[WMASTERS] Phonetics and Script.

["K. Srinivasan" <srini@ireq.ca>]

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I changes the title to reflect the subject actually being discussed.

I am neither an expert in linguistics nor in Tamil. Yet, I can
say the following from the experience of successfully
making my children born here 21/25 years ago, speak
Tamil and read Tamil text quite correctly.

Basic rules while reading:

1. First letter in a word is hard (k, c, t, th, p).
2. All letters inside a word are read soft. (g, s, d, dh, b).
3. If they are double like tta, kka etc. It is always hard.
4. Letter following r, t, k is hard (like being doubled).

All Tamil words come out quite nice. No mistakes like patam etc..
They say paaradhi, pommai, which are quite comprehensible.

The sounds that one hears in Tamil, yet do not have a
unique symbol are just the following seven:
consonents: g/h, s, d, dh, b
vowels: u as in ending Kurangu
        a as in ending alla

Symbols for these 7 sounds will make Tamil 100% phonetic
and facilitate learning. The other symbols so hotly being
discussed are just to write foreign words, and pronounce
so that the non-Tamils will not get offended by the
mis-pronounciation by Tamils.

Apologies to any one who finds caste implications in
this mail.

K. Srinivasan of Quebec.


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