Re: Gornall's article: How Many Sounds are in Pāli? [1 Attachment]

Dear List

Thanks for this article, I'm still reading (slowly). I just came across an
amusing passage, on p.26, where a 12th century Singhalese scholar is describing
the various accents which speakers / reciters of Pali have in his ears:

   With respect to the sounds divided into unaspirated and aspirated etc., whose
   recitation (desanā) contains only one or two types of sound etc., [that
   recitation] is like the Tamil language which is comprised of only one type of
   sound etc. [The recitation which] has sounds without any labials is like the
   Kira ̄ta language since that is to be pronounced with an open mouth (lit. with
   an open organ of articulation). [The recitation in which] all the sounds are
   strongly aspirated (vissaṭṭha) is like the Greek language since it contains
   visargas everywhere. [The recitation in which] all sounds are nasalised is
   like one of the Barbaric languages such as that of the Pa ̄rasikas since it has
   nasalisations (niggahīta) everywhere...

:) I guess I would fall into the "visargas everywhere" camp, still struggling
with correct aspiration (or non-) of Pali phonemes.

Another take-away for me was that the accusative endings have (or had, in the
period coveredy by the study) different pronouciations - nasalized or closed. I
wasn't aware of that previously.

Cheers,
Florian