8. Sandhi (Native to Telugu) - Part 2

8. Sandhi (Fusion of Words)


Part 2: Native Sandhi in Telugu

 Rules of sandhi in Telugu appear to be a little more ad hoc than in Sanskrit. In Telugu, when two words are joined, sandhi may or may not happen. Three possibilities exist: sandhi always happens, sandhi is optional and sandhi does not happen. When sandhi does take place, the last vowel in the first word vanishes and the first vowel in the second word survives. The modern trend is to use sandhi wherever it is essential and avoid its use wherever it is optional. Telugu grammar books give exhaustive lists of possibilities and discussion of some of these is relegated to an appendix. For students interested in Simplified Telugu, it is sufficient to start with the more important cases.

1. 'a' Sandhi (అకార సంధి)

Rule: అత్తునకు అచ్చు పరంబగునప్పుడు సంధి బహుళము 

Here అత్తు means the vowel అ, and బహుళము means the rule in question comes into play in many ways; that is, there are several possibilities. One possibility, this rule says, is that when two words are joined, and when the last vowel in the first word is అ, it vanishes and the first vowel in the second word survives. 

Ex. 1. Sandhi always happens
చింత + ఆకు = చింతాకు 
ciM-ta  +  A-ku =  ciM-tA-ku
tamarind  +  leaf =  tamarind leaf

Here the last vowel of the first word is అ (a) and the first vowel in the second word is ఆ (A).  In this case, ఆ (A) survives and combines with the consonant త్ to form తా (tA). This can be symbolically written as
అ + ఆ = ఆ (a  + A = A)

Ex. 2. Sandhi always happens

సీత + అమ్మ = సీతమ్మ    
sI-ta  +  a-mma = sI-tamma
name + honorific suffix for revered women = honorific name

 Here the last vowel of the first word is అ (a) and the first vowel in the second word is also అ (a).  In this case, the second అ (a) survives and combines with the consonant త్ to form త (ta). This can be symbolically written as
అ + అ  = ఆ (a  +  a = a). Other examples are:  మేనత్త, రామన్న.  

 The above two are NOT examples of "elongation of like vowels" sandhi; that is a Sanskrit sandhi. Here, both words are Telugu. 

Ex 3: No Sandhi

 హంస + ఇదిగో = హంస ఇదిగో (no sandhi)
హంస + ఇదిగో =  హంసయిదిగో (this is not a sandhi, the vowel ఇ cannot occur in the middle of a word; so it is replaced with the equivalent యి.) 
Ex 4. Optional Sandhi

 పుట్టిన + ఇల్లు = పుట్టినిల్లు or పుట్టినయిల్లు  

2. 'u' Sandhi (ఉకార సంధి)


Rule: ఉత్తునకు అచ్చు పరంబయిన సంధి నిత్యము  

Here ఉత్తు means the vowel ఉ, and నిత్యము means the sandhi operation always happens. This rule says that when two words are joined, and when the last vowel in the first word is ఉ, it vanishes and the first vowel in the second word survives. That is,

ఉ  + ఎ = ఎ (u +  e = e)

Ex. 5.  In the following two examples, the sandhi is mandatory.

ఇచ్చు + ఎను = ఇచ్చెను 
iccu + enu = iccenu
give + past tense suffix = gave

కొట్టు  + ఎను = కొట్టెను 
koTTu + enu = koTTenu
hit + past tense suffix =  hit

Ex. 6.  In the following two examples, sandhi is optional. 

రాముడు + ఎక్కడ? = రాముడెక్కడ? 
rA-mu-Du +  e-kka-Da = rA-mu-De-kka-Da?
రాముడు + ఎక్కడ? = రాముడు ఎక్కడ? 
rA-mu-Du +  e-kka-Da = rA-mu-Du e-kka-Da?
Ramudu + where = Where (is) Ramudu?

నేను + ఉన్నాను = నేనున్నాను or నేను ఉన్నాను 
nE-nu + u-nnA-nu = ne-nunnA-nu or nE-nu u-nnA-nu
I +  exist = I exist (I am)

 Ex. 7.  In the following two examples, when the second word is ఇంచు (iM-cu), sandhi is mandatory. 


చేయు + ఇంచు = చేయించు 
cE-yu + iM-cu = cE-yiM-cu
do + suffix for 'ordering' = make someone do the work

చదువు + ఇంచు = చదివించు 
caduvu + iMcu = cadiviMcu
read + suffix for 'ordering' = make someone read

3.  'i' Sandhi (ఇకార  సంధి)

Rule: ఏమ్యాదులందలి ఇత్తునకు అచ్చు పరంబైనప్పుడు సంధి వైకల్పికము (that is, may or may not happen). ఏమ్యాదులు అనగా ఏమి, ఏది, ఏవి, ఇది, ఇవి, అది, అవి, మరి, కి 

ఇ + అ, ఈ, ఏ = అ, ఈ, ఏ (i + a, I, E = a, i,, E)

Ex. 8.  In the following examples, sandhi is optional. 

ఏమి + అంటివి = ఏమంటివి/ ఏమి అంటివి?/ ఏమియంటివి?
E-mi +  aM-Ti-vi = E-maM-Ti-vi/ E-mi aMTivi?
what +  did you say = what did you say?

అది + ఏమిటి? = అదేమిటి? / అది ఏమిటి/ అదియేమిటి?
a-di + E-mi-Ti = a-dE-mi-Ti/ adi EmiTi?
what +  that = what (is) that?

వాడికి + ఇచ్చేను = వాడికిచ్చేను / వాడికి ఇచ్చేను 
VA-Di-ki +  i-ccE-nu = vA-Di-ki-ccE-nu
to him +  I gave = I gave him

4. Special Sandhis 


Case 1: Sandhi always occurs when cardinal numbers are transformed into ordinals by adding the suffix 'అవ.'

Ex. 9.  
రెండు + అవ = రెండవ 
ReM-Du + a-va = reM-Da-va
Two + nd.= second

ఎనిమిది + అవ = ఎనిమిదవ 
e-ni-mi-di + a-va = e-ni-mi-da-va
eight + th. = eighth

Case 2: Sandhi always occurs when the second word is an 'ఎడు' suffix for a quantitative measure.

Ex. 10. 
మూర + ఎడు = మూరెడు  
mUra + e-Du = mU-re-Du
length of forearm + a measure of = a length equal to that of the forearm

జాన + ఎడు = జానెడు
jAna + e-Du = jA-ne-Du
length of stretched fingers + a measure of = a length equal to that of the stretched hand from tip of the thumb to the tip of the middle finger

వీసె + ఎడు = వీసెడు
vIse + e-Du = vI-se-Du
a measure of weight about a pound + a measure of = a weight of about half kilo.

పుట్టి + ఎడు = పుట్టెడు 
puTTi + e-Du = pu-TTe-Du
a measure of volume of about a cubic yard + a measure of = a volume of about a cubic meter; lot of.

 Case 3: 'T' Sandhi

The rule here is shown below.
ఉ + ఇ = టి 
ఉ + ఏ  = టే 
ఉ + ఒ  = టో   

etc.

Ex. 11.  ఉ + ఇ = టి 

పెంకు + ఇల్లు = పెంకుటిల్లు 
pen-ku  +  i-llu = pen-ku-Ti-llu
tile  +  house = tile-roofed house

Ex. 12.  ఉ + ఏ  = టే 

మదపు + ఏనుగు = మదపుటేనుగు 
ma-da-pu  + E-nu-gu = ma-da-pu-TE-nu-gu
with fat  +  elephant = an elephant in rut

Ex. 13.  ఉ + ఒ  = టో   

సముద్రపు + ఒడ్డు = సముద్రపుటొడ్డు 
sa-mu-dra-pu  +  o-DDu = sa-mu-drapu-To-DDu
of the sea + shore = sea shore, beach

Ex. 14.  ఎ + ఊ = టూ 

పల్లె + ఊరు = పల్లెటూరు 
pa-lle +  U-ru = pa-lle-Tu-ru
countryside +  town = village

Ex. 15.  ఏ + ఈ  = టీ 

తేనె + ఈగ = తేనెటీగ 
tE-ne +  I-ga = tE-ne-TI-ga
honey +  fly = honey bee


Case 4: Sandhi when the second word is a suffix indicating action. Here the suffix -ఏను  indicates action that has already taken place.

Ex. 16. 

ఇచ్చు + ఎను =  ఇచ్చెను 
i-ccu + e-nu = I-cce-nu
Someone gave/ Someone has given

ఇచ్చు + ఏను =  ఇచ్చేను  
i-ccu + E-nu = I-ccE-nu
I  gave /I have given

Ex. 17.

కొట్టు + ఎను = కొట్టెను    has beaten
ko-TTu + e-nu = ko-TTe-nu
has beaten
కొట్టు + ఏను = కొట్టేను    
ko-TTu + e-nu = ko-TTe-nu

I beat (him/her)/ I have beaten

Ex. 18.  The suffix -ఉన్నాను  indicates action that is going on.
చదువుతూ ఉన్నాను (caduvtU  + unnAnu  = ca duvutU unnAnu) = I have been reading/I was eating

How does one remember all these rules? You do not have to memorize these rules. What all you have to do is to keep in mind that sandhi is ubiquitous and an awareness of its existence is often sufficient to analyze a hard-to-crack word and understand its meaning. Also, what may appear as a spelling error is probably the result of a sandhi.

A final word about sandhi. At the expense of deviating from poetic tradition, it is recommended that the beginner not use sandhi wherever it is optional and learn to use it only when it is mandatory. 

5. Exercises

1. Read the following phrases aloud. Is there a sandhi? If so, separate the constituent words. You do not have to identify the underlying rule. To help you, the English meanings are shown.
పందొమ్మిది (paM-do-mmi-di) = nineteen
తొంబది (toM-ba-di) = ninety
అందాకా (aM-dA-kA) = meanwhile 
పేదరాలు  (pE-da-rA-lu) = a poor woman
ఏమంటివి (E-maM-Ti-vi?) = What did you say?
రాముడెక్కడ? (rA-mu-De-kka-Da?) = Where is Ramudu?
నన్నడిగేడా?  (na-nna-Di-gE-DA?) = Did he ask me?
రెండవ ఆట (reM-Da-va –A-ta) = Second show.
పిడికెడు బియ్యం (pi-Di-ke-Du  bi-yyaM) = Fistful of rice.
చేరెడు బియ్యం (cE-re-Du  bi-yyaM) = Palmful of rice.
గోరంత దీపం (gO-raM-ta  dI-paM) = a  nail-sized lamp, a tiny lamp
కొండంత వెలుగు (koMDaM-ta  ve-lu-gu) = mountain-sized light, a lot of light. 

 (2) In the following words, there is a mandatory sandhi in each. Split the word into its constituent parts and study where the sandhi is taking place.

ఇంటికి (iM-Ti-ki) = for the house, toward home 
కంటికి (kaM-Ti-ki) =  for the eye
పంటికి (paM-Ti-ki) =  for the tooth

Answers 
1. 
పందొమ్మిది (paM-do-mmi-di) పది + తొమ్మిది 
తొంబది (toM-ba-di) = తొమ్మిది + పది 
అందాకా (aM-dA-kA) = అంత = దాకా 
పేదరాలు  (pE-da-rA-lu) = పేద + ఆలు 
ఏమంటివి (E-maM-Ti-vi?) = ఏమి + అంటివి 

రాముడెక్కడ? (rA-mu-De-kka-Da?) = రాముడు + ఎక్కడ 
నన్నడిగేడా?  (na-nna-Di-gE-DA?) = నన్ను + అడిగేవా 
రెండవ ఆట (reM-Da-va –A-ta) = రెండవ + ఆట 
పిడికెడు బియ్యం (pi-Di-ke-Du  bi-yyaM) = పిడికిలి + ఎడు 
చేరెడు బియ్యం (cE-re-Du  bi-yyaM) = చేర + ఎడు 
గోరంత దీపం (gO-raM-ta  dI-paM) = గోరు + అంత 
కొండంత వెలుగు (koMDaM-ta  ve-lu-gu) = కొండ + అంత 
2. 
ఇంటికి (iM-Ti-ki) = 
కంటికి (kaM-Ti-ki) =  
పంటికి (paM-Ti-ki) =  

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