Marathi repha

[DEVARAKONDA VENKATA NARAYANA SARMA]

At 07:51 AM 10/31/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Ashok's observations are correct in that a cluster beginning with R' does
>not make the preceding vowel heavy.  Phonologically a combination like R'y
>can indeed be treated as a palatalized R.  In Marathi, this is not the
>only palatalized consonant.  Many other consonants can be palatalized, but
>are written as clusters without making the previous vowel heavy, e.g.
>vahyaa "notebooks".  There are similarly nasal consonants which get
>aspirated and are written as clusters, without making previous vowel
>heavy, e.g. panha "drink made from green mango".  There is a discussion of
>this phenomenon in Aparna Jha's booklet on Marathi phonology published by
>Deccan College many years ago.
>        Madhav Deshpande
>

Maharastrians are counted among the pancha drAviDAs ( five Dravidian groups).
Is the presence of two `rEfAs' in their language something to do with their
draviDian connection?

sarma.