The 11th character is
ഒ
which sounds exactly same like its Thamizh counter part ஒ (short O / kuRil) . Actually, it even looks like its Thamizh equivalent.
There's no equivalent in Hindi but the near equivalent is the longer version of the same vowel ओ.
Some words starting with this letter:
ഒട്ടകം - ஒட்டகம் - ओटटकम -ottkam (Camel)
ഒട്ടകപ്പക്ഷി - ஒட்டகப்பக்ஷி - ओटटकप्पक्षी - ottkappakshi (Ostrich)
ഒന്ന് - ஒன்னு - ओन्नु - onnu (Number 1 / one)
ഒൻപത് -ஒன்பது -ओन्पतु - onpathu (Number 9 / Nine)
In both the last two words, one may notice that the last character is written as a consonant but the transliteration in other languages added a "u" sound. It's neither a constant nor u but somewhere in-between. In Thamizh, such things are called "குற்றியலுகரம்" / kutRiyalukaram. Well, that'll be a topic for a future discussion, please take it as it is today.
It doestn't hurt to pronounce them with a full "u" (kuRil) sound in the end!
ഒ
which sounds exactly same like its Thamizh counter part ஒ (short O / kuRil) . Actually, it even looks like its Thamizh equivalent.
There's no equivalent in Hindi but the near equivalent is the longer version of the same vowel ओ.
Some words starting with this letter:
ഒട്ടകം - ஒட்டகம் - ओटटकम -ottkam (Camel)
ഒട്ടകപ്പക്ഷി - ஒட்டகப்பக்ஷி - ओटटकप्पक्षी - ottkappakshi (Ostrich)
ഒന്ന് - ஒன்னு - ओन्नु - onnu (Number 1 / one)
ഒൻപത് -ஒன்பது -ओन्पतु - onpathu (Number 9 / Nine)
In both the last two words, one may notice that the last character is written as a consonant but the transliteration in other languages added a "u" sound. It's neither a constant nor u but somewhere in-between. In Thamizh, such things are called "குற்றியலுகரம்" / kutRiyalukaram. Well, that'll be a topic for a future discussion, please take it as it is today.
It doestn't hurt to pronounce them with a full "u" (kuRil) sound in the end!
ഒരു മൊട്ടു വിരിഞ്ഞപ്പോള് (oru mottu virinjappOL / ஒரு மொட்டு விரிஞ்ஞப்போள் )
Some tharangini disk for ഒപ്പം ഒപ്പത്തിനൊപ്പം (oppam oppaththinoppam / ஒப்பம் ஒப்பத்திநொப்பம்)
The 12th character is the longer sound of the previous
one,
ഓ
As one can see, it is the same short alphabet plus an additional character on the RHS. That is the one we'll be using quite a bit when it comes to combinational letters. It's the same as the 'thuNaikkAl' in Thamizh, for extending aa sound and elsewhere. It should be pronounced exactly as the Thamish / Hindi / English equivalents!
O / ओ / ஓ
Some words starting with this alphabet :
ഓന്ത് - ஓந்து - ओन्तु - Onthu (Chameleon)
ഓട്ടം - ஓட்டம் - ओट्टम - Ottam (Run)
ഓട് - ஓடு - ओडु - Odu (Roof tile)
ഓല - ஓல - ओल - Ola (Coconut leave / Palm leave)
You probably notice a couple of 'kutRiyalukaram' business (the consonant symbol but "u" sound) among these four words too !
We'll keep bumping into such words all the time!
No vinyl covers exist in musicalaya for ഓ, I'm posting other links here...
The "thumbi vA" movie, ഓളങ്ങള് (OLangngaL / ஓலங்ஙள்)
ഓ
As one can see, it is the same short alphabet plus an additional character on the RHS. That is the one we'll be using quite a bit when it comes to combinational letters. It's the same as the 'thuNaikkAl' in Thamizh, for extending aa sound and elsewhere. It should be pronounced exactly as the Thamish / Hindi / English equivalents!
O / ओ / ஓ
Some words starting with this alphabet :
ഓന്ത് - ஓந்து - ओन्तु - Onthu (Chameleon)
ഓട്ടം - ஓட்டம் - ओट्टम - Ottam (Run)
ഓട് - ஓடு - ओडु - Odu (Roof tile)
ഓല - ஓல - ओल - Ola (Coconut leave / Palm leave)
You probably notice a couple of 'kutRiyalukaram' business (the consonant symbol but "u" sound) among these four words too !
We'll keep bumping into such words all the time!
No vinyl covers exist in musicalaya for ഓ, I'm posting other links here...
The "thumbi vA" movie, ഓളങ്ങള് (OLangngaL / ஓலங்ஙள்)
The 13th alphabet is
ഔ
pronounced "au / av" in English and has an exact equivalent in Thamizh and Hindi :
ஔ / औ
As one can see, it starts with the same character for short 'o' (ഒ) and adds a hook on the right hand side, much like what we added for extending ee & oo (ഈ / ഊ)
So, all these three letters that we've discussed so far in this lesson are of similar "shape" to look at!
ഔ
pronounced "au / av" in English and has an exact equivalent in Thamizh and Hindi :
ஔ / औ
As one can see, it starts with the same character for short 'o' (ഒ) and adds a hook on the right hand side, much like what we added for extending ee & oo (ഈ / ഊ)
So, all these three letters that we've discussed so far in this lesson are of similar "shape" to look at!
Some words starting with ഔ :ഔഷധം -ஔஷதம் - औषदम - aushadham (medicine / cure)
ഔരങ്ങസീബ് - ஔரங்கசீப் - औरन्गजीब - aurangaseeb (Aurangzeb, the Moghul emperor)
ഔദാര്യം - ஔதார்யம் - औदार्यम - audhAryam (benevolence)
ഔദ്യോഗിക - ஔத்யோகிக - औदयोकिक -audhyOgika (official)
See, it's easier to read in this letter in Malayalam than in Thamizh. (In Thamizh, unless one knows the word / context, they can get confused whether it sounds "au" or "oLa")
Couldn't find any movie covers / pictures starting with ഔ easily...will post if and when I can find one.
Meanwhile, I would like to close the alphabets story by just showing the last two characters that are basically the first character അ plus some symbol. They also sound that way (അ plus a consonant sound). I really don't know how and why they classify these as "vowels" but a similar anamoly also exists in Hindi & vadamozhi and 50% of such anamoly also exists in Thamizh via the "Aydha ezhuththu" ஃ getting clubbed with "vowels").
Anyways, here are those with the corresponding sounding letters in other languages. We can identify them easily after we get to know other consonants
അം
അ:
am / ah in English
அம் / அஹ் in Thamizh (no exact equivalent character for these two in Thamizh)
अं / अ: in Hindi which are exact equivalents to Malayalam!
So, all the vowels are now covered.
Please try to do the "exercises" as diligently as possible as it really helps memorize characters and strongly embed them in the minds.
I'll possibly do a quiz shortly for these last set.
We'll also have a short quiz thereafter for ALL the 15 "vowels" and start with the consonants next Wednesday! (That is one week from now)!
അ ആ ഇ ഈ ഉ ഊ ഋ
എ ഏ ഐ ഒ ഓ ഔ
അം അ:
(For people familiar with Indian languages, the red colored ones above are "longer" sounds -"nedil" - and others are shorter sounds -"kuRil")
