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)

Quiz #4 ഉ ഊ ഋ

ഉ ഊ ഋ quiz

1. ഉണ്ണികൃഷ്ണന്‍ (kEdharaththukku sEdhAram)

2. ഉള്ളടക്കം ( Mohanlal looked awesome with those specs )

3. ഋതുഭേദം (Malayalam movie, 1987)

4. ഊര്‍മിള (Wife of the twin of Sathrugan, ithihAsam)

5. ഊര്വശി (thiruppu)

6. ഉഗാണ്ട (African country)

7. ഋഷ്യശൃംഗന് (Malayalam movie, also one main character in the Bharathan-MT-Bombay Ravi classic)

8. ഉത്തരം (Mammootty movie is the answer)

9. ഉത്തരപ്രദേശ് (Northern state)

10. ഊമപ്പെണ്ണിനു ഉരിയാടാപ്പയ്യന്‍ (2002 Malayalam movie, Kavya Madhavan as "mARRuth thiRanALi")

Just to warn the uninitiated :

Though we are yet to get formally introduced to the character ള, in the context of our lesson of the vowels ഉ ഊ, I need to stress the existence of such a consonant

That one is "La" with no English / Hindi equivalent but has a Thamizh counterpart ள.

So, please don't get confused between ഉ & ള!

Lesson 3 ( ഉ, ഊ, ഋ)

ഉ, ഊ, ഋ - I'm adding a third one to this group whose sound is somewhat related.

The first two are not difficult for people who are familiar with Thamizh - they even look like the equivalent Thamizh characters. Similarly, the equivalents for the first two exist in Hindi as well.

The third one among the above is foreign to Thamizh, neither the letter nor the sound exists in that language. OTOH, it exists in Hindi (comes from Sanskrit I think). That way, for the third one, less effort needed for people who are familiar with vadamozhi.

The 5th letter, another vowel, in our effort to learn to READ Malayalam:

ഉ (v)u / உ / उ

Some words that start with ഉ:

ഉമ്മ - உம்ம -उम्म -umma - kiss (The Malayalam word is also used for "Mother" by Islamic community)
ഉളി - உளி - उलि - uLi - chisel
ഉച്ച - உச்ச - उच्च - uchcha - noon (uchcha bhakshaNam meaning lunch)
ഉപവാസം - உபவாஸம் (உபவாசம்) - उपवासं - upavAsam – Fasting

Two vinyl cover pics for ഉ :ഉണരൂ - உணரூ - उणरू - uNaroo (music by rAsA, directed by Maniratnam, plum has written about in the Malayalam films thread, the Malayalam word means "wake up" or "arise" )


Please note that the second word of the other movie on this disk too starts with this character

ഉത്പത്തി - உத்பத்தி - उत्पत्ति - uthpaththi (one meaning is 'genesis'...also used for "produce child" , so someone please confirm if this was an "A" padam )

The 6th letter,
ഊ

(oo / ஊ / ऊ )

Much like ഇ to ഈ, ഉ to the extended sound ഊ is characterized by an addition of the superscript hook

Some words with ഊ :
ഊണ് = ஊண் = ऊण = oon (Meal / Rice)
ഊഞ്ഞാല്‍ = ஊஞ்ஞால் = ऊंजाल = oonjaal (Swing)
ഊര്‍ജ്ജം = ஊர்ஜ்ஜம் = ऊर्ज्जम = oorjjam (energy)
ഊട്ടി = ஊட்டி = ऊटटी =ootti (Ooty, Nilgiris)

I could locate only one vinyl at the musicalaya site for ഊ. Sharing that picture here:

The word is already listed among the above four (ഊഞ്ഞാല്‍, swing)

The 7th letter,
ഋ
does not exist in Thamizh. The exact equivalent in Hindi is ऋ In Thamizh, we can kind of express it as (ஹ்)ரு / (h)ru. Actually, some say it's Rh. (This gets more relevance when used with other consonants, such as the "thru" sound in mAthrubhoomi, മാതൃഭൂമി). In any case, this letter as a separate entity has very limited use in these languages and still categorized with vowels. (I don't know why!)

Some words using this letter:
ഋതു = ருது / ரிது = ऋतु = (h)ruthu (or) (h)rithu = climate / mensuration
ഋഷി = ரிஷி = ऋषी = rishi = sage
ഋദ്ധി = ரித்தி = ऋदधि = ridhdhi = growth
ഋജു = ரிஜு = ऋजु = riju = straight

It's neither a clear "ru" nor a clear "ri" but in-between, with some h sound embedded

That much is my understanding - HindiwAlAs please correct me

I couldn't find any vinyl's with ഋ at the musicalaya site, so posting (movie related) pictures from elsewhere :ഋതു (movie maker translates it as "seasons")

Also, let me post the youtube of the IR-KJY classic song ഋതുഭേദ കല്പന ('rithu bhEdha kalpana')
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KNILI8ctuUw