Re: [tied] Sanskrit /r/

It must have been "retroflex" in some sense, as it took part in retroflex assimilation and harmony rules. Indo-Aryan "cerebrals" have a rather wide range of articulations but are at least slightly postalveolar if not fully retroflex. Perhaps Sanskrit /r/ was a postalveolar flap before vowels and a postalveolar fricative/approximant when preconsonantal or syllabic. The tendency to realise syllabic <r> as [ri] or [ru] brings to mind the treatment of <pretty> in American English.

Piotr

----- Original Message -----
From: Sergejus Tarasovas

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2001 7:43 PM

Subject: [tied] Sanskrit /r/

My Classical Snaskrit textbook states /r/ is a retroflex ("cerebral") sound in Sanskrit. It's rather unclear from the passage, whether it's a reconstructed value or the value preserved by Indian tradition. Can anybody comment on this? Should I really recite Maha:bha:rata: with an American accent? Is it true for Vedic? Sergei