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      Dictionary Information 
      
      This dictionary is provided to this website by courtesy of the people 
      who created it and worked on it. Its original form is a program stored at
      Metta Net, http://www.metta.lk/ , 
      who allowed this dictionary to be posted here.  
      Note that the dictionary is copyrighted. It is provided for free 
      distribution on a non-profit, non-commercial basis. This 
      dictionary is based on the Concise Pali-English and English-Pali 
      Dictionary by Venerable A.P. Buddhadatta Mahathera. It is a dictionary for 
      beginners to help one get started on learning Pali and then move on to 
      more comprehensive dictionaries. 
      Below is the list of people who created and worked on it:  
      
        
        -- Phra Acan Sau of Malaysia, Ven. Rahula of Nepal, Ven. Dhammapala 
        of Malaysia, Ven. Dhamma Jyoti of India, Ven. Mon Dhammadinna of 
        Myanmar, Ven. Sao Suvan of Myanmar, Phra Maha Anucha of Thailand, Phra 
        Maha Phichit of Thailand, Phra En Piang of Malaysia, Ven. Kolita of 
        Nepal, Ven. Saddhatissa of Nepal, Ven. Phuntsok of India, Ven. 
        Sheelaratna of India, Ven. Sao Sutananda of Myanmar, Ven. Sao Sukhaminda 
        of Myanmar, Ven. Sao Aggavamsa of Myanmar, Ven. Sao K.H. Nyaninda of 
        Myanmar, Ven. Sao Pannavamsa of Myanmar, Ven. Ashin Manijoti of Myanmar, 
        Ven. Sao Pannananda of Myanmar, Ven. Sao Indobhasa of Myanmar, Ven. 
        Indasilo of Indonesia and Indika Rohan Peiris.  
      
      
        
        
          
            | 
             Please note: 
            
            VU-Times
            font (Unicode) is used in this 
            Dictionary  | 
           
         
        
       
      -ooOoo- 
      
      Alphabet and 
      Pronunciation  
      
      
      
      Alphabet:  
      
      The Pāḷi alphabet consist of 41 letters: 8 vowels, the niggahīta (ṁ), 
      and 32 consonants.  
      
      
      
        
        
          
            | Vowels: | 
            a, ā, i, ī, u, 
            ū, e, o | 
           
          
            | Niggahīta: | 
            ṁ | 
           
          
            | Consonants: | 
            k, kh, g, gh, 
            ṅ, c, ch, j, jh, ñ, ṭ, ṭh, ḍ, ḍh, ṇ, t, th, d, dh, n, p, ph, b, bh, 
            m, y, r, l, ḷ, v, s, h  | 
           
         
        
       
      
      
      
      
      Pronunciation:
      (pronounced similar to the example)  
      
      
        
        
          
            | a | 
            as in but, 
            hut; a in banana | 
           
          
            | ā | 
            as in father, 
            cart, heart | 
           
          
            | i | 
            as in bit, 
            tip, it | 
           
          
            | ī | 
            as in machine, 
            keen, clean | 
           
          
            | u | 
            as in put, 
            foot, push | 
           
          
            | ū | 
            as in rude, 
            boot, youth | 
           
          
            | e | 
            as in way, 
            fade, cape (long always except before a double 
            consonant in which it is short - as in bed, bet, head)
             | 
           
          
            | o | 
            as in home, 
            bone, know (long always except before a double 
            consonant in which it is short as in not, saw, all) | 
           
          
            |   | 
              | 
           
          
            | ṁ | 
            as ṅ or 
            m - pure nasal without release through the mouth (It is most 
            characteristically stated as a humming sound produced when the vocal 
            cords are vibrating and the air is emitted through the nose only. 
            There are two prominent pronunciations which depends on the 
            community). | 
           
          
            |   | 
              | 
           
          
            | k | 
            as in skin,
            cook, candle | 
           
          
            | kh | 
            as in king, 
            backhand | 
           
          
            | g | 
            as in girl,
            good, gift | 
           
          
            | gh | 
            as in log-head, 
            big-house | 
           
          
            | ṅ | 
            as in sing, 
            finger, ink  | 
           
          
            | c | 
            as in choose, 
            chin, discharge  | 
           
          
            | ch | 
            as in ranch-house, 
            ranch-hand | 
           
          
            | j | 
            as in jug, gem, 
            judge | 
           
          
            | jh | 
            as in hedge-hog | 
           
          
            | ñ | 
            as Spanish señor | 
           
          
            | ṭ | 
            as t but 
            with the tongue tip curled back just under the hard palate 
            (retroflection) | 
           
          
            | ṭh | 
            as th but 
            with the tongue tip curled back just under the hard palate 
            (retroflection) | 
           
          
            | ḍ | 
            as d but 
            with the tongue tip curled back just under the hard palate 
            (retroflection) | 
           
          
            | ḍh | 
            as dh but 
            with the tongue tip curled back just under the hard palate 
            (retroflection) | 
           
          
            | ṇ | 
            as n but 
            with the tongue tip curled back just under the hard palate 
            (retroflection) | 
           
          
            | t | 
            as in stay, 
            stand (but with the rip of the tongue at the back of the 
            teeth) | 
           
          
            | th | 
            as in light-house, 
            ant-hill (but with the rip of the tongue at the back of the 
            teeth) | 
           
          
            | d | 
            as in dog,
            dirt, door (but with the rip of the tongue at the back 
            of the teeth) | 
           
          
            | dh | 
            as in mad-house, 
            red-house (but with the rip of the tongue at the back of the 
            teeth) | 
           
          
            | n | 
            as in name,
            north, no (but with the rip of the tongue at the back 
            of the teeth) | 
           
          
            | p | 
            as in space, 
            spend | 
           
          
            | ph | 
            as in top-hat, 
            upheavel, uphill | 
           
          
            | b | 
            as in bag,
            born, bed | 
           
          
            | bh | 
            as in lab-host, 
            rub-hard | 
           
          
            | m | 
            as in him,
            mother, map | 
           
          
            | y | 
            as in yes,
            year, you | 
           
          
            | r | 
            as in ram,
            ring, roam (pronounced smoothy and similar to english
            r, retroflex prositioning) | 
           
          
            | l | 
            as in lamp,
            light | 
           
          
            | ḷ | 
            same as l 
            but with the tongue tip curled back just under the hard palate 
            (retroflection)  | 
           
          
            | v | 
            a labiodental 
            approximant, a sort of in-between the english v and w. | 
           
          
            | s | 
            as in sit,
            story, smoke | 
           
          
            | h | 
            as in inherent, 
            voiced fricative | 
           
         
        
       
      
      * the digraphs dh, etc., are to be taken as single sounds, the
      h representing aspiration - double consonants are pronounced 
      seperately the first having no release): example - dd in mad dog,
      gg in big game, etc., or pronounced long: example - nn 
      in unnecessary 
      
 
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      last updated: 25-03-2005  | 
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