked > colloquial [c͡ʃoˑticc͡ʃu]; [kʌtha] story > [kʌta].
