{"id":156,"date":"2008-07-03T14:39:55","date_gmt":"2008-07-03T19:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/?page_id=156"},"modified":"2009-04-16T08:50:58","modified_gmt":"2009-04-16T14:50:58","slug":"silent-letters-silent-and-consonantal","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/phonology\/silent-letters-silent-and-consonantal\/","title":{"rendered":"Silent and Consonantal \/h\/"},"content":{"rendered":"

It must be understood that the Silent \/h\/<\/strong> is merely an orthographic feature\u2014that is to say, the correct way of using a specific writing system. In Persian using Arabic script, it represents a terminal [-e] sound (normally from classical [-a]); as in the words, \u0628\u0686\u0651\u0647 bacce<\/em> \u2018child,\u2019 and \u062e\u0627\u0646\u0647 x\u0101ne<\/em> \u2018house, home.\u2019<\/p>\n

After long vowels, however, a final [-h] is a Consonantal \/h\/<\/strong>, (or real, not silent) and it is very well pronounced:<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_01]\u0634\u0627\u0647[\/tag]
\n\u0161\u0101h<\/em>
\n\u2018king\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_02]\u06a9\u0648\u0647[\/tag]
\nkuh<\/em>
\n\u2018mountain\u2019<\/h5>\n

In monosyllabic words the [-h] is always a consonantal [-h]. The following is a list of the main monosyllabic words with the consonantal [-h]:<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_03]\u0622\u0647[\/tag]
\n\u0101h <\/em>
\nnoun: ‘a sigh;’ interjection: ‘ah!, Alas!’<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_04]\u2019\u0627\u064e\u0647[\/tag]
\nah <\/em>
\ninterjection expressing contempt: ‘ugh! fie!\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_05]\u0627\u0650\u0647\u061f[\/tag]
\neh<\/em>
\ninterjection expressing disbelief: like the English “Really?”<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_06]\u0627\u064f\u0647[\/tag]
\noh<\/em>
\ninterjection expressing astonishment: ‘oh!’<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_07]\u0628\u064e\u0647[\/tag]
\nbah<\/em>
\ninterjection expressing pleasure; like the English, ‘oh, wow!’<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_08]\u0628\u0650\u0647[\/tag]
\nbeh<\/em>
\n\u2018quince\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_09]\u062a\u064e\u0647[\/tag]
\ntah <\/em>
\n\u2018the end, bottom\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_10]\u062c\u064e\u0647[\/tag]
\njah jah\u012bdan <\/em>
\ninfinitive: \u2018to jump\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_11]\u0686\u064e\u0647[\/tag]
\ncah c\u0101h <\/em>
\n\u2018a well\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_12]\u062f\u064e\u0647[\/tag]
\ndah <\/em>
\n\u2018ten\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_13]\u062f\u0650\u0647[\/tag]
\ndeh <\/em>
\n\u2018village\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_14]\u0631\u064e\u0647[\/tag]
\nrah r\u0101h <\/em>
\n\u2018road, way, path, route\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_15]\u0632\u0650\u0647[\/tag]
\nzeh <\/em>
\n\u2018gut, bow-string (made of gut);’ interjection: ‘Bravo!\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_16]\u0634\u064e\u0647[\/tag]
\n\u0161ah \u0161\u0101h <\/em>
\n\u2018king\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_17]\u06a9\u064e\u0647[\/tag]
\nkah k\u0101h <\/em>
\n\u2018straw, hey\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_18]\u06a9\u0650\u0647[\/tag]
\nkeh <\/em>
\n\u2018small, little, young\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_19]\u06a9\u064f\u0647[\/tag]
\nkoh k\u016bh <\/em>
\n\u2018mountain\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_20]\u06af\u064e\u0647[\/tag]
\ngah g\u0101h <\/em>
\n\u2018time of; place of\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_21]\u06af\u064f\u0647[\/tag]
\ngoh <\/em>
\n\u2018excrement, stool, shit\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_22]\u0644\u0650\u0647[\/tag]
\nleh <\/em>
\n\u2018smashed\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_23]\u0645\u064e\u0647[\/tag]
\nmah m\u0101h <\/em>
\n\u2018moon; month\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_24]\u0645\u0650\u0647[\/tag]
\nmeh<\/em>
\n\u2018fog, mist; great(est)\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_25]\u0646\u064f\u0647[\/tag]
\nnoh <\/em>
\n\u2018nine\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silenth_26]\u0648\u064e\u0647[\/tag]
\nvah <\/em>
\n‘interjection: oh, alas; would to God!\u2019<\/h5>\n

As can be seen in the above list, some words with a long vowel might have a variation in short vowel, normally in the classical Persian, but not in Modern Persian (with the exception of poetry, where classical features are retained and still used). The [-h] at the end of these words is still a consonantal [-h] and is treated as such; as in: \u0634\u0627\u0647 \u0161\u0101h<\/em> ~ \u0634\u064e\u0647 \u0161ah<\/em>, \u06a9\u0648\u0647 k\u016bh<\/em> ~ \u06a9\u064f\u0647 koh<\/em>, etc.<\/p>\n

In addition to the words cited above, the following is a partial list of such words. While suffixes cannot be connected to the silent \/h\/ (that is, \u062e\u0627\u0646\u0647\u200c\u0647\u0627, never \u062e\u0627\u0646\u0647\u0647\u0627), any suffix, including the indefinite enclitic \u06cc would connect to the end of these words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
aware, knowing<\/td>\n\u0101g\u0101h ~ \u0101gah<\/em><\/td>\n[tag resources silenth_27]\u0622\u06af\u0627\u0647 ~ \u0622\u06af\u064e\u0647[\/tag]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
crowded, abundant, thick<\/td>\nanbuh ~ anboh<\/em><\/td>\n[tag resources silenth_28]\u0627\u0646\u0628\u0648\u0647 ~ \u0627\u0646\u0628\u064f\u0647[\/tag]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
destroyed, ruined, spoiled, wasted<\/td>\ntab\u0101h ~ tabah<\/em><\/td>\n[tag resources silenth_29]\u062a\u0628\u0627\u0647 ~ \u062a\u0628\u064e\u0647[\/tag]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
fox<\/td>\nrub\u0101h ~ rubah<\/em><\/td>\n[tag resources silenth_30]\u0631\u0648\u0628\u0627\u0647 ~ \u0631\u0648\u0628\u064e\u0647[\/tag]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
black; dark<\/td>\nsiy\u0101h ~ siyah<\/em><\/td>\n[tag resources silenth_31]\u0633\u06cc\u0627\u0647 ~ \u0633\u06cc\u064e\u0647[\/tag]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
headgear<\/td>\nkol\u0101h ~ kolah<\/em><\/td>\n[tag resources silenth_32]\u06a9\u064f\u0644\u0627\u0647 ~ \u06a9\u064f\u0644\u064e\u0647[\/tag]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
short; brief<\/td>\nkut\u0101h ~ kutah<\/em><\/td>\n[tag resources silenth_33]\u06a9\u0648\u062a\u0627\u0647 ~ \u06a9\u0648\u062a\u064e\u0647[\/tag]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sin, iniquity, fault, crime, vice<\/td>\ngon\u0101h ~ gonah<\/em><\/td>\n[tag resources silenth_34]\u06af\u064f\u0646\u0627\u0647 ~ \u06af\u064f\u0646\u064e\u0647[\/tag]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
glance, sight; eye<\/td>\nneg\u0101h ~ negah<\/em><\/td>\n[tag resources silenth_35]\u0646\u06af\u0627\u0647 ~ \u0646\u06af\u064e\u0647[\/tag]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Any words with the suffix[tag resources silenth_36] \u06af\u0627\u0647\/\u0640\u06af\u0627\u0647 [\/tag] g\u0101h\/gah<\/em> \u2018place of\u2026, location of\u2026; time of…\u2019 falls into this category; as in,[tag resources silenth_37] \u0627\u0631\u062f\u0648\u06af\u0627\u0647 [\/tag] ordug\u0101h<\/em> \u2018camp, encampment\u2019 (military or otherwise),[tag resources silenth_38] \u062f\u0627\u0646\u0634\u06af\u0627\u0647 [\/tag] d\u0101ne\u0161g\u0101h<\/em> \u2018university,\u2019[tag resources silenth_39] \u067e\u0627\u0644\u0627\u06cc\u0634\u06af\u0627\u0647 [\/tag] p\u0101l\u0101ye\u0161g\u0101h<\/em> \u2018refinery,\u2019[tag resources silenth_40] \u0635\u0628\u062d\u06af\u0627\u0647 [\/tag] sobg\u0101h<\/em> \u2018dawn,\u2019[tag resources silenth_41] \u0634\u0627\u0645\u06af\u0627\u0647 [\/tag]\u0161\u0101mg\u0101h \u2018dusk.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It must be understood that the Silent \/h\/ is merely an orthographic feature\u2014that is to say, the correct way of using a specific writing system. In Persian using Arabic script, it represents a terminal [-e] sound (normally from classical [-a]); as in the words, \u0628\u0686\u0651\u0647 bacce \u2018child,\u2019 and \u062e\u0627\u0646\u0647 x\u0101ne \u2018house, home.\u2019 After long vowels, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":289,"featured_media":0,"parent":52,"menu_order":9,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-156","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/289"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3525,"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/156\/revisions\/3525"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}