After we become familiar with Telugu spelling we are often apt, in transcribing a passage of poetry to change a soft into a*hard, or a hard into a soft initial: elsewhere we unintentionally use or omit an^ aspirate, writing K*3 or ?»|3 'strong' Cr>tS or ^tf 'a master.'
These'changes are not of any consequence, and the natives themselves are equally careless. Thus in English we write connection or connexion, honor or honour, and either spelling is admissible. Some learned men inculcate more exactitude than they themselves use: for by observing their conduct we shall perceive that in writing down from dictation, and in preparing a common letter, they deviate from the principles which they teach. A century ago the English and the French disregarded errors in spelling; and the Hindus are at present equally careless. But unless we know the proper mode we cannot trace a word in the Telugu dictionary: and this consideration has led me to give rules so numerous and so minute.
Further rules on this subject will be placed at the end of the grammar.
The three vowels G) when they are final are often lengthened. Thus wj>_ ' sister' becomes in the vocative acca. f F^. 'brother' becomes #0(4 ' father,' 8® mother become &o\h I O father! and 8jb ! O mother! "S\S 'fool' in the vocative case becomes "3^8; and "cssmks 'a proper name,' makes "o~»sS»J&n> O Ramud.5! Of this the proper form xr'sS»-cs» is a vocative, but is used only in poetry. This is a license peculiar to a few words which colloquially retain \J° the long vowel U.
Again the final \) or is changed into fcj" to denote question. Thus a** ' he' becomes sr»"^> He? Sometimes this is used to denote conjunction; thus sj-»{£r»'^f&n> 'He and I.'
And emphasis is marked by adding E/ Thus sr°l£> vadu, 'he;' ■sr-~& vade 'that very man: he himself.' At present it is only requisite to point out that the final vowel is often lengthened without affecting the meaning. This particularly happens in compound
