# Urdu: Why kh/k replaced with x (خ)?



## UrduMedium

In words like Tarxaanaa, chaTxanii, chaTax, and many more, it seems like the native (Indic) k/kh sounds were replaced with a x (خ) sound. Also, in may more words, k/kh was clearly left unchanged. 

I wonder why this replacement was done and what was any documented justification for it. Perhaps there are a few specific situations that call for it. If so what are they?


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## tonyspeed

Similarly, for paTaakaa. http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1535618


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## Qureshpor

UrduMedium said:


> In words like Tarxaanaa, chaTxanii, chaTax, and many more, it seems like the native (Indic) k/kh sounds were replaced with a x (خ) sound. Also, in may more words, k/kh was clearly left unchanged.
> 
> I wonder why this replacement was done and what was any documented justification for it. Perhaps there are a few specific situations that call for it. If so what are they?


I don't think we have discussed this topic separately, so thank you for starting this thread. I did mention it in passing in post 58 of this thread.

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2451709&highlight=axroT

I shall just add the words I mentioned there in this thread.

axroT= walnut
paTaaxaa=cracker 
chaTaxnii=latch 
Taxnah/Taxnaa=ankle 

xarraaTe lenaa= to snore 
chaTxaare lenaa= to relish food 
Tarxaanaa=to work carelessly/to prevaricate 
paTaxnaa= to slam 
kalii kaa chaTaxnaa = for bud to sprout open 

There are also some "Ghain" words too. A couple of examples of these are..

GHunDah=hooligan 
GHaTaa-GHaT pii jaanaa= to gulp down 

And of course "z" words too. One example that comes to mind is

zannaaTaa as in zannaaTe-daar thappaR

I don't know the reason behind replacement of an Indic consonant with a Persian/arabic one but it seem as if most of the words have a T in them!

There is also XushHaal Xaan XaTTak, but I think this is Pashto.


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## marrish

Another one for your pleasure, UM SaaHib, but this time in Punjabi: _lakkh (100000)--->lax_
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2390599


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## marrish

QURESHPOR said:


> There are also some "Ghain" words too. A couple of examples of these are..
> 
> GHunDah=hooligan
> GHaTaa-GHaT pii jaanaa= to gulp down


I'm seeing GHaTaa-Ghat for the first time now, for me it is _ghaTaa-ghaT_.


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## greatbear

^ And for me it is gaTaa-gaT.


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## UrduMedium

marrish said:


> I'm seeing GHaTaa-Ghat for the first time now, for me it is _ghaTaa-ghaT_.



GHaTaa-GHaT for me too like QP saahab.


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> I'm seeing GHaTaa-Ghat for the first time now, for me it is _ghaTaa-ghaT_.


Perhaps you would care to turn the pages of "Farhang-i-Asifiyyah" or our "piir-murshid", janaab-i-Platts.

GhaTar-GhuuN


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## marrish

QURESHPOR said:


> Perhaps you would care to turn the pages of "Farhang-i-Asifiyyah" or our "piir-murshid", janaab-i-Platts.
> 
> GhaTar-GhuuN


Thanks for the ´reprimand´! And so I did, very inspiring lecture, especially the first one. There is also a _shi3r_ from Insha for illustration of _GHaTaa-GHaT_.

_GHaTar-GHuuN_ is of course known to me only in this form as it would be impossible to substitute [GH] with [gh] as such switch would annihilate the superb onomatopoeic effect .

In reference to_ GhunDaa _that you´ve mentioned above, the Farhang says: ''گُنڈا زیادہ بولتے ہیں _guNDaa ziyaadah bolte haiN_''. I've never heard _guNDaa_ in Urdu with a [g].


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## UrduMedium

^I always thought it was GHuTar GHuuN.


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## marrish

Also possible.


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## Qureshpor

UrduMedium said:


> ^I always thought it was GHuTar GHuuN.


You are absolutely right. I am mistaken.


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## marrish

marrish said:


> Also possible.


Acutally again I didn't pay attention and copied the above post BUT the variant with a _zabar_ is also heard, and Farhang-e-Aasafiyyah has to say that ''lakhna'uu waale _GhuTGhuuN bolte haiN_''.
Of course UM SaaHib is right, Farhang-e-Aasafiyyah has it as GHuTar-GhuuN.


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## Faylasoof

janaab-e-3aaliyaan, this lakhnau-waalaa has heard more than one form but for us GhaTar-GhuuN and GhaTaa-Ghat sound best, as QP SaaHib mentioned above. 

But aren't we going off-topic now? I thought we are supposed to be discussing the _*k/kh*_ shift to* x* rather than the Gh phoneme.


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## UrduMedium

Coming back to this old thread .. had this thought.

Could this switch perhaps be to unwittingly reduce the number of "Indic-only" sounds in words for: the ease of delivery, or to reduce the "alien-ness" of the sound of these words, among the newcomer primarily-Persian speakers? That too normally in favor of keeping the retroflex sounds and replacing aspirated sounds with the closest Persian sound available.

So GhaTaaGhaT is one degree more familiar to a Persian speaker than ghaTaaghaT.


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## marrish

^ As a theory it may be right, UM SaaHib, perhaps it more economical to pronounce a single sound like x or Gh, than k+h or g+h. 

Whatever be the reason, there is nothing against such change as both gh and kh as well as Gh and x have belonged to the consonantal repertoire of Urdu speakers. And congratulations on your first 1000 posts!


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## UrduMedium

marrish said:


> ^ ۔۔۔  And congratulations on your first 1000 posts!



Thank you marrish saahab! Time flies when one's having fun


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> ^ As a theory it may be right, UM SaaHib, perhaps it more economical to pronounce a single sound like x or Gh, than k+h or g+h.
> 
> Whatever be the reason, there is nothing against such change as both gh and kh as well as Gh and x have belonged to the consonantal repertoire of Urdu speakers. And congratulations on your first 1000 posts!


marrish SaaHib, kh and gh are one sound each, just like x and Gh are. In addition, in GhaTaa-GhaT, the original g is not an aspirated sound but a voiced sound.


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