[nɑˑja] dog; [nʌrəkəm] hell. Tamilians are ridiculed for mispronouncing [n] as [n].
(iv) In other positions of the sentence than the beginning of words, the sound is always doubled: e.g., [ʋʌnnu] came; [pʌnni] pig.
But not in all cases, e.g., in [ninnute] your: [kʌnni] month; [tinmɑˑn] for eating, the medial sounds here are [nn] or [n]
(v) As a general rule it can be stated that [nn] is always the sound which represents the Tamil group [nd]: e.g., Tamil [ʋʌndɑːn] he came = [ʋʌnnu].
(vi) In the colloquial [n] changes sometimes into [ṇ]: e.g.,
e.g., [ʋʌrunnu] comes > [ʋʌrṇu] > [ʋʌṇṇu].
[ennɑːrjəputrən ʋʌnəttinnu poːjɑˑl
pinnə puriˑʋɑːsəm entinnu ʋeːntiˑ
ninnoṭu kuːṭiṭṭə poːrunnu ɲæˑnum
ennɑːl mʌnoˑɟ͡ʒɲæˑŋŋi (ʋʌidehi tɑˑnum)]
If my lord (Rāma) goes to the forest, of what use is town life for me? I am also coming with you, my lord, said the beautiful Vaidehi (Sītā).
22. [n]. (i) is an alveolar sound, and should be distinguished from [n] as indicated above.
(ii) [n] does not occur initially in Malayalam.
Even Sanskrit initial [n] becomes [n] in Malayalam, as in [nɑːdəm] sound.
(iii) Along with cerebral sounds like [ṭ], the [n] into [ṇ]: e.g., [kʌṇṭhəm] neck.
23. [m] occurs initially, medially and finally: e.g., [mɑːŋŋa] mango, [timirəm] eye-disease; [mʌrʌm] tree. This sound being one of the [c͡ʃillukəḷ] referred to above (p. 7), it can occur at the end of a word without the support of any vowel.
(ii) Intervocal [m] is very unstable in the colloquial, and changes into [ʋ], or sometimes disappears: e.g.,
[pʌrʌjɑˑmo] can (he you or I) say > [pʌrʌjɑˑʋo] > [pʌrəjoˑ]
[pʌrʌjumɑˑjirunnu] would have said > [pʌrejɑːrnnu].
Compare Telugu [ʌʋənu] = [ɑˑmɑˑ] yes (Tamil)
(iii) Sometimes [ʋ] gives place to [m]: e.g.,
[ɑˑʋiṇi ʌʋuṭṭəm] a day in Avini month > [ɑˑminiɑːʋuṭṭəm].
