# All Indic Languages: Indian Rupee



## foxtrott

Hi,

I'm doing some signage design with a font made specifically for this  purpose. There are some words in languages other than english, but I  didn't want to use generic fonts because it wouldn't fit nicely with the  english signs.
In the end, I drew the signs, immitating the pictures of words. Please  let me know if the words are right and if it's easy to read.

Thank you in advance!

View attachment 11246


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## marrish

Hi,

The letters are clear and easy to read. The language of the text is also correct, but it is called "Hindi" in English! Please do take the notice that the names of the languages are written with a capital letter in English;-)

For aesthetical reasons it would be nice if the height of the last element ("belly") in the first word and the second last in the second one was the same as the the second letter of the second word (do you get what I'm trying to say?!)


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## marrish

Since we already have a thread on 'rupee' and I don't think it is fruitful to make a thread
that would include the Pakistani rupee (or maybe yes, mods please help!) I have a question how rhe name of
the currency is pronounced. I remember a post by hindiurdu which I am unable to find right now that says it ought to be 'rupyaa'. I never heard it like this. Please provide the names of this currency as you hear/say it in the languages use it


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## Qureshpor

I don't know if my pronunciation is correct or not, but I say "rupaiya(h)". I have heard it as "rupaiyya (h)/rupaiyyaa". In Punjabi, we normally say "ropaiyyah/ropaiyyaa".


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## marrish

I'm very indebted for the first reaction, and same here! Is the "o" long or short? I know also 'rupiyaa' pronunciation.


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## greatbear

In India, most anyone would say "rupyaa". Also "rupae" or "rupe" simply (paanch rupe, ek rupya, etc.). Sometimes "rupiyaa", but never "rupaiyya" (hearing it for the first time).


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## marrish

Here is the link to many comments by HU which I couldn´t find yesterday: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2300715&page=2&highlight=rupya

Punjabi pronunciation of this word has been mentioned in there, can I ask QP SaaHib to comment on this one?


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## Qureshpor

As far as I can remember, I heard "rupaiyyaa" being uttered by Amitabh Bachchan, in one of his films.


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> Here is the link to many comments by HU which I couldn´t find yesterday: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2300715&page=2&highlight=rupya
> 
> Punjabi pronunciation of this word has been mentioned in there, can I ask QP SaaHib to comment on this one?


This is HU's quote.

"I was thinking about the word रुपये/rup(a)ye which is virtually never pronounced like this. It often becomes rupa'e and the glide "consonant" is killed. Punjabis colloquially take it forward to "rap(p)e" or when combined with a vowel preceding it, "do rup(a)ye" becomes "dor'pae" or even "dor'pe".

HU may disagree with this but I think an Urdu or Hindi speaker, when speaking quickly, could very well pronounce the word in the described manner. A Punjabi speaker speaking Urdu or Hindi could also utter in the same way. A Punjabi speaker speaking Punjabi would say "ropaiyyaa", somewhat like Amitabh Bachchan, as mentioned in my previous post.


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## marrish

Thank you for the feedback on this point. Could you also please answer my previous question whether the ''o'' vowel is a long or a short one?


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> Thank you for the feedback on this point. Could you also please answer my previous question whether the ''o'' vowel is a long or a short one?


This seems like cross questioning in court!

For Urdu, if I am taking due care and attention, with a "u". But, in reality, I would say people's pronunciation would tend to be more towards "o" than "u".


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## marrish

I'm astonished that you have such a feeling, I have posed this question yesterday. But you still haven't answered whether it was a long ''o'' or a short one, not that you have to but it would be nice to have your answer here in the Indian Rupee!


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> I'm astonished that you have such a feeling, I have posed this question yesterday. But you still haven't answered whether it was a long ''o'' or a short one, not that you have to but it would be nice to have your answer here in the Indian Rupee!


I am perhaps not fully comprehending your question., marrish SaaHib. If you mean (in Urdu), "rupaiyah" or "ropaiyah", then the pronunciation definitely tends towards "o" than "u". In writing, as you are well aware, it is ropaiyah".


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## marrish

This is the point of which I suppose I'm not well aware and my ignorance is the reason for asking questions: in Urdu it might be well ruu- not ro- however I can imagine using the و for a ´seat´of a short sound which I believe is the matter, as far as Urdu is concerned. My question is about the Punjabi pronunciation and I have gathered that ´o´ comes into play, but for the third time, you haven´t said whether it is a long or a short o, which we´ve disputed and proven over and again in this forum exist in Urdu (but this question is about Punjabi! isn't it!).


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## marrish

Further to the last: a Platts' entry which confirms my conjecture about و and also sums up the possible pronunciations at his time!

H روپاरुपया_rupayā, रुपिया rupiyā, rupyā, रुपीया rupīyā, रुपैया rupaiyā [Prk. रुप्पअं; S. रूप्यकं], s.m. A rupee (the silver coin so called); coin, cash, money, wealth (*in Urdū the word is frequently written روپيا**rupayā; but the و is inserted merely to indicate that the vowel of ر is **u*. The Calcutta sicca rupee is worth about two shillings, and the silver of it is better than English standard silver by 2¾d. the ounce. By the regulations of Government passed in May 1793 the rupee should weigh 179⅔ grains Troy):—rupiyā-wālā or rupaʼe-wālā, s.m. A rich man, wealthy person.
_
What it does not provide us with is the Punjabi pronunciation with ''o''. Can any Punjabi speaker air his or her views on this vowel? Should it be a long ''o'' or a short one?


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## Qureshpor

^ Please define a "long o" and a "short o" with some examples if possible.


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## marrish

^It is not easy at all to give examples as there is no possibility in the scripts that Punjabi uses to depict a ''short o''. On the other hand the definition is very simple, ''long o'' is the vowel sound in ''to'', ''ko'', the one we are very familiar with in Urdu, whereas ''short o''s length is about the half of the former.
*
Please consider the following pairs:
*a/ă اَ -- aa/ā آ
i/ĭ اِ -- ii/ī اِی
u/ŭ اُ -- uu/ū اُو

On the same pattern, I believe we can distinguish two additional pairs, both in Urdu and in Punjabi but especially in Punjabi:

*ŏ [short]-- o/ō [long] 
ĕ [short]-- e/ē [long]*

The last time I had mentioned the ''short o'' in the context of Urdu was here.

This ''short o'' can be also heard in the link to the Arabic pronunciation of this word which I attached to that thread.

The last time I had mentioned the ''short e'' in the context of Urdu was here.

A thread where ''short e'' was concisely discussed: 
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2424819
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2355079 
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2333182

An example for ''short o'' for Urdu: 

A توجه _tawajj*ǒ*h [inf. n. v of وجه 'to turn the face (to)'], s.f. Directing the steps (towards), turning (towards or to); countenancing, regarding, attendiug (to); inclination; regard; attention, consideration, countenance, favour, kindness, obligingness.
_
An example for ''short o'' in Punjabi: بھُرنا (*b_hurnaa -> p_h*ŏ*rnaa)


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## Qureshpor

I think I follow what you are trying to say, marrish SaaHib. Would I be right in saying that the "short" i and u is almost invariably followed by an h, H or 3?

mihr-baan > m*ĕ*hr-baan

iHsaas > *ĕ*Hsaas

i3tibaar > *ĕ*3tibaar*

muhr > m*ŏ*hr

muHabbat > m*ŏ*Habbat 

mu3aamalah > m*ŏ*3aamalah

The h/H/3 has this effect on the preceding vowel. 

* You might say that this word ought to be transcribed as *ĕ*3t*ĕ*baar. I think the reason for the second *ĕ *is to do with how we split the word in syllables during our pronunciation process. This would be *ĕ*3-t*ĕ*-baar instead of *ĕ*3-tibaar. 

Regarding whether the word is rupaiyyaa or r*ŏ*paiyyaa, once again the same principle comes into operation. Is the word being pronounced as "rup-aiyyaa" or "r*ŏ*-paiyyaa". I would suspect it is the latter. I hope, this answers your question.

[Question- As Alfaaz SaaHib would say. What is the principle behind Persian speakers' rounding these vowels off even when they are of one syllable? e.g g*ŏ*l (flower/rose), g*ĕ*l (mud)? I can follow k*ĕ*​taab but not the type of words I've provided examples of]


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## marrish

Uff! _der aamad durust aamad,_ Qureshpor SaaHib! Yes, you are right about pointing at the phenomenon of the direct vicinity of an h, H or 3 with the *[**ĕ] and [**ŏ] of short duration length, not  and .  and  is the transliteration while *_[*ĕ] and [ŏ] an attempt at phonetic transcription. But it applies to Urdu only since I can think of Punjabi words that display short **[**ĕ] and [ŏ] without any assistance from h, H or 3.

The exact question was not ''*Is the word being pronounced as "rup-aiyyaa" or "r*ŏ-*paiyyaa*" but whether it is *r*ŏ-paiyyaa or r**ō-paiyyaa (short o versus long o, not short u versus short o).

Re. last question, thank you for mentioning the rounding of these vowels by Persian speakers. I believe it is exactly the same phenomenon I am trying to describe for Punjabi and I believe it happens only in one-syllable words.

*_


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## Qureshpor

^ I don't believe it is *rō-paiyyaa *(as in *rō*​-piyaa..He started crying).


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## marrish

QURESHPOR said:


> ^ I don't believe it is *rō-paiyyaa *(as in *rō*​-piyaa..He started crying).


Thank you for the answer and for a good example to illustrate this point. So may I assume that I might add the Punjabi pronunciation of ''rupee'' to my list of words (yet to come!) with ''short o''?


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