Gujarati phonology

Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Indian state of Gujarat. Much of its phonology is derived from Sanskrit.

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i u
Close-mid e əo
Open-mid ɛɔ
Open (æ) ɑ

Consonants

Consonants
Labial Dental/
Alveolar
Retroflex Postal.
/Palatal
Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ɳ
Plosive voiceless p ʈ k
voiced b ɖ ɡ
aspirated () t̪ʰ ʈʰ tʃʰ
murmured d̪ʱ ɖʱ dʒʱ ɡʱ
Fricative voiceless f ɳ ʃ
voiced (z) f
Approximant ʋ l ɭ̆[6] j
Flap ɾ

Phonotactical constraints include:

Gemination can serve as intensification. In some adjectives and adverbs, a singular consonant before the agreement vowel can be doubled for intensification.[14] #VCũ → #VCCũ.

big[moʈũ][moʈʈũ]big
straight[sid̪ʱũ][sid̪d̪ʱũ]straight
considerably[kʰɑsũ][kʰɑssũ]considerably

Stress

The matter of stress is not quite clear:

ə-deletion

Schwa-deletion, along with a-reduction and [ʋ]-insertion, is a phonological process at work in the combination of morphemes. It is a common feature among Indo-Aryan languages, referring to the deletion of a stem's final syllable's /ə/ before a suffix starting with a vowel.[15]

This does not apply for monosyllabic stems and consonant clusters. So, better put, #VCəC + V# → #VCCV#. It also doesn't apply when the addition is an o plural marker (see Gujarati grammar#Nouns) or e as an ergative case marker (see Gujarati grammar#Postpositions).[18] It sometimes doesn't apply for e as a locative marker.

Stem Suffix Suffixed stem C/V Del Notes
verb root[keɭəʋ]educate[iʃ]1st person singular, future[keɭʋiʃ]will educateCVCəC + VC → CVCCVCYesPolysyllabic stem with /ə/ in its final syllable, with a suffix starting with a vowel (verbal declension).
[səmədʒ]understand[jɑ]masculine plural, perfective[səmdʒjɑ]understoodCVCəC + CV → CVCCCVPolysyllabic stem with /ə/ in its final syllable, with a suffix starting with a semi-vowel (verbal declension).
[ut̪əɾ]descend[t̪o]masculine singular, imperfective[ut̪əɾt̪o]descendingVCəC + CV → VCəCCVNoSuffix starting with a consonant.
[t̪əɾ]swim, float[ɛ]2nd person singular, present[t̪əɾɛ]swimming, floatingCəC + V → CəCVMonosyllabic.
[ʋəɾɳəʋ]describe[i]feminine, perfective[ʋəɾɳəʋi]describedCVCCəC + VC → CVCCəCVCConsonant cluster.
[ɑɭoʈ]wallow, roll[iʃũ]1st person plural, future[ɑɭoʈiʃũ]will wallow, rollVCoC + VCV → VCoCVCVNon-ə.
noun[ɑɭəs]laziness[i]adjectival marker[ɑɭsũ]lazyVCəC + V → VCCVYesPolysyllabic stem with /ə/ in its final syllable, with a suffix starting with a vowel (adjectival marking).
[ʋəkʰət̪]time[e]locative marker[ʋəkt̪e]at (the) timeCVCəC + V → CVCCVSometimes yes — e as a locative marker.
[d̪iʋəs]day[d̪iʋəse]on (the) dayCVCəC + V → CVCəCVNoSometimes no — e as a locative marker.
[ɾəmət̪]game[o]plural marker[ɾəmət̪o]gamesCVCəC + V → CVCəCVPlural o number marker suffix.
adjective[ɡəɾəm]hot[i]noun marker[ɡəɾmi]heatCVCəC + V → CVCCVYesPolysyllabic stem with /ə/ in its final syllable, with a suffix starting with a vowel (noun marking).

ɑ-reduction

A stem's final syllable's /ɑ/ will reduce to /ə/ before a suffix starting with /ɑ/. #ɑC(C) + ɑ# → #eC(C)ɑ#. This can be seen in the derivation of nouns from adjective stems, and in the formation of passive and causative forms of verb stems.[19]

Stem Suffix Suffixed Stem Red
cut[kɑp][ɑ][kəpɑ]be cutPassiveYes
[ɑʋ][kəpɑʋ]cause to cutCausative
cause
to cut
[kəpɑʋ][ɑ][kəpɑʋɑ]cause to be cutCausative PassiveNo1
[ɖɑʋ][kəpɑʋɖɑʋ]cause to cause to cutDouble Causative
use[ʋɑpəɾ][ɑ][ʋəpɾɑ]2be usedPassiveYes
long[lɑmb][ɑi][ləmbɑi]lengthNoun
  1. It doesn't happen a second time.
  2. It can take place after an ə-deletion. #ɑCəC + ɑ# → #əCCɑ#.

[ʋ]-insertion

Between a stem ending in a vowel and its suffix starting with a vowel, a [ʋ] is inserted.[20] #V + V# → #VʋV#. This can be seen in the formation of passive and causative forms of verb stems.

Stem Suffix Suffixed stem
see[dʒo][ɑ][dʒoʋɑ]be seen
sing[ɡɑ][ɑɽ][ɡəʋɑɽ]cause to sing

The second example shows an ɑ-reduction as well.

ə-insertion

ə finds itself inserted between the emphatic particle /dʒ/ and consonant-terminating words it postpositions.[21]

one[ek][ekədʒ]one
that[e][edʒ]that

Murmur

/ɦ/ serves as a source for murmur, of which there are three rules:[22]

Rule Formal1 Casual English
1Word-initial ɦV → V̤2[ɦəʋe][ə̤ʋe]now
[ɦɑɽkũ][ɑ̤ɽkũ]bone
2əɦVnon-high
non-high, more open
[səɦelũ][sɛ̤lũ]easy
[bəɦoɭũ][bɔ̤ɭũ]large
[d̪əɦɑɽo][d̪a̤ɽo]3day
3ə/aɦVhighə̤/ɑ̤ (glide)[ɾəɦi][ɾə̤j]stayed
[bəɦu][bə̤ʋ]very
1 Gujarati spelling reflects this mode. The script has no direct notation for murmur.
2 Rule 1 creates allomorphs for nouns. For example, /ɦəd̪/ ('limit') by itself can be [ə̤d̪], but can only be [ɦəd̪] in /beɦəd̪/ ('limitless').
3 More open.

The table below compares declensions of the verbs [kəɾʋũ] ('to do') and [kɛ̤ʋũ] ('to say'). The former follows the regular pattern of the stable root /kəɾ/ serving as a point for characteristic suffixations. The latter, on the other hand, is deviant and irregular in this respect.

Infinitive Perfective Imperative 1sg. Future
[kəɾʋũ][kəɾjũ][kəɾo][kəɾiʃ]
[kɛ̤ʋũ][kəɦjũ][kɔ̤][kə̤jʃ]

Fortunately the [kɛ̤ʋũ] situation can be explained through murmur. If to a formal or historical root of /kəɦe/ these rules are considered then predicted, explained, and made regular is the irregularity that is [kɛ̤ʋũ] (romanized as kahevũ).

Thus below are the declensions of [kɛ̤ʋũ] /ɦ/-possessing, murmur-eliciting root /kəɦe/, this time with the application of the murmur rules on the root shown, also to which a preceding rule must be taken into account:

0. A final root vowel gets deleted before a suffix starting with a non-consonant.
Rule Infinitive Perfective Imperative 1sg. Future
[kəɦe-ʋũ][kəɦe-jũ][kəɦe-o][kəɦe-iʃ]
0 [kəɦ-jũ][kəɦ-o][kəɦ-iʃ]
2[kɛ̤-ʋũ] [kɔ̤]
3 [kə̤-jʃ]
[kɛ̤ʋũ][kəɦjũ][kɔ̤][kə̤jʃ]

However, in the end not all instances of /ɦ/ become murmured and not all murmur comes from instances of /ɦ/.

One other predictable source for murmur is voiced aspirated stops. A clear vowel followed by a voiced aspirated stop can vary with a pair gaining murmur and losing aspiration: #VCʱ ←→ #V̤C.

References

  1. Mistry (2003:115)
  2. 1 2 3 4 Mistry (2003:116)
  3. 1 2 Cardona & Suthar (2003:662)
  4. Mistry (2003:115–116)
  5. Mistry (1996:391–393)
  6. Masica (1991:97)
  7. 1 2 3 Mistry (1997:659)
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Cardona & Suthar (2003:665)
  9. Masica (1991:97)
  10. Mistry (2001:275)
  11. Mistry (1997:658)
  12. 1 2 3 Cardona & Suthar (2003:666)
  13. Mistry (2001:274)
  14. Mistry (1997:670)
  15. 1 2 Mistry (1997:660)
  16. Campbell, G.L. (1991), "Gujarati", Compendium of the world's languages, volume 1. Abaza to Lusatian, New York: Routledge, pp. 541–545
  17. UCLA Language Materials Project: Gujarati. Retrieved on 2007-04-29
  18. Mistry (1997:661–662)
  19. Mistry (1997:662)
  20. Mistry (1997:663)
  21. Cardona & Suthar (2003:667)
  22. Mistry (1997:666–668)

Bibliography

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