Re: [indic] Halant - can it be called a "Linguistic Zero" (Panini)?

From: Rahul Bhalerao (b.rahul.pm@gmail.com)
Date: Mon May 10 2010 - 12:42:53 CDT

  • Next message: William_J_G Overington: "Emoji, updated information now available"

    > Halant matra:
    > Unicode as well as ISCII have given character codes for this default form  क
    > which has interpretation  'k + a'.  Since the default form  is k with
    > 'a-matra' ,  we  should have a mechanism to show the original 'muula'
    > character just 'k'. Thus halant matra is introduced , which  corresponds to
    > 'zero matra' for the original character 'k' or can be called 'linguistic
    > zero' matra.
    >

    I still don't think the concept of 'linguistic zero' goes exactly with
    the concept of halant, since halant functions as a remover of the
    inherent vowel and cannot be used to remove anything else. It seems to
    have its own meaning other than zero.

    Besides I am not clear in terms of the reason, why we would call it
    something else (as a part of standard) when we already have couple of
    simple and popular names for it.
    _
    Rahul.

    > I hope this has brought some clarity to the issue.
    > अलका ईरानी
    > .. Alka Irani
    >
    >
    > On Wed, Apr 28, 2010 at 11:07 PM, N. Ganesan <naa.ganesan@gmail.com> wrote:
    >>
    >>
    >> On Wed, Apr 28, 2010 at 12:31 PM, JAGANADH G <jaganadhg@gmail.com> wrote:
    >>>
    >>>
    >>> On Wed, Apr 28, 2010 at 10:50 PM, N. Ganesan <naa.ganesan@gmail.com>
    >>> wrote:
    >>>>
    >>>> A question for linguists.  In Indian scripts,
    >>>> there is a sign called halanta
    >>>> which is used to delete an
    >>>> inherent vowel /a/ in an Indic syllable.
    >>>>
    >>>> For example, in any Indic script,
    >>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virama
    >>>>
    >>>> A syllable with /a/ + Halant = A "pure" consonant (with /a/ "killed")
    >>>> i.e.,
    >>>> [ka] + Halant = [k]
    >>>
    >>> It is wrong.
    >>>
    >>> [ka] - [a] = [k] not [ka] + [Halant] = [k]
    >>>
    >>> like wise
    >>>
    >>> [ka] - [a] + [i] = [ki]
    >>>
    >>
    >>
    >> yes. [halant] = - [a].
    >>
    >> My question is: the Zeroing element (call it halant or -/a/)
    >> a linguistic zero?
    >>
    >> N. Ganesan
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>>
    >>>> Usually, in early Brahmi, the halant "vowel-killer" sign is like a
    >>>> macron
    >>>> above any consonant syllable. In Tamil, halant is a dot (bindu) above
    >>>> of on the side a syllable, which is same as bindu for zero
    >>>> in Khmer inscriptions.
    >>>>
    >>>> My question: Can we call Indic Halanta (the "killer" of vowel,/a/)
    >>>> a form/kind of "Linguistic Zero" of PaaNini?
    >>>
    >>> What is ment by "Linguistic Zero"?
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>
    >>> --
    >>> **********************************
    >>> JAGANADH G
    >>> http://jaganadhg.freeflux.net/blog
    >>>
    >>
    >
    >

    -- 
    Rahul.
    http://b.rahul.pm.googlepages.com/home
            - http://rahulpmb.blogspot.com
            - http://samadiyami.blogspot.com
            - http://mazikavita.blogspot.com
    


    This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Mon May 10 2010 - 12:44:43 CDT