Page 123 - A GRAMMAR OF BHOJPURI _ PhD Dissertation 2020 TU

4.4 Syllable
The main focus of this section is to look at syllable pattern, the syllable weight

and the complex onset in Bhojpuri.
4.4.1 Syllable pattern
Generally the canonical shape of the Bhojpuri syllable could be represented as

(C)(V)(C)(C) (Verma, 2003:520). There may be the mainly six types of syllables in
Bhojpuri, as shown in (16a-f).

(16) a. V as in ई /i/ 'this', इनार /i-nɑr/ 'well', माई /mɑ-i/ 'mother', आरी /ɑ-ri/ 'a saw'

b. VC as in अब /ʌb/ 'now', आस /ɑs/ 'hope', ओस /os/ 'dew', आएम /ɑ-em/

'come.FUT.H'
c. VCC as in अंत [अ9त] /ʌnt/ 'end', अOत /ʌst/ 'set', अंक [अ:क] /ʌŋk/ 'digit', अंश

[अ9स] /ʌns/ 'part'

d. CV as in तू /tu/ 'you', चानी /cɑ-ni/ 'silver', सोना /so-nɑ/ 'gold', कोरो /ko-ro/

'wooden beam', िचनी /ci-ni/ 'sugar'

e. CVC as in तार /tɑr/ 'wire', तीर /tir/ 'arrow', फल /pʰʌl/ 'fruit', पातर /pɑ-tʌr/
'thin', मोट /moʈ/ 'thick'

f. CVCC as in शंख [स:ख] /sʌŋkʰ/ 'shell', संत [स9त] /sʌnt/ 'saint', छ8म /cʰʌmm/

'ghunghru's sound'.
4.4.2 Syllable structure

A Bhojpuri syllable has three components: the syllabic peak, the onset and the
coda. Among them, the syllabic peak occupied by a vowel (V), the onset by a

consonant (C) and the coda by one or two consonants C(C). The syllabic peak can
also be categorized as a simple one consisting of a monophthong and as a complex
consisting of a diphthong. The complex peak has a nucleus and a satellite. The peak

and coda are together known as core of a syllable. Diagram 4.1 shows the syllable
canon in Bhojpuri.

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