Tamil Pronunciation

[Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian]

Dr. Ganesan wrote:

Thanks for the interesting post.

> + distinguish between k and g in speech, although not in writing. Similarly,
> + the sounds s and S frequently occur in speech, although the script allows
> + strictly only for c (e.g. sol/Sol as variants of col).
>
> Sure. All Tamil speakers in villages, knowing no other
> language,  tell my name as "kaNEsan" and not as "gaNEsan".

But, there is no "sa" in thamiz. Is there some rule for changing ca to sa also?
The most common example is paci (hunger). I have never heard it being
pronounced as paci. And isn't it an original thamiz word, I mean not a loan
from the Sanskrit?

> In Tamil, written  "ka+G+kai" is pronounced as "kaGgai".
> So, it is "kaGgaikoNDacOzhan". River Ganga is pronounced
> as "GaGgai", only if the speaker knows that in Sanskrit
> or other Indic languages, it is so.

Rama.