From: arun@sun14.vlsi.uwaterloo.ca (Arun Achyuthan)
Subject: Re: malayaaLam aksharamaala
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 04:41:30 GMT

Transliteration of Indian language script to Latin script is a very difficult
job, any suggested method will have its own pros and cons. What is 
important is to agree on one system, which most of us find convenient.
That way I have no problem in going along with the method suggested
by Mathai, but it has many drawbacks:

In article <1992Nov6.182858.168@constellation.ecn.uoknor.edu> mchundat@essex.ecn.uoknor.edu (Mathai Chundattu) writes:
>
>When representing the malayalam letters in english, I had the following
>things in mind.
>
>1. It must be similar to the way malayalees write the malayalam words in
>   english. There are definite differences between how the Devnagri
>   script is transcribed and the way we transcribe malayalam. Most of
>   the conventions that I listed were collected by observing names of
>   persons, places, boards in front of shops etc. I find such
>   combinations easier to read.

A good point.

>
>2. I tried to reduce the use of uppercase letters. They reduce the
>   readability of a passage. A possible combination of lower case
>   letters is easier to read and write than some uppercase combinations.
>   I will describe it later.

Having upper case letters in the middle of a word is unavoidable in
any Malayalam transliteration scheme, due to the limited (26) choice of
latin alphabets that can be printed with an ASCII keyboard. So I don't
think it is a draw back. The method you suggested also uses
plenty of upper case letters.

>
>>
>>>cha		csa		ja		jha		nJa
>>>chaaya-tea  csaaya-image   jalam-water jhalam-the river	 nJaan- I
>>>ccha        -----------         jja      ---------              nnJa
>>
>>ca              cha             ja              jha             nJa
>
>I am still in favor of the original group. The 'ch' in your name
>Achyuthan is never spelled as 'c' in kerala. The reason, I think, is
>that the first of this group is the most common, and it is spelled with
>'ch' always. The 'csa' is a rare letter. It sounds like ch+S. It looks
>like the union of cha and Sa in malayalam also. So I joined both and
>took the h out of the union.
>

You caught me napping here! Yes, the 'ch' in my name should be 'c' in 
the scheme suggested by me (which is also based upon the transliteration
scheme used in many printed books, though they have the extra liberty
to use italics, over print etc). But my name is not a transliteration
in the strict sense; it is written for the sake of those who don't
know Malayalam alphabets, so in order to reduce the confusion, 'ch'
is written because if 'c' is written its place it could be confused for
'c' as in cart. But the scheme that we are going to use if for who are
familiar with Malayalam alphabets, so such a confusion (in strictly the
context of transliteration) is minimal.

'csa' for the second of the 'cavaRgam' is very uncomfortable, unfamiliar
and confusing. And it is not rare! Moreover it will be a night mare
if it is used in a "kooTTakasharam". For eg., with the modification that
I suggested, the Malayalam word for father (of a child; not the church Father)
can be written as "acchan", but in you scheme it should be "achcsan",
which looks very very strange.

I am not trying to score a point over Mathai's scheme; I am just pointing out
the relative merits and drawbacks.

>>>
>>>da 		dta		da		dda (?)		Na
>>>kaad-forest padtanam-study  daadi-daddy peeddam-chair	paNam-money
>>>tta, Ta       ----------          dda       -------             NNa
>>
>>Ta              Tha             Da              Dha             Na
>>
>>(same as above)
>>>
>>>tha		tda		Da		dha		na (?)
>>>thala-head  katda-story   kaDanam-sorrow   dhanam-wealth     naaya-dog
>>>ttha        -----------         DDa         -----------      	nna            
>>
>>ta              tha             da              dha             na
>
>The above two groups are really confusing. First, the 'th' in your name
>is spelled as 'th' always. The single 't' is ready-made for the 't' in
>kaat (wind). The first of the first group is best represented by 'da'

Again you stump me here (on the 'th' part of my name). The explanation is
same as above. In scheme suggested by you, the first and third letters of
'TavaRgam' is written as 'da'. That is very confusing. Also, if we
write 'dda' for the fourth letter in the same 'vaRgam', what about
'da' + 'da' ("kooTTakshram") with the third letter? How you you write it?
Also how about 'da' (third letter) + 'dda' (fourth letter), as in
the Malayalam world for "fool"? 'vidddi'? The three consecutive d's are
very discomforting here. In the modification I suggested, this could be
written as 'viDDhi', and 'DDa' for the kootakhram with just the third
letter. 't' as in 'kaat'(wind) can be pronounced that way only with the
English-like pronunciation. 'kaad' for forest is a wrong way pronouncing,
because in Malayalam the 'd' in that word is not pronounced as the 'd' in
dad.

>because that is kind of soft letter when you utter it. See the spellings
>of potthanikkad, palakkad, etc. The next letter 'dta' basically the
>letter which looks like a 0 is best represented by 'dta' because the
>stress comes in the second half of the letter. 

But that is the way it should be pronounced! That sound should come from
striking the tongue at the roof of mouth just inside the mouth, not deeper
as 'd' in dad is pronounced. So 'dta' is a wrong pronunciation.
>The opposite configuration 'tda' is best suited to the second of next group the 'tda'
>in katda (story). Here the stress in on the first half of the letter.
    ^^^^^
Wrong and confusing, in my opinion.

>The third of second group Da is written usually as da in kerala. But
>here we will make it Da to distinguish from da of the first group. 
>Hence there is no need to change the second group. The third and fourth
>of the first group are also very rarely used. Let's keep the third the
>same and the fourth as you mentioned.
>
>>>
>>
>>Arun Achyuthan
>
>Mathai
>-- 
>
>

Arun
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