Tulwar ... or talwar

[ariel]

Originally Posted by fernando

Thanks for the answers.
I see the point, but i didn't put it the right way.
Forget the spelling. What i am actualy puzzled with, is the sounding.
Now, if i well understand Ariel, the w sounds like v
Still they ought to sound either tulvar or talvar.
Or do they sound something in between ?
Maybe in english terms this looks more like a false case, but in Portuguese u and a have very distinct sounds, and there should be no ambiguity.
Do i make any sense ?

Yes, you do. Sorry for missing your meaning right away. Do we use "u" because in a closed syllable in English it is pronounced as open "a" (as in "must") or because we want to signify sound "u" ( as in "put") using as correct a letter as possible? ? Do we use "a" because we hope that even a dumb English-speaking clod can figure out that it should sound as in "parson"?
For the answer we need a native speaker of a multitude of "Indian" languages, and professor Higgins with his phonetic alphabeth. I guess he will go bananas ( bununahs?)in a jiffy.
Remember Shaw quipping that in English " fish" should be spelled "ghoti"?"
Enough. Women. Ambition.