When the first consonant is a breathed sound, the [r] changes into [r]: e.g.,
[prʌmɑˑṇəm] proof; [krʌndənəm] weeping; [mɑˑtrəm] only.
If [r] is the first component, [r] may become [r] or may remain unchanged: e.g.,
[derʃənəm, dər-] visit; [derbɦʌ] a kind of grass; [mɑˑrdəʋəm] soft.
(v) [r] and [r] change an immediately succeeding [ʌ] into [ə] or [e]: e.g.,
[reŋɡənɑˑtən, reŋ-] the proper name Ranga-nāthan; [rəmbɦa, rəm-] proper name Rambhā; [reʋa, rə-] ground rice; [retnəm, rə-] gem; [rebiˑndrənaˑtən, rə-] the proper name Rabindranath.
(vi) [r] or [r] never occurs initially in a native Dravidian word. This can be seen from the way in which Tamil has tried to assimilate Sanskrit words: e.g.,
Sanskrit [rɑːɟ͡ʒɑˑ] king > Tamil [ʌrʌʃən];
SanskritSkt. [rɑːtri] night > Tam. [irɑːʋə];
SanskritSkt. [loːkah] world > Tam. [uləkəm].
In unaltered Sanskrit words the [r] is retained at the beginning in both Tamil and Malayalam.
(vii) [r] sometimes disappears in the colloquial when it occurs in unaccented syllables: e.g.,
[ʋʌrunnu] comes > [ʋʌrnnu] > [ʋʌrṇu] or [ʋʌnnu];
Tamil [paːrkə] to see > [paːkkə].
27. and 28. [l] and [ḷ]. (i) [l] is an alveolar, and [ḷ] is a retroflex, sound. Both belong to the class of [c͡ʃillukəḷ]: e.g., [pɑːl] milk [ʌʋəḷ] she.
(ii) [ḷ] and [ɹ̣] are interchangeable.
[ʌppoːḷ] then > [ʌppoːɹ̣]
[ʋɑːɹ̣əppʌɹ̣əm] plantain fruit > [ʋɑːḷəppəḷəm].
(iii) [ḷ] never begins a word, whereas [l] may.
These sounds can change an immediately succeeding [ʌ] into [ə] or [e]: e.g., [lʌŋka] ceylon > [leŋka].[lʌta] leaf > [leta]; [lʌŋka] ceylon > [leŋka].
(iv) Sanskrit [ḍ] and [t] change into [ḷ] and [l] in Malayalam, when these Sanskrit sounds come at the end of words without the support of a vowel:
Skt. [sʌmrɑˑḍ] king > Mal. [sʌmrɑˑḷ];
Skt. [ɦɑṭhɑːt] immediately > [ɦʌṭhɑˑl].
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