Lesson 4 (എ, ഏ, ഐ)

 എ

(y)e / எ / I think there's no Hindi equivalent to this short (kuRil) character.

The closest one is ए with the long sound.

Some words with this character :
എന്റെ - என்றெ (என்டெ) - एंटे - enRe / ente (My)
എവിടെ - எவிடெ - एविटे - evide (Where)
എന്തിനു - எந்தினு - एन्तिनु -enthinu (Why)
എവെരെസ്റ്റ് - எவெரெஸ்ட் - एवेरेस्ट - everest (Mt. Everest)

A couple of vinyl covers for the letter എ :

എന്റെ പൊന്നുമോള്‍ (ente poNNumOL, meaning "my darling daughter"...look at Baby Shalini in a Shankar-Ganesh MD'ed Malayalam movie...also, please notice the last character in the disk cover, that could look different from how it comes up in google transliterate)

എനിക്ക് വിശക്കുന്നു (enikku vishakkunnu, means "I am hungry")

Letter # 9
ഏ

(y)E / ஏ / ए

It can be seen that this has exact equivalents in Thamizh & Malayalam. Also, please note that there's just a minor "dent" in the hook of it's short / kuRil version.

Some words that start with this letter:
ഏകജാതന്‍ - ஏகஜாதன் - एकजातन - EkajAthan (only begotten)
ഏഴ് - ஏழ் - एल -Ezh (Hindi & English are not exact equivalents in this word, the second character is special to Thamizh & Malayalam, the word means number 7)
ഏപ്രില്‍ - ஏப்ரில் - एप्रिल - April (that month)
ഏലം - ஏலம் - एलम - Elam (spice cardamom)

A couple of vinyl covers for ഏ :
ഏപ്രില്‍ പതിനെട്ട് (April 18 / ஏப்ரில் 18, the debut movie of actress Shobhana, directed by Balachandra Menon)

ഏദന്‍ തോട്ടം (Edhan thOttam / ஏதன் தோட்டம் that means eden garden)

The 10th letter "ai" has a prefix to the 8th one, the same prefix that will be used in a number of combinational letters later on. For those who know Thamizh, it's very easy to identify this character on the left - oththa suzhikkombu. That way, if this symbol is added to எ, that becomes ஐ
ഐ

Some words starting with this character :
ഐക്യം - ஐக்யம் - ऐक्यम - aikyam (union)
ഐശ്വര്യം - ஐஷ்வர்யம் - ऐश्वर्यं - aishwaryam (opulence / wealth)

(ഐശ്വര്യ റായ് = Aish )
ഐവർ - ஐவர் - ऐवर - aivar (five people / pANdavAs)
ഐരാവതം - ஐராவதம் - ऐरावतम - airAvatham (elephant of Indran, purANam)

There's no movie vinyl I could find at musicalaya website with ഐ

So, posting this wikipedia picture of ഐശ്വര്യ റായ് (Aishwarya Rai) :

Answers for Quiz #4 ഉ ഊ ഋ

1. ഉണ്ണികൃഷ്ണന്‍ = உண்ணிக்ருஷ்ணன் = उणणिकृश्णन = uNNikrushNan (Unnikrishnan, singer, "ennavaLE" is in kEdaram & that comment was by critic Subbudu)

2. ഉള്ളടക്കം = உள்ளடக்கம் = उल्लडककम = uLLadakkam (Mohanlal movie that got state award, the word means "contents")

3. ഋതുഭേദം = ரிதுபேதம் = ऋतुभेदम = ridhubhEdham (movie, meaning "change of seasons")

4. ഊര്‍മിള = ஊர்மிள = ऊर्मिल = oormiLa (Wife of Lakshman, bro of Ram)

5. ഊര്വശി = ஊர்வசி = ऊर्वशी = oorvashi (thiruppu from MMKR)

6. ഉഗാണ്ട = உகாண்ட = उगांड = ugAnda (Uganda in E.Africa)

7. ഋഷ്യശൃംഗന് = ரிஷ்யஷ்ருங்கன் = ऋषयश्रुंगन = rishyashrungan (name of a movie; also, the main male character in the classic "Vaishali" by Bharathan / MT / Bombay Ravi)

8. ഉത്തരം = உத்தரம் = उत्तरं = uththaram (Means "Answer", look at the clue)

9. ഉത്തരപ്രദേശ് = உத்தரப்ரதேஷ் = उत्तरप्रदेश = uththarapradhEsh (U.P.)

10. ഊമപ്പെണ്ണിനു ഉരിയാടാപ്പയ്യന്‍ = ஊமப்பெண்ணினு உரியாடாப்பய்யன் = ऊमप्पेंणणिनु उरियाडाप्पय्यन = oomappeNNinu uriyAdAppayyan (Movie)