24. (i) [j] is an alvolar fricative, and is fully sounded in correct speech, though in the colloquial dialects of some classes of people, it breaks up into [i] + [ʌ].
(ii) This sound belongs to the class of [c͡ʃillukəḷ], and can stand alone at the ends of words: e.g., [kɑːj] fruit; [pɑ:j] mat.
(iii) The strong palatal character of this consonant enables it to change an immediately succeeding [ʌ] into [ə] or [e]: e.g.,
[jʌɟ͡ʒəmɑˑnən] master > [jeɟ͡ʒəmɑˑnən] or [jəɟ͡ʒəmɑˑnən];
[jʌʃəssə] fame > [jeʃəssə] or [jəʃəssə];
[pɑːjʌsʌm] rice-milk > [pɑːjəsəm];
[mʌtijɑˑja] sufficient > [mʌtijæˑjə]
(iv) [j] and [ʃ] are sometimes interchangeable: e.g.,
[ʋijərpə] sweat > [ʋiʃərpə].
Cf. Tamil sing. [pʌjəl] boy>Tamil pl. [pʌʃəŋkəḷ] boys; Tamil [ʋɑːʃikkə] to read = Mal. [ʋɑjikkuka]; Tamil [kʌʃʌppɯ] bitter=Mal. [kʌjppə].
(v) [j] appears as a glide to fill up the hiatus between two words: e.g.,
[ʋʌnna] + [ɑːḷ] > [ʋʌnnʌjɑˑ] the man who is come.
(iv) Sanskrit conjunct consonants with [j] as the second component are correctly pronounced by the educated classes, but in the colloquial of the illiterate classes, corruptions arise: e.g.,
Skt. [sɑndɦjɑ:] night > [sʌndɦja] > [sʌndɦi], or even [ʌnti] in the colloquial;
[sʌdja] feast > [sʌddi].
25, 26. [r] and [r]. (i) Both these sounds belong to the class of [c͡ʃillukʌḷ], and can stand alone at the ends of words: e.g., [moːr] buttermilk; [tɑir] curds.
(ii) [r] is an alveolar sound, while [r] is a cerebral: and this cerebral [r] is quite different from the so-called cerebral 'ṛ' of Northern India, which is a 'flapped' sound.
(iii) Initial [r] is a sound produced with one or two taps of the tongue against the teeth-ridge, but medial and final [r] is only a flap. [r] is a true retroflex sound and is slightly trilled.
(iv) When [r] comes before a guttural consonant and combines with it to form a conjunct consonant, the [r] becomes [r].
If [r] is the second component in a conjunct consonant, with the first component a voiced sound, the value of [r] remains [r]: e.g.,
[ɡrɑˑməm] village; [ɡɦrɑˑṇəm] smell; [brɑˑmməṇən] Brahmin.
