Tholkappium verses 23-26

23.  ட  ற ல ள வென்னும்  புள்ளி  முன்னர்
க  ச  ப  வென்னும் மூவெழுத்து உரிய



This verse describes consonant assimilation.

The letters 'da, Ra, la La' follow the consonant sounds 'ka, sa pa'.

Example of words in Tamil:  'kadka, kaRka, selka, koLka'. This assimilation happens in a natural manner.

Commentary

consonant assimilation happens when the sounds of the two consonants merge.

ILampooranar says if the spoken form of the sounds do not naturally assimilate, then in such places consonant assimilation will not take place. the merging of sounds happen only if the language users do it. Such a merge happens usually within the above mentioned framework of 'k' merging with 'd' etc.

Tholkappiar describes this principle based on the usage of the people's pronunciation. he later develops more complex principles of the merging of consonant sounds.

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24. அவற்றுள்

ல  ள  ஃ   கான்  முன்னர்  ய வ  வுந்  தோன்றும்


This verse says that  the sounds 'la, La, q' will merge with the following sounds like    'ya, va'.

Commentary

Consonant assimilation also has its dimensions. Even the softer sounds that cannot be classified as consonants also merge with each other.

Example: 'kol yaanai,  veL yaanai,  kool vaLai,  veL vaLai'

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25. ங  ஞ  ண    ந  ம  ன  வெனும்   புள்ளி முன்னர்

தத்த  மிசைக  ளொத்தன  நிலையே


This verse too explains consonant assimilation.

The soft consonants like ' nga, nja, Na, na, ma, na' merge with the preceeding consonants like 'ka, sa, da, tha, pa, Ra'.

Commentary

ங,   ஞ,   ண,    ந,   ம,   ன       - nga,   nja,    Na,    na,    ma,    na

க,    ச,      ட,    த,    ப,    ற       -  ka,   sa,      da,     tha,    pa,    Ra


Example: தேக்கு  [thaekku],  மஞ்சு [manju], வண்டு [vandu], பந்து [panthu], கம்பு [kambu], கன்று [kanRu]
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26. அவற்றுள்

ண ன  ஃ   கான்  முன்னாக

க ச ஞ  ப  ம யா  வ  வ்    வேழு  முரிய


This verse defines the merging of more sounds like 'Na, na'.

Commentary

The sounds 'Na, na' merge quite well with the consonants like 'ka, sa, nja, pa, ma, and va'.

Example:  வெண்கலம் [veNkalam] , புன்கண் [punkaN]  , வெண்சாந்து [veNsaanthu] , புன்செய்  [punsai]