Page 115 - A GRAMMAR OF BHOJPURI _ PhD Dissertation 2020 TU

b. ए /e/ vs. ओ /o/

Word-initial Inter-consonantal word-final
एने /ene/ 'here' केरा /kerɑ/ 'banana/ काहे /kɑɦe/ 'why'

ओने /one/ 'there' कोरा /korɑ/ 'lap' काहो /kɑɦo/ 'vocative'

एकर /ekʌr/ 'possessive (close)' चेरी /ceri/ 'a maid-servant' भाते /b ̤ ate/ 'only rice'
ओकर /okʌr/ 'possessive (distant) चोरी /cori/ 'theft' भातो /b ̤ ato/ 'rice also'

एजान /ejɑn/ 'this place' चेला /celɑ/ 'disciple' खेते /kʰete/ 'in the field'

ओजान /ojɑn/ 'that place' चोला /colɑ/ 'life' खेतो /kʰeto/ 'field also'

c. ऐ /ɛ/ vs. औ /ɔ/

Word-initial Inter-consonantal word-final

ऐरा /ɛrɑ/ 'alien, stranger' गैर /ɡɛr/ 'alien' जै /jɛ/ 'victory'
औरा /ɔrɑ/ 'myrobalan' गौर /ɡɔr/ 'intense' जौ /jɔ/ 'barley'

पैना /pɛnɑ/ 'a bamboo-stick लै /lɛ/ 'pitch'
for ploughing oxen'

पौना /pɔnɑ/ 'a multiple table लौ /lɔ/ 'tactics'

of three-fourths'
जैन /jɛn/ 'a religion'

जौन /jɔn/ 'the one which'

d. ऐ /ɛ/ vs. अ /ʌ/

Word-initial Inter-consonantal word-final

ऐस /ɛs/ 'luxury' पैर /pɛr/ 'foot' लै /lɛ/ 'music'

अस /ʌs/ 'like' पर /pʌr/ 'wings' ल /lʌ/ 'take (IMP.MH)'
ऐन /ɛn/ 'act' खैर /kʰɛr/ 'catechu' सै /sɛ/ 'hundred'

अन /ʌn/ 'food' खर /kʰʌr/ 'grass' स /sʌ/ 'plural marker'

गैर /ɡɛr/ 'alien'

गर /ɡʌr/ 'neck'

Going through examples (12a-m) and (13a-d), we conclude that oral
monophthongs in Bhojpuri are present in phonological contrast either on the basis of

heigh-low or front-back positions of the tongue in all environments: word-initial,
interconsonantal and word-final.

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