Re: Candra,bindu

I agree with what is written below, also for another
reason:

The dot at the bottom is generally used to mark
supradentals (.t, .th. .d, .dh, .n, .l). As the
niggahiita marks the nasalization of the previous
vowel (at least in theory - in practice it is often
pronounced as the English ng-sound), it is not part of
this series.

In Sanskrit, the dot at the bottom is also used to
mark vokalic .r and .l, true, and the sh-sound by .s;
but these are not, as I see it, a parallell to the
niggahitta/anusvaara, and in Pali these letters don't
exist anyhow.

Unfortunately, the m used with the dot can sometimes
cause misconceptions among linguistic laymen; in some
languages, the word "sa"ngha", through its alternative
form "sa"mgha", has been imported as "samgha" or
"samga"; but I dont know how to solve this problem, as
it is not easy to change an established way of
translitteration.

By the way: does "Candrabindu" refer to the pure dot
used in Devanagari for niggahitta/anusvaara in Pali,
or to the dot over a curve (like a lying moon
crescent) often met in Hindi and sometimes (I think)
in Sanskrit?

Gunnar

--- Piya Tan <libris@...> skrev:

> Dear Pali friends,
>
> The niggahiita .m is sometime written with the dot
> (bindu) on top and
> sometimes at the bottom. Usually, I see scholars
> using the dot below
> (inferior dot) the m. However, I do not see much
> logic and less aesthetics
> behind such a choice.
>
> The niggahiita is a nasal, and as such falls into
> the same category as .n
> (that is the guttural nasal), which always has a dot
> above it (ie superior
> dot). Using family resemblance, shouldn't we then
> use the m with superior dot.
>
> Moreover, it is called "candra,bindu" (moon spot).
> From good old Gaia, we
> see the gentle Luna above us. Shouldn't the dot be
> above the m "mountain" then?
>
> I think the m with a superior dot is has more
> aesthetic appeal.
>
> Just a pedant's thought for the love of Pali.
>
> Oh yes, I would be very grateful if someone could
> tell me how to get an "m
> with a superior" dot in Times Norman & also SMALL
> CAPITALS.
>
> Subham atthu
>
> Piya
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>
>
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