Charles Philip Brown

“ To aid them in English has been one of my principle objects in writing this grammar. It may be worth while to remark that household servants at Madras talk a broken English with fluency; but the learner will find it profitable to employ only those domesticks who will speak to him in the language he is studying; such are always to be had. Our initiatory native instructors also speak English: but we should as soon as possible lay aside such aid and employ a teacher who speaks Telugu alone. ”

“ The words are Sanscrit: but in some Telugu words the letter ఁ called the half sunna, or semicircle is used by some grammarians, but in common use the circle alone is used: though it sometimes is pronounced full N as in the English word son, and elsewhere as half N as in the French word son.
In the ancient pronunciation of Telugu, which the rustic and uncultivated classes still retain, the nasal sound was very prevalent in Telugu: as it is to this day among the rural population of England. But in each country the educated classes have laid aside this disagreeable accent. ”

“ The vowel R though declared by grammarians to differ from the consonant R in sound, is not perceptibly diverse. For the sake of distinction some call ర​ the common R, because the letter ఱ (now obsolete) is the uncommon form. ”

“ The consonants also are multiplied and have such a variety of forms, because they use a separate shape for each variety of sound. T has one form, and Th another (as in Greek) so K has one form and kh another. And this likewise happens in the Greek alphabet.
The spelling is easy as the letters when correctly pronounced never deviate from the sound given in the alphabet.
When a letter is written under the line it is larger than if written on the line.
When written, like English, with a pen, the Telugu letters have (what writing masters call) body strokes and hair strokes. ”

“ I have given a short account of the Telugu literature, comprizing the names of the more celebrated poems. Probably many of these favourite volumes will be as unavailable to a foreigner as Shakspeare or Milton would be to a bramin, for no one can read the higher Telugu poems with pleasure, unless he possesses a familiar acquaintance with Sanscrit literature, and with the braminical mythology. It therefore becomes necessary (see page 246–7) to substitute a different course of study; less aspiring but more profitable ”

“ Consonants which are written on the line generally require that a vowel should be attached to them. Thus క గ​ చ by attaching vowels above them become క ka గ ga చ cha: or కి ki గి gi చి chi or కె ke గె ge చె che or కొ co గొ go చొ cho.
Sometimes a vowel is attached to the side, thus ు which is the vowel U. Thus కు గు చు are ku, gu, chu.
Here we see that the mark (Telugu characters) (which is ă) is attached to the consonant: it is certainly superfluous in sound, but is always used.
Yet there are nine consonants which form an exception. ”

“ The mark of accent is rarely used in rough writing: thus the short forms (ఎ and ె) are used in most places instead of the long form. In writing Sanscrit the sounds of e and o are invariably long, but the accent is not used. Telugu alone requires that distinction as it uses both forms. ”

“ In the English words art, part, short, hard, curl, girl, pearl we do not pronounce the R because followed by another consonant. But in the languages of India the R in such places must be distinctly enunciated, (in the Scoth manner) or natives will not understand what we say. Example:— కర్త​ carta, lord కర్మం carmam deed, (Telugu characters) purn'a full సర్పం sarpam a serpent (Telugu characters) archacudu a priest.
Some ancient Telugu grammarians wish to exclude the sign (Telugu characters) for R, or desire to confine it to Sanscrit words alone. ”

“ The letter య Y is in Telugu and Sanscrit a consonant, and our using it as a vowel in English sometimes misleads us in spelling. It is exemplified in these Telugu words.
చేయుట chē-yu-ta to do. కోయుట​ co-yu-ta to cut, పొయ్యె poyyĕ he went అయ్యా ayyā Sir. In Sanscrit words it has the same sound, as శయ్య​ sayya a couch యోగ్యం y​ōgyam (that is, yōg-yam) fitting; త్యాగం tyāgam (that is tya-gam, a dissyllable) separation మర్యద​ manner జ్యోతిష​ jyo-ti-sha astrological. ”

“ The Lila being considered by bramins to be heretical, because opposed to their superstitions, we should obtain the assistance of any well educated Jangam in perusing it. Learning is not very general among the the Jangams who belong to the Telugu people, but some of them are men of superior attainments, and possess a liberality of mind which is remarkably pleasing. ”

“ For the sake of uniformity in the dictionary, the monosyllable forms of AI and AU are used. Thus, for the words పయిట​ pa-yi-ta (a woman's veil) and కవుజు ca-vu-zu (a partridge) we must use the spelling పైట and కౌజు. Sanscrit words invariably use the monosyllabic forms: Telugu words use these or the dissyllabic forms at pleasure. Poets adopt whichever form suits the metre. ”

“ This certainly tries the eye-sight; but the first type founders have imitated this old mode and accordingly all the printed letters are formed of hair strokes. This certainly ought to be remedied, and then Telugu type will no more strain the eyes than English printing does.
It is not the custom to separate the words. ”

“ The long form is often (wrongly) written instead of the short.
Thus ĕ and ŭ compounded, (like eau in French) become ō But five letters omit the sign ు when the vowel is long. Thus ఘెూ ghō ఝెూ jhō మెూ mō యెూ yō (Telugu characters) hō
The vowel ఔ au, or ow, as in cow, out, mount; but it is compounded of A and U and accordingly in common writing the initial shape ఔ is never used; అవు avu being substituted. And the v being silent as already shewn, this is pronounced aw or au. Thus అవుట​ auta, or, avuta (to become) , which in the dictionary is ఔట​ awta, pronounced like the English word outer. ”

“ Thus in the name Arcot they direct us to write అర్కాటు not (Telugu characters) . But such niceties are superfluous and we may write whichever form is most convenient. I mention this and a few other rules only because native instructors attach them to a very undue importance.
The letters ల and ళ​ ​are the soft and hard sounds of L. The soft sound has no peculiarity: but the harder sound is enunciated by turning the tongue upwards and backwards so as to give a harsh guttural sound. ”

“ The references to various Telugu Poems are explained at the end of volume. The other contractions are such as grammatical phrases require. Thus P‖, denoting participle, pret. preterite. v. n. verb neuter. Lit. literally; n. noun, &c. &c. The persons of the verb are denoted numerically, according to the European mode. But the native method denominates the third person as uttama purusha and the second person as madhyama purusha.
ERRATA. ”

“ The illiterate Telugus often change the broad vowel E into Ya. Thus పేట​ pēta suburbs is wrongly written ప్యాట​ pya-ta. The verb to do చేయడం chēyadam, is vulgarly written and pronounced చ్యాయడం chya-ya-dam. ”

“ This discretion may be most profitably used when we have to examine principles which the commonalty evidently understand correctly, and which the refinements introduced by the learned have much obscured. ”

“ Instead of cāram, the word త్వం twam is sometimes used. Thus these three vowels are at pleasure called అత్వం, ఇత్వం, ఉత్వం, ătwam, itwam, and utwam.
The mark ా is called దీర్ఘం dīrgham and is the common name for broad ā. Thus కకార​దీర్ఘం ca-cara-dirgham signifies కా cā. ”

“ When the short u it is final, is written indeed, but very often dropped in pronunciation. Thus చేను chēnu a field is always called చేన్ chēn బాతు bātu a duck is pronounced బాత్ bāt దున్నపోతు a heifer in like manner is pronounced దున్నపొత్ dunnapōt. ”

“ Thus the words anna elder brother and tammudu younger brother should be written అన్న​, తమ్ముడు Some persons write అంన​ తంముడు or even అంన్న​, అంమ్ముడు but these modes are disapproved. In the latter, which is in general use, the N and M are needlessly tripled. ”

“ Madras, 167. Must, 188. Musulmans, 121. Mythology 108. N. final in poetry, 133. Nasal and semi-nasal, 25, 26. Nobody, nothing &c, 192. Pedantry sometimes met with, 223. People, 121. Personification 116, 152. ”