Here is how I understand (in French) the pronuciation of the Pali "v" - I
have made a quick and dirty translation in English (I think the linguistic
terms are not the right ones in English - sorry for that) - thank you for
letting me know if I am wrong:

"v" est décrit dans les anciennes grammaires du Pâli comme une spirante
dento-labiale (dant'o.t.thajo, dents supérieures sur lèvre inférieure), on
le prononce donc comme en français ("valse") ou en anglais ("veel"), mais
de façon un peu plus sourde (il ne doit pas sonner du tout comme un "f").
Les Thaïs et Birmans le prononcent systématiquement comme une bilabiale,
donc comme un "w" en anglais ou en français ("Watt"), car leur système
phonémique n'inclut pas de dento-labiale - les Cinghalais ont également
tendance à le prononcer comme un w, mais seulement si précédé ou suivi
d'une autre consonne.

"v" is described in the the ancient grammars of Pali as a dento-labial
spirant (dant'o.t.thajo, upper teeth on the lower lip), it is thus
pronouced as in French ("valse") or English ("veel"), but in a duller way
(it should not sound at all like a "f"). Thais and Burmese systematically
pronounce it as a bilabial, thus like a "w" in English or French ("Watt"),
because their phonetic system does not include any dento-labial. Cinghalese
also tend to pronounce it as a w, but only if preceded or followed by an
other consonant.

Accordingly, I decided, not being from Sri-Lanka, Burma or Thailand, to
pronounce "v" as a... "v", unless I do the chanting in a Sri-Lankan or
Burman or Thai temple, then I pronounce it their way.

Dr Gabriel Jivasattha Bittar


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Jacqueline "Gotamî Jîvarakkhî" Bittar
Dr Gabriel "Ananda Jîvasattha" Bittar,
PhD University of Geneva
phone +61 8 8553 7442 , fax +61 8 8553 7444
mob. ph. +61 4 2743 5148

Institut Suisse de Bioinformatique
Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
http://www.isb-sib.ch/DEA/plan_etudes.html
email: bittar@...

À Bientôt Seayu Lodge, http://www.seayu.com
email: bittar@...

Buddhâyatana, http://www.buddhayatana.org
email: buddhayatana@...

4/5 Warawee road / 34 Falie court
PO box 281, American River, Kangaroo Island
South Australia 5221

GMT +9h30 (allow for +1h when "summer time" in SA)

a'niccâ vata san'khârâ
( a'niccaa vata san'khaaraa )
"impermanent are structural processes"
"instables sont les flux structurels"
Siddhârtha (Siddhaartha) Gautama Buddha
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