English Meaning of d

Meaning of 'd'

The thirteenth consonant. Its sound corresponds exactly with that of no letter of the English alphabet; and it must therefore be sought by the ear. Yet one brief notice may be given. Initially (i. e. whether at the beginning of a word or of a syllable) da is a hard or palatal D (d): finally (i. e. whether at the end of a word or of a syllable) da is not a hard D, but a hard and rolling R--a sound formed by the retraction and rolling off of the tongue immediately after its appulse at the palate. This hard and rolling R is sufficiently definite and distinguishable; and it will nearly as ill bear the substitution for it in utterance of the hard and palatal D as of the soft and dental D. Dhed, kad, rad, ghad &c. are therefore erroneous representations of dheda, kada, rada, ghada, and Dher, kar, rar, ghar, are far more eligible. The two sounds are represented in this work respectively by d and r; but, as sounds are for the ear, hie thee to the speaker.

Meaning of ड

The thirteenth consonant. Its sound corresponds exactly with that of no letter of the English alphabet; and it must therefore be sought by the ear. Yet one brief notice may be given. Initially (i. e. whether at the beginning of a word or of a syllable) ड is a hard or palatal D (ḍ): finally (i. e. whether at the end of a word or of a syllable) ड is not a hard D, but a hard and rolling R--a sound formed by the retraction and rolling off of the tongue immediately after its appulse at the palate. This hard and rolling R is sufficiently definite and distinguishable; and it will nearly as ill bear the substitution for it in utterance of the hard and palatal D as of the soft and dental D. Dhed, kad, rad, ghad &c. are therefore erroneous representations of धेड, कड, रड, घड, and Dheṛ, kaṛ, raṛ, ghaṛ, are far more eligible. The two sounds are represented in this work respectively by ḍ and ṛ; but, as sounds are for the ear, hie thee to the speaker.

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