A STUDY OF TELUGU REGIONAL AND SOCIAL DIALECTS: A PROSODIC ANALYSIS J. Venkateswara Sastry Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Phonetics and Linguistics, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London \ •i September 1987 ■ i ProQuest Number: 10673011 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10673011 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 2 ABSTRACT Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION: A brief introduction of the land, language, people and their occupations and society are presented. The historical, political divisions of the land, influence of other languages on Telugu, and the caste system that exists in Telugu society are explained. The controversy that exists between the traditional school and the modern school in the fields of education and language policy is touched upon. A survey of earlier work on different aspects of Telugu phonology is given at the start of each chapter. This is followed by my own analyses in terms of prosodic phonology. Chapter 2: TELUGU PHONEMIC SYSTEMS: A review of previous accounts of the Telugu phonological system (§ given and it is shown how each system proposed is inadequate in the circumstances that obtain in the Telugu language today. Chapter SYLLABLE STRUCTURE AND STRESS: Stress plays an important role in Sandhi, harmony and rhythm. Word stress is dealt with in this section. Syllable structure is treated along with stress so as to account for loss of syllables, syllable weight and so on. Problems related to social dialects are offered a solution. Chapter 4: COMPOUND WORDS AND RHYTHM: Scholars have grouped reduplicative forms, onomatopoeic forms and echo words together with compound noun forms. A new classification of these forms, on the basis of phonetic, phonological and semantic criteria is attempted in this section. The rhythm of compound words is described here. Chapter 5: HARMONY: The prosodic treatment of vowel harmony will be seen to be not only more economical but also more complete than previous analyses, i.e. it will cover many nominal and verbal suffixes hitherto unexplored. Chapter 6: SANDHI: The term Sandhi is used loosely for various kinds of morphological processes. An attempt is made to show how Telugu scholars gave different interpretations to the Sandhi phenomena. A phonetic-phonological classification of the processes is made and Sandhi rules are presented in terms of prosodic phonology. Chapter 7: REGIONAL AND SOCIAL DIALECTS - PROBLEMS OF STANDARDISATION: Speakers are able to choose among alternative linguistic means, any of which would satisfactorily communicate the propositional information. Selection among these alternatives defines the social situations. The question of standardisation is considered. Phonological systems in terms of prosodic theory are presented so as to account for differences between regional, social dialects and the 'standard' language. Chapter 8: CONCLUSIONS: The major findings of the thesis are summarized and discussed. 3 To Dr. Bh. Krishnamurti and my other teachers 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 10 NOTATIONS 12 LIST OF MAP AND TABLES 17 CHAPTER ONE : INTRODUCTION 19 1.0.0 Telugu 19 1.0.1 Andhra Pradesh State and Dialects 19 1.1.1 Historical Background 20 1.1.2 Formation of a Linguistic State 21 1.1.3 The Language Situation 2 2 1.1.4 Bilingualism and the Standard 24 Language Problem 1.1.5 Development of Education 26 1.1.6 The Present Position 28 1.1.7 Language Through the Classical 29 School 1.1.8 Modern Telugu 31 1.1.9 Social Dialects of Telugu 32 1.2.0 Goals of the Thesis 33 S-p E>vCe.£ Lmt'ftxAu.C.fcionrv Ao- qmcxJUjSV-S ..56. A O jvacV tfcs ogpyUcajlcM CHAPTER TWO : TELUGU PHONEMIC SYSTEMS 37 2.1.0 The Phonological Systems 37 2.1.1 Educated and Uneducated Speech 37 as Considered by Krishnamurti (1957, 1962, 1977) 2.1.2 Kelley's Contribution 42 2.1.3 Co-existent Phonemic Systems 43 Proposed by Sjoberg 2.1.4 Lisker's Contribution 49 2.1.5 Krishnamurti and Sarma 30 2.1.6 Literary and Colloquial Styles 50 2.1.7 J.V. Sastry (1972, 1975) 50 2.1.8 Jagannath's (1981) Contribution 52 2.1.9 Maximum and Minimum Systems of 52 Reddy (1981) 2.1.10 Most Recent Work of Mahadeva 56 Sastry (1985) 2.2.0 Introduction of Caste as a 56 Parameter 2.2.1 Variables Requiring Consideration 57 2.2.2 Data Used in the Thesis and Choice 57 of Theoretical Approach 2.2.3 Aspiration 60 2.2.4 Presence of [h] in Word-initial and 63 medial Positions 5 Page CHAPTER TWO (continued) 2.2.5 Presence of [w] in Word-initial 64 Position 2.2.6 Presence of Affricates 69 2.2.7 Retention of Consonant Clusters 70 2.2.6 Sibilant Distinctions 73 2.2.9 Retention of [3^] 74 2.2.10 Retention of Retroflex (, and 76 2.2.11 Retention of Fricative [f] 79 2.2.12 Conclusions 80 CHAPTER THREE : STRESS AND SYLLABLE STRUCTURE 81 3.1.0 Introduction 81 3.1.1 Various Definitions of Stress 81 and Syllable 3.1.2 Daniel Jones's Definition of 82 Stress 3.1.3 Stress^m Auditory Phenomenon 83 3.1.4 Position of Stress Related to 83 Number of Syllables 3.1.5 Articulatory and Acoustic 84 Dimensions of Loudness 3.1.6 Couper-Kuhlen1s Viewpoint 84 of Stress 3.1.7 Degrees of Stress - Lehiste's 87 Observation. 3.1.8 Eli Fischer Jorgensen's 89 Contribution 3.1.9 Ladefoged's Classification 90 3.2.0 Lack of Accepted Definition 91 for Stress 3.2.1 The Situation in Telugu 91 3.2.2 Proposed Rules for Stress in 93 Telugu 3.2.3 Emphatic Stress in Telugu 99 3.2.4 Syllable - Various Definitions 103 3.2.5 The Telugu Syllable - review 106 of Earlier Works 3.2.6 Telugu Syllable Division Rules 112 3.2.6.1 Native Telugu - Syllable 112 Division Rules 3.2.6.2 Non-native Telugu - Syllable 115 Division Rules 3.2.7 Syllable Reduction in Telugu 117 3.2.8 Heavy Syllables and Stress 118 3.2.9 Stress Assignment 123 6 Page CHAPTER FOUR : COMPOUND NOUNS AND RHYTHM 125 4.0.1 Introduction 125 4.1.0 Types of Compound Nouns 127 4.2.0 Bhaskara Rao's Analysis 127 4.2.1.1 Reduplication 128 4.2.1.2 Echo Word Formation 129 4.2.2 Critical Evaluation 132 4.3.0 Compound Formation Rules of 136 Radharkr i shna 4.3.1 Critical Evaluation 139 4.4.0 Compound Words as Described 141 by Krishnamurti and Gwynn 4.4.1 Comments 142 4.5.0 Rules Proposed for Compound 143 Formation and Sequence of Words in Compounds 4.5.1 Functions of Vowel Length 144 4.5.2 Formation of Compounds: 146 Suggested Rules 4.5.3 Sequence of Words in Compounds: 149 Suggested Rules 4.6.0 Rhythm Properties 150 4.6.1 Rhythm in Telugu Speech 153 CHAPTER FIVE : VOWEL HARMONY IN TELUGU 157 5.1.0 Introduction 157 5.1.1 Types of Vowel Harmony 159 5.1.2 Typological Framework (Aoki) 159 5.1.3 Vowel Harmony in Telugu 161 5.1.4 Vowel Harmony as Noted by 162 Krishnamurti (1957) 5.1.4.1 Comments 164 5.1.5 Phonetic Harmony as Described 166 by Kelley (1959) 5.1.6 Harmony as Observed by Subba 167 Rao (1971) 5.1.6.1 Comments 176 5.1.7 Harmony as Treated by 177 Prakasam (1972) 5.1.7.1 Criticism of Prakasam's Treatment 181 of Harmony 5.1.8 Objections to Krishnamurti's 182 Treatment Raised by Ramamchandra Rao (1974) 5.1.9 Monomorphemic Vowel Harmony: 183 Prabhakara Babu's (1976) Analysis 5.1.9.1 Comments 184 5.1.10 Importance of Grammatical 185 Categories - Rama Rao's Theory 5.1.10.1 Vowel Extension Rules 194 5.1.10.2 Comments 196 5.1.10.3 The Suffix -mu 198 7 Page CHAPTER FIVE (continued) 5.2.0 Theoretical Framework Preferred 203 5.2.1 Vowel Lowering Phenomenon in Vowel 203 Harmony 5.2.2 Vowel Harmony in Monomorphemic 204 Forms: A Case Study for Social Dialects 5.2.2.1 Disyllabic Forms (monomorphemic) 205 5.2.2.2 Trisyllabic Forms (monomorphemic) 208 5.2.2.3 Tetrasyllabic Forms 211 5.3.0 Suffixal Harmony 212 5.3.1 Nominal Suffixes 213 5.3.1.1 The Suffix -mu 214 5.3.1.2 The Suffixes -ku and -nu (case 214 markers) 5.3.1.3 The Suffixes -nu and -wu (person 216 markers) 5.3.1.4 The Functional Difference between 218 First and Second Suffixal Forms 5.3.1.5 The Plural Suffix -lu 220 5.3.2 Verbal Suffixes 221 5.3.2.1 Fronting Harmony (1) 221 5.3.2.2 Fronting Harmony (2) also in 222 Compound Verbs 5.3.2.3 Lowering Harmony - Change in V 223 Grade 5.3.2.4 Lowering Harmony - Compound Verbs 224 5.3.2.5 Justification for Semantic 225 Criteria 5.3.2.6 Constraints in Disyllabic Roots 225 5.3.3.0 Grouping of Verb Suffixes 226 5.3.3.1 Summary Statement 229 5.4.0 Conclusions 229 CHAPTER SIX : SANDHI 231 6.0.1 Definition and Types of Sandhi 231 6.1.0 Survey of Sandhi Studies in Telugu 232 6.1.1 Sandhi as Described by 232 Krishnamurti 6.1.2 Critical Review of Krishnamurti1s 239 Sandhi Rules 6.1.3 Kelley's Work 244 6.1.3.1 Kelley's Interest in Consonantal 256 Sandhi 6.1.4 Analysis of Kelley's Work 257 6.1.5 Prakasam's Treatment of Sandhi 257 6.1.6 Discussion of Prakasam's Rules 269 6.1.7 Modificatory Features Discussed 276 by Sastry 6.1.8 Criticism of Sastry's Analysis 277 6.1.9 Sarma's Analysis of Sandhi and 279 Assimilation in the Telangana Dialect 8 Page CHAPTER SIX (continued) 6.1.10 Critical Review of Sarma's 288 Analysis 6.1.11 Swarajya Lakshmi's Observations 290 on the Rayalaseema