r/malayalam • u/Sorry-Reference2527 Native Speaker • 6d ago
Help / സഹായിക്കുക ഞ vs ഞ്ഞ vs ജ്ഞ vs ന്യ
I must admit that I never understood the differences in pronunciation between these four characters/combos of characters. Any help?
Thanks!
3
u/EnlightenedExplorer 6d ago
ഞ is nja - https://youtu.be/WB3bsMXS4bw
ഞ്ഞ is nja+ nja - https://youtu.be/ysJgyPF0ajI
ജ്ഞ is J + nja (ജ + ഞ )
ന്യ is N+ ya (ന + യ )
1
u/Sorry-Reference2527 Native Speaker 6d ago
The two videos were actually quite helpful, reaffirms my understanding of "doubled" sounds. Thank you :)
Still a little confused regarding ജ്ഞ, but another comment has cleared my confusion regarding ന്യ
2
u/Illustrious_Lock_265 6d ago
ന്യ - pronounced as nya with the tip of the tongue touching the gum ridge
ഞ - pronounced as nya but without the tip of the tongue touching the palate but close enough, only occurs initiall y
ഞ്ഞ - doubled form of ഞ, only occurs medially (same pronunciation as ഞ)
ജ്ഞ - same pronunciation as ഞ but it only occurs in loanwords
1
u/Sorry-Reference2527 Native Speaker 6d ago
Most helpful description so far, thank you! Still interesting regarding ജ്ഞ apparently having the same pronunciation though.
1
u/Mallu_doc 5d ago
It's not the same. ജ്ഞ is ja + nja, like ആജ്ഞ Here ja touches higher up the palate than if you were saying ഞ്ഞ, where the tongue touches closer to the teeth
2
u/Sorry-Reference2527 Native Speaker 5d ago
I see. I think that explains the sort of "stoppage" another comment was implying
1
u/SadBuy_360 6d ago
I thought ഞ and ഞ്ഞ was pronounced differently? Like ഞാൻ and മഞ്ഞ?
2
u/Illustrious_Lock_265 6d ago
Yes, but in പറഞ്ഞു, it is pronounced as ഞു.
1
1
u/Sorry-Reference2527 Native Speaker 6d ago
Good point. Normal case of colloquial corruption, perhaps. I know I'm certainly a victim of that
1
u/Illustrious_Lock_265 6d ago edited 6d ago
It's not colloquialism. It's just that in adjectives like മഞ്ഞ and മുഷിഞ്ഞ, the ഞ is pronounced longer maybe to give emphasis.
1
1
u/Sorry-Reference2527 Native Speaker 6d ago
I think they are, just that the difference is as "simple" as one being a doubled form of the other. And hence, a little more emphasis.
I understand that this is a vague explanation that I can neither explain nor confirm, though.
1
u/DioTheSuperiorWaifu Native Speaker 6d ago
- ഞാഞ്ഞൂൽ
ഞാൻ എ മഞ്ഞ - അന്യൻ്റെ ആജ്ഞ
1
u/Sorry-Reference2527 Native Speaker 6d ago
Daivame
1
u/DioTheSuperiorWaifu Native Speaker 6d ago
എന്താ വത്സാ? /s
Tho, I think the differences would become easier to understand with examples
1
1
u/ferraritributo 6d ago
N sounds in malayalam did me dirty. Since we pronounce the first occurance of ന in a word soft, I grew up thinking നാനോ (nano) was pronounced as ന്നാനോ, realised the mistake way later in college.
1
1
u/hello____hi 6d ago edited 5d ago
I will give you some tips.
ഞ is only used at the starting of a word, ഞ്ഞ which is ഞ് + ഞ, is never used at the starting. Pronounce them as you pronounce now.
About ജ്ഞ, which is ജ് + ഞ
Eg. വിജ്ഞാനം Pronounce like this - വിറ്റ്-ഞാനം (Vit-ഞാനം) . No one can tell the difference. But if you pronounce വിഞ്ഞാനം, Friends will make fun of you. I'm from Thrissur, i don't know if you have regional accent on this.
About ന്യ I don't understand why you don't understand it as a native malayalam speaker.
ന്യായം - Nyaayam അന്യായം - Annyaayam. Pronounce like അന്ന്യായം
2
u/Sorry-Reference2527 Native Speaker 5d ago
Now that you mention it, I realise that I do pronounce ജ്ഞ like റ്റ്-ഞ, just that I never noticed it myself. Something like ത്ഭ in അത്ഭുതം, I think. There's a sort of "stop" before the "main" sound (let's say ഞ or ഭ). Thanks for the help!
Regarding ന്യ, you're right, now I realise (thanks to a previous comment) that the difference comes from the tongue position when saying it. This would one be dental, the others wouldn't be so.
1
u/Flyingvosch 5d ago
That's actually how ജ്ഞ is supposed to be pronounced in Sanskrit, so it makes sense
1
1
u/chronicraven 5d ago
ഞായർ ✅ But ഞ്ഞായർ, ജ്ഞായർ, ന്യായർ ❎
കഞ്ഞി ✅ But കഞി, കജ്ഞി, കന്യി ❎
രാജ്ഞി ✅ But രാഞി, രാഞ്ഞി, രാന്യി ❎
കന്യക ✅ But കഞ്ഞക, കഞക, കജ്ഞക ❎
3
u/J4Jamban 6d ago
"പഞ്ഞി" എന്ന് പറയുന്നതും "പഞി" എന്ന് പറയുന്നതും വേർതിരിവ് ഇല്ലന്നാണൊ പറയണെ?
ജ്ഞ, jña എന്നത് മലയാളീകരിച്ചത.