Gudu or Guroo?

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam;

 

I was waiting to see what answer(s?) people would give to this question.

Not having seen any yet, I will offer what I can. You are not talking

about the " r " are you? In case you are: the " r " should be

a " rolled " " r " with the tongue flapping forward against the roof of the

mouth as it moves forward.

 

I think you really were asking about the length of the second syllable

of the word " Guru. " One thing I can tell you about this is that if you

were reading the word in Gurmukhi the " Gu " would be a short vowel while

the " roo " would be a long vowel. Technically that means giving one

(matra) or count for the " Gu " and two matras or counts for the " roo " .

That would be when reading the word from Gurmukhi script.

 

However, I am not sure I ever hear it pronounced that way when people

are speaking or saying common expressions - except for punjabi sikhs. I

think some or all punjabi sikhs give twice the length to the " roo " as

they do to the " Gu. " Also perhaps while chanting shabads all sikhs

might be giving the " roo " twice as long a count.

 

An example of common speech is " Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji ki

fateh. " The Gurmukhi spelling of that expression shows the long vowel

on the second syllable " roo. " It seems that I (always) hear white or

caucasian sikhs (3HO Sikhs) give equal length to the " Gu " and

the " ru " . I am not positive but pretty sure I have heard Punjabi

Sikhs saying that same expression with the longer " roo " as indicated by

the Gurmukhi script. Perhaps others can confirm or dispute my

observation.

 

There seem to be conventions for everyday speech that vary from

correctly read Gurmukhi in other places as well as the word " Guru " . I

am not aware of the history of the various conventions in use. Perhaps

in daily speaking, this difference in how " Guru " is read/pronounced is

only a matter of convention.

 

There is another example of this sort of thing, with the word " Bhai. "

Again in Gurmukhi both the " a " and the " i " would be long vowels,

like " Bhaaee " but I have never heard it pronounced that way when part

of an individual's title or name. From what I have heard in daily

speaking, neither of these vowels is pronounced as a long vowel.

 

Perhaps someone here with more years of experience with sikhism can

offer some additional clarity about these " common language "

pronunciations.

 

Wahe Guroo!

Nam Hari Kaur - Eugene, OR

 

 

Kundalini-Yoga , " Jeanette " <jjproperties

wrote:

>

> In my Kundalini Yoga classes, the instructor told us to pronounce

Guru

> as " Gudu " , but many of the books I have say it is pronounced " Guroo " .

> Which way is it?

>

> Thanks,

> Jeanette

>