Page 81 - A GRAMMAR OF BHOJPURI _ PhD Dissertation 2020 TU

a) Bilabial stops
There are four bilabial stops in Bhojpuri: प /p/, फ /pʰ/, ब /b/, and भ /b ̤ /. The

phoneme प /p/ is a voiceless bilabial unaspirated stop whereas फ /pʰ/ is a voiceless

bilabial aspirated stop. Phoneme ब /b/ is a voiced bilabial unaspirated stop whereas भ

/b ̤ / is a breathy bilabial stop. Bhojpuri bilabial stops are the same as exhibited in
Maithili (Yadav 1996:21), Chitoniya Tharu (Paudyal 2013:61), Awadhi (Saksena

1937/1971:24), Hindi (Koul 2008:15) and Nepali (Adhikari 2014:10). They all show
phonological contrast in all positions word-initial, inter-vocalic and word-final, as

shown in (1a-d).
(1) a. Minimal pairs of प /p/ and फ /pʰ/

Word-initial Inter-vocalic Word-final
पल /pʌl/ 'a moment' दपा /dʌpɑ/ 'sneak (IMP)' कप /kʌp/ 'cup'

फल /pʰʌl/ 'fruit, result' दफा /dʌpʰɑ/ 'clause' कफ /kʌpʰ/ 'cough'

पाँक /pɑk/ 'mud' हापी /ɦɑpi/ 'encroachment' बाप /bɑp/ 'father'
̃
फाँक /pʰɑk/ 'crack' हाफ$ /ɦɑpʰi/ 'Quran orator' बाफ /bɑpʰ/ 'vapour'
̃
पुल /pul/ 'bridge' गपी /ɡʌpi/ 'talkative' स&प /sʌũp/ 'tender (IMP)'
फू ल /pʰul/ 'flower' गफ$ /ɡʌpʰi/ 'handful' स&फ /sʌũpʰ/ 'fennel seed'

b. Minimal pairs of प /p/ and ब /b/

Word-initial Inter-vocalic Word-final

पल /pʌl/ 'a moment' पपनी /pʌpʌni/ 'eye-lash' जाप /jɑp/ 'prayer'
बल /bʌl/ 'force' पबनी /pʌbʌni/ 'a holy fasting' जाब /jɑb/ 'an animal's mouth cover'

पेर /per/ 'crush (IMP)' तोपा /topɑ/ 'cover' कप /kʌp/ 'a cup'

बेर /ber/ 'time' तोबा /tobɑ/ 'contempt' कब /kʌb/ 'when'

प)ी /pʌtti/ 'a blade' खपर /kʰʌpʌr/ 'skull' आप /ɑp/ 'experience(IMP)'

ब)ी /bʌtti/ 'burning thread' खबर /kʰʌbʌr/ 'news' आब /ɑb/ 'condition'

c. Minimal paris of ब /b/ and भ /b ̤ /
Word-initial Inter-vocalic Word-final

बाला /bɑlɑ/ 'bangle' आबा /ɑbɑ/ 'father' लब /lʌb/ 'rude'
भाला /b ̤ ɑlɑ/ 'spear' आभा /ɑb ̤ ɑ/ 'dream/glow' लभ /lʌb ̤ / 'bow'

बाल /bɑl/ 'ear' लबनी /lʌbʌni/ 'earthen pot'

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