Page 80 - A GRAMMAR OF BHOJPURI _ PhD Dissertation 2020 TU

consonants can further be classified into voiceless unaspirated, voiceless aspirated and
2
breathy ones. Table 4.1 presents inventory of the consonants in Bhojpuri.
Table 4.1: Consonant phonemes in Bhojpuri
Place

Manner Apico-alveolar Palato-alveolar
Bilabial Dental Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Glottal

Vl. Unasp. p t ʈ k

Vl. Asp pʰ tʰ ʈʰ kʰ
Stop Vd. b d ɖ ɡ

̈
Breathy b ̤ d ̤ ɖ ɡ ̈

Fricative Vl. Unasp. s

Vd. ɦ
Vl. Unasp. c
Affricate Vl. Asp. cʰ

j
Vd.
Breathy ȷ̈

Nasal Vd. m n ŋ

Asp. Son. m ̥ n ̥ ŋ ̊
Lateral Vd. l

Asp. Son. l̥

Flap Vd. r ɽ
ɽ ̊
r ̥
Asp. Son.
Glide Vd. w y
4.1.1 Phonological oppositions in consonants
Stops conventionally include the class of plosives and are further classified

according to manner of articulation such as aspiration, voicing and breathiness in
terms of oppositions as unaspirated vs. aspirated, voiceless vs. voiced and voiced vs.
breathy as follows:

2. Traditionally, the voiceless aspirated and voiced aspirated opposition was in practice. But Ladefoged
(1971:8-12; 2001:123-7), Catford (2001:52) and Ladefoged and Johnson (2011:149-50) have
introduced 'murmur' sounds and explained them as 'breathy voice' in place of voiced aspirated ones, as
used in Hindi, Gujarati, and other Indo-Aryan languages including Bhojpuri.
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