(1) a, i, u are short.
(2) aa, ii, uu, e, o are long.
Prosodically, the short vowels before a double consonant or .m
(=niggahiita) are counted long. It is to be observed that e and o are
pronounced short before double or conjunct consonants (as in khetta.m,
bhonto, etc.).
2. The consonants are divided into (a) Vagga (grouped) and (b) Avagga
(non-grouped).
(1) 25 consonants from k to m are called "grouped" because they are
divided into five groups of five letters each. They are -
k kh g gh `n = Kavagga or Ka-group
c ch j jh ~n = Cavagga or Ca-group
.t .th .d .dh .n = .Tavagga or .Ta-group
t th d dh n = Tavagga or Ta-group
p ph b bh m = Pavagga or Pa-group
These groups are named after the first letter of each vagga. The last
five letter of the vaggas, viz., `n, ~n, .n, n, m are called vagganta
or nasals.
(2) The remaining seven consonants: y, r, l, v, s, h, .l are called
avaggas as they are not grouped like the above.
The sonant .m is named niggahiita. It always comes after a short vowel.
3. Again all the vowels and the consonants are divided according to
the place of their formation and utterance.
A. According to the places of formation:
(1) k kh g gh `n h and a aa are gutturals
(2) c ch j jh ~n y and i ii are palatals
(3) .t .th .d .dh .n r .l are linguals
(4) t th d dh n l s are dentals
(5) p ph b bh m and u uu are labials
(6) e is guttural and palatal
(7) o is guttural and labial
(8) v is dental and labial
(9) .m is merely a nasal breathing found only after short vowels, e.g.
ratha.m, ma.ni.m, yaagu.m.
B. According to utterance:
(1) The first and the third letters of each of the five vaggas are
called unaspirates, because they are pronounced without a strong
breathing or h-sound.
(2) The second and the fourth letters of the same are aspirates,
because they are pronounced with a strong breath or h-sound added to them.
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Sandhi = Euphonic Combination
4. When two letters of the same word or of two different words are
joined together for the sake of euphony the union is called sandhi
(combination or fitting together).
Sandhi is divided into -
(1) Sarasandhi = combination of vowels.
(2) Vya~njanasandhi = combination of a vowel and a consonant.
(3) Niggahiitasandhi = combination of .m and a vowel or a consonant.
(1) The first occurs when a word ending in a vowel is joined to a word
beginning with a vowel, or when two adjacent vowels of the same word
are joined together.
(2) The second occurs when a word ending in a vowel is joined to a
word beginning with a consonant.
(3) The third occurs when a word or a syllable ending in .m is joined
to a word or a syllable beginning either with a vowel or a consonant.
Vowel-Sandhi
Combinations of vowels is effected by elision or change of one of the
two contiguous vowels.
5. A vowel before another vowel is sometimes elided.
Examples
a before a: vandiya + agga.m = vandiyagga.m
a before aa: taan'eva + aasanaani = taan'evaasanaani
a before u: amanussa + upaddavo = amanussupaddavo
aa before i: pa~n~naa + indriya.m = pa~n~nindriya.m
i before i: tiini + imaani = tiinimaani
i before e: no hi + eta.m = no h'eta.m
ii before o: bhikkhunii + ovaado = bhikkhunovaado
u before u: maatu + upa.t.thaana.m = maatupa.t.thaana.m
u before aa: sametu + aayasmaa = sametaayasmaa
e before a: dhana.m me + atthi = dhanam matthi
e before e: sabbe + eva = sabb'eva
o before e: asanto + ettha = asant'ettha
o before a: tayo + assu = tayassu
6. When two contiguous vowels are dissimilar, the second is sometimes
elided.
a + a, a + aa, aa + a, aa + aa are similar; so are i + i, etc. a + i,
u, e or o are dissimilar; so are i + a, u, e, o and so on.
i after aa: chaayaa + iva = chaayaa'va
a after i: iti + api = itipi
a after u: devataa nu + asi = devataa nu'si?
a after uu: akata~n~nuu + asi = akata~n~nuu'si
a after e: vande + aha.m = vande'ha.m
a after o: so + aha.m = so'ha.m
i after u: cakkhu + indriya.m = cakkhundriya.m
e after aa: kathaa + eva kaa = kathaa'va kaa?
e after o: paato + eva = paato'va
aa after o: moggallaano + aasi = moggallaano'si
7. The vowel a or aa combines with a following i or ii to e; with a
following u or uu to o (i.e., a + i or ii > e; a + u or uu > o).