Vowel ऋ

[Shreyas Munshi]

As a primary level Sanskrit learner, I request the scholars in the group to answer two questions:

1. Is the vowel ઋ, a front vowel or back vowel?

2. A vowel is a sound produced without allowing the tongue to touch any part in the mouth, then why ह is not called a vowel?

Regards.

Shreyas Munshi
shreya...@gmail.com, shreya...@rediffmail.com, shreyas...@rediffmail.com
C202, Mandar Apartments,
120 Ft D P Road,
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Tel Res (91) (22) 26364290
Mobile 9819818197

[Mohan Chettoor]

1. I could not make out what you meant by  'front vowel and back vowel'. Please explain.

2. vowels and (consonants). 

अआइ ईउऊऋॠलॡ ए ऐओऔअअः are the swaras(vowels). They are complete in themselves and do not require the help of another letter to be pronounced. They are sixteen in number. 

A vyanjana(consonant), if not combined with a  swara , is written with an oblique line underneath it which is called a halanta or a viraama. 

Example -

The vyanjana 'ह्' becomes a letter 'ह' only when it is combined with a swara 'अ'. Thus 'ह' is considered a vyanjana and not a swara. 

Mohan Chettoor

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[kenp]

As per AI........

In Sanskrit phonetics, vowels are categorized based on the position of the tongue during pronunciation—whether they are front, back, or central vowels—and their height (close, mid, open).

The vowel ઋ (ṛ) is classified as a front vowel because:

Tongue Position: When pronouncing ऋ, the tongue is raised towards the front of the mouth, close to the hard palate.
Articulatory Features: It is a close (high) front vowel, meaning the tongue is positioned high in the mouth, near the roof, and towards the front.
Comparison with Other Vowels: In Sanskrit, other front vowels include इ (i) and ई (ī), which are also produced with the tongue forward in the mouth.
Back vowels in Sanskrit include vowels like उ (u) and ऊ (ū), where the tongue is positioned towards the back of the mouth during pronunciation.

ऋ (ṛ) is unique because it is a syllabic consonant with a vocalic quality, but it still follows the general placement rules: produced with a front tongue position, making it a front vowel in the phonetic classification.In Sanskrit, the vowel ઋ (ṛ) is classified as a front vowel. It is a close, front, unrounded vowel similar to the "ri" sound in "river," produced with the tongue positioned towards the front of the mouth.

In linguistic terms, vowels are typically defined as sounds produced with an open vocal tract, where the airflow is not significantly obstructed by the tongue, lips, or other parts. They are characterized by their sonority and the fact that they form the nucleus of syllables.

However, the classification of sounds as vowels or consonants isn't solely based on the shape or position of the tongue but also on their function within speech and phonetic properties.

The letter "ह" (pronounced "ha") in Hindi and many Indian languages represents a consonant, specifically a glottal fricative. It is produced by constricting the airflow at the glottis (the space between the vocal cords), which creates friction. This constriction makes "ह" a consonant, not a vowel.

In contrast, vowels like "अ" (a), "आ" (aa), "इ" (i), "उ" (u), etc., are produced with a relatively open vocal tract, without significant constriction, and serve as the core sounds in syllables.

So, despite "ह" being a sound produced at the glottis and not involving tongue contact in the same way as some consonants, it is categorized as a consonant because of its manner of articulation and phonetic function in speech.

In summary:  

Vowels are produced with an open vocal tract and serve as syllabic nuclei.
"ह" is a consonant because it is produced with a glottal constriction, not an open vocal tract, and functions as an initial or medial sound rather than a vowel nucleus.

Sanskrit experts might elaborate on these questions further.

[NathRao]

I am not an expert, but here is my $0.2:

ઋ  does not fit into the vowel chart of the international phonetic alphabet, so I am not sure it makes sense to ask if it is a front or back vowel (or a mid-vowel: not all vowels are front or back). European books refer to the French pronunciation of 'chambre' when talking about the pronunciation of ऋ. Some South Slavic languages also have a syllabic r: See this Wikipedia article for a "tongue twister" example. These are generally not considered to be true vowels in modern phonetics, so the font-mid-back classification is not applied to them.

Regarding the pronunciation, see my responses in the thread "Pronunication", dated May 31 and June 3. To add to this, Praatishakyas describe ઋ as "containing r in the middle", which corresponds to Avestan equivalent which is represented as 'schwa-r-schwa' in manuscripts.

Finally: generative AI, when responding to posts on this group, are better described as "artificial stupidity". Given their proclivity to hallucination, overconfidence and refusal to admit lack of knowledge, can we please not have such responses clutter up our mailboxes.

Regards

Nath Rao

On Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at 5:11:53 PM UTC-4 kenp wrote:

As per AI........

[T.K Gopalan]

“Finally: generative AI, when responding to posts on this group, are better described as "artificial stupidity". Given their proclivity to hallucination, overconfidence and refusal to admit lack of knowledge, can we please not have such responses clutter up our mailboxes.”

No one could have expressed it better. I have been saying that AI could treacherously mislead. Despite this, AI is being cited in lieu of a response based on personal knowledge.

So, please desist!

***

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[Harry Spier]

Dear everyone,

I along with Nath Rao request that AI not be used to respond to this list "cluttering up our inboxes 

Thanks

Harry Spier

[Shreyas Munshi]

Thank you very much, Sir!

Shreyas Munshi
shreya...@gmail.com, shreya...@rediffmail.com, shreyas...@rediffmail.com
C202, Mandar Apartments,
120 Ft D P Road,
Seven Bungalows, Versova,
Mumbai 400061. INDIA
Tel Res (91) (22) 26364290
Mobile 9819818197

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[NathRao]

I should have added this to my original response: One should be careful about mixing systems of classification. Vowel is defined one way in modern phonetics (which apparently is not without disputed points). "svara", in modern terminology, would be better described as 'syllabic nucleus'.  But it is customary to translate it as 'vowel', but then we should not demand that it conform to the modern phonetic definition.

ह is traditionally described as having "slight contact". It also cannot form the syllabic nucleus (at least in Sanskrit). So it it is neither a vowel, nor a svara.