Punjabi/Gurmukhi/Neo-group

Eighth row of Gurmukhi - the Neo-group

In the previous chapters we have learnt all the letters of original Penti, the velars, the palatals, the retroflexes, the dentals, the labials and the sonorants in addition to the vowel carriers and ਸ and ਹ. Here we will learn the letters of the eighth row (ਨਵੀਨ ਵਰਗ) of Gurmukhi. This group of letters is called the Neo group because the letters have been added to Gurmukhi to represent sounds borrowed from Persian and other foreign languages. The Neo group consists of the following letters

ਸ਼ ਖ਼ ਗ਼ ਜ਼ ਫ਼ ਲ਼

These are called ਸ਼ - susse pair bindi, ਖ਼ - khukhe pair bindi, ਗ਼ - gugge pair bindi, ਜ਼ - jujje pair bindi , ਫ਼ - phuphe pair bindi and ਲ਼ - lulle pair bindi. ਸ਼ is pronounced as /sh/, ਖ਼ as /khh/, ਗ਼ as /ghh/, ਜ਼ as /jhh/ , ਫ਼ as /phh/ and ਲ਼ as /lh/.

ਸ਼ - sasse pair bindi

This is how words shark and shore are written in Gurmukhi

ਸ਼ਾ + ਰ + ਕ = ਸ਼ਾਰਕ = shark

ਸ਼ੋ + ਰ = ਸ਼ੋਰ = shore

ਖ਼ - khakke pair bindi

This sound is not found in English. However here are some Punjabi examples

ਖ਼ + ਤ = ਖ਼ਤ = letter

ਤ + ਖ਼ + ਤ = ਤਖ਼ਤ = throne

ਖ਼ + ਰ + ਗੋ + ਸ਼ = ਖ਼ਰਗੋਸ਼ = rabbit

ਸ਼ਾ + ਖ਼ = ਸ਼ਾਖ਼ = branch

ਗ਼ - gagge pair bindi

This sound is also not found in English. However here are some Punjabi examples

ਗ਼ + ਮ + ਲਾ = ਗ਼ਮਲਾ = flower pot

ਜ਼ - jajje pair bindi

This sound is equivalent to /z/. Here are some examples

ਜ਼ਿ + ਪ = ਜ਼ਿਪ = zip

ਜੈ + ਬ + ਰਾ = ਜ਼ੈਬਰਾ = zebra

ਫ਼ - fufe pair bindi

As in

ਫ਼ਾ + ਰ + ਸੀ = ਫ਼ਾਰਸੀ = faarsi(persian)

ਲ਼ - lulle pair bindi

Some of these letters merely represent the sounds borrowed from foreign languages but the use of others is lexically significant for that changes the word meanings. For example

ਗਲ = talk and ਗਲ਼ = decompose

ਸੇਰ = a unit of measurement and ਸ਼ੇਰ = lion

Exercises

1. Read these English words written in Gurmukhi

1. ਸ਼ੈੱਡ
2. ਸ਼ਾਉਟ
3. ਐਸ਼
4. ਗੱਸ਼

Solutions

1. Shed
2. Shout
3. Ash
4. Gush

2. Write these English words in Gurmukhi

1. Shop
2. Shoe
3. Rush
4. Blush
5. Push

Solutions

1. ਸ਼ੌ + ਪ = ਸ਼ੌਪ
2. ਸ਼ੂ
3. ਰੱ + ਸ਼ = ਰੱਸ਼
4. ਬ + ਲੱ + ਸ਼ = ਬਲੱਸ਼
5. ਪੁ + ਸ਼ = ਪੁਸ਼

Summary

In this lesson we have learnt the six letters of the eighth row of Gurmukhi script. These letter are ਸ਼ susse pair bindi, ਖ਼ khukhe pair bindi, ਗ਼ gugge pair bindi, ਜ਼ jujje pair bindi , ਫ਼ phuphe pair bindi and ਲ਼ lulle pair bindi. We have now learnt the complete Gurmukhi alphabet:

ੳ ਅ ੲ ਸ ਹ

ਕ ਖ ਗ ਘ ਙ

ਚ ਛ ਜ ਝ ਞ

ਟ ਠ ਡ ਢ ਣ

ਤ ਥ ਦ ਧ ਨ

ਪ ਫ ਬ ਭ ਮ

ਯ ਰ ਲ ਵ ੜ

ਸ਼ ਖ਼ ਗ਼ ਜ਼ ਫ਼ ਲ਼