CUT0 yi (This consonant having the vowel inherent) Q ri 6 ri
0 li f) II £> li b \i S vi vi § si |> si £>. shi
shi or %sro shi fo si |j or ir0~° si oJ~° hi or
hi £r» hi hi <JU xi JL xi.
It will be observed that some of these letters have two or three forms just as happens in English. In common writing (D H and vi are shaped alike.
Instead of the initial (or capital forms) Q i I they use CtO yt and Qy° y* which however are pronounced simply 1 and J. Thus oa^_iS iccada (here) ow-°2& tdu (age) are written instead of and The initial forms £}, are seldom used unless in poems and dictionaries.
It will be observed that the six consonants cji) gha, ■£) pa, ^) pha, 5S. sha, $ sa, ©j-0 ha, which have the vowel ' a' written separate from them, likewise have the vowel O) (i) written in the same manner separately.
^3 or e© the short vowel U as in Superb, or oo in book. Thus uppu 'salt' puli ' a tiger.' And or is the same vowel long, as u in Lucy, chuse, choose or oo in root, shoot. Thus Gguta ' to swing.'
In common business this is best represented b)' 56; thus Ramoodoo for Ramudu: for in the affairs of ordinary life more precision in spelling would be pedantic*
The form e*9 is constantly used for this vowel, thus uttaravu 'an answer,' is written ea J|6o£); but grammarians assert that this form belongs to R, as will be stated in a future page.
The second forms are \) and VJ0 with which (the sign of u) is used: excepting as regards the ten letters that never use «/. These are f S !!! S)1 i) [9 a O e» which are written $X), 2J> gfO, dX>, r^O, 30J» tW> QEk}' The rest use it as follows:
- See on this subject Prinsep's remarks in Journal of Asiatic Society, Juue, 1834, page 281.
