Pronunciation of Brhama, Vahni, Jahnu, etc.

[Guest guest]

No one has stepped forward to answer this question yet,

so let me take a shot. I am no authority on Sanskrit phonetics,

but I have always heard these words pronounced as "brum-ha",

"van-hi", etc., with the "h" sound coming after the "m" sound.

 

I recall reading elsewhere that originally these words may

have been pronounced with the "h" sound coming first -- the

old Greek transliterations of these words spell them as

"braachmaNa", etc., implying that the "h" sound came *before*

the "m".

 

Any Panini experts care to offer their opinion?

 

Mani

 

P.S. I am happy Sri Krishnamachari did not hesitate to

post this informal, everyday question to the list. We used

to have many more of these in the early days of our activity.

I hope no one is scared of posting their questions or thoughts,

no matter how casual they may seem! Please, use this list for

dialogue on any issues of faith and religious practice you

are wondering about.

[Guest guest]

At 09:50 PM 4/23/97 -0700, Mani Varadarajan wrote:

>

>No one has stepped forward to answer this question yet,

>so let me take a shot. I am no authority on Sanskrit phonetics,

>but I have always heard these words pronounced as "brum-ha",

>"van-hi", etc., with the "h" sound coming after the "m" sound.

>

>I recall reading elsewhere that originally these words may

>have been pronounced with the "h" sound coming first -- the

>old Greek transliterations of these words spell them as

>"braachmaNa", etc., implying that the "h" sound came *before*

>the "m".

>

>Any Panini experts care to offer their opinion?

>

>Mani

>

>P.S. I am happy Sri Krishnamachari did not hesitate to

>post this informal, everyday question to the list. We used

>to have many more of these in the early days of our activity.

>I hope no one is scared of posting their questions or thoughts,

>no matter how casual they may seem! Please, use this list for

>dialogue on any issues of faith and religious practice you

>are wondering about.

 

I also had this doubt also. I asked this question to many folks. there

seems to be a difference in the way the words brahma, vahni etc. are

written in sanskrit and how they are pronounced. As far as I know they are

pronounced as Bramha, Vanhi etc. I do know that even in vedic recitations,

these are the pronunciation.

 

I thought sanskrit was phonetic. even to day no one has answered me

properly why is this anomaly.

 

Krishna

Krishna Kalale

619-658-5612 (phone)

619-658-2115 (fax)

[Guest guest]

To echo Sri Mani, "I am no authority on Sanskrit phonetics". However, I

have always heard "Brahma" with the 'h' sound coming first and the 'm'

stressed a little longer than usual. In the Devanagiri script, the combined

"h" and "m" letters seem to indicate that h comes first.

 

A name related to "Jahnu" is "Jahnavi". In fact the latter is the former's

daughter! (It is also another name for the Ganga river) I had always heard

it as with the 'h' coming after the n. However, I consulted Sri Sadagopan

and he explained that the correct spelling is with the h first.

Subsequently, a maharashtrian friend (the name seems to be more common in

maharashtra) clarified that the name is pronounced with the h sound first

and the 'n' stressed to sound almost like two 'n' sounds.

 

Sriram

[Guest guest]

>Mani Varadarajan <mani

>No one has stepped forward to answer this question yet,

>so let me take a shot. I am no authority on Sanskrit phonetics,

>but I have always heard these words pronounced as "brum-ha",

>"van-hi", etc., with the "h" sound coming after the "m" sound.

>

>I recall reading elsewhere that originally these words may

>have been pronounced with the "h" sound coming first -- the

>old Greek transliterations of these words spell them as

>"braachmaNa", etc., implying that the "h" sound came *before*

>the "m".

>

>Any Panini experts care to offer their opinion?

>

>Mani

 

what (pronounced as 'hwat') is this about?

 

Srini