Punjabi/Gurmukhi/Neo-group

In the previous lessons we have learnt all the letters of original Penti, the Velars, the Palatals, the Retroflexes, the Dentals, the Labials and the Semi vowels in addition to the vowel carriers and ਸ and ਹ. In this lesson we will learn the letters of the eighth row of Gurmukhi. This group of letters is called the Neo group because of the fact that the letters have been added to Gurmukhi to denote sounds which were not found in Punjabi originally. These sounds have been borrowed from Persian and other foreign languages.

Eighth row of Gurmukhi

The Neo group consists of the following letters

ਸ਼ ਖ਼ ਗ਼ ਜ਼ ਫ਼ ਲ਼

These are called ਸ਼ - susse pair bindi, ਖ਼ - khukhe pair bindi, ਗ਼ - gugge pair bindi, ਜ਼ - jujje pair bindi , ਫ਼ - phuphe pair bindi and ਲ਼ - lulle pair bindi. ਸ਼ is pronounced as /sh/, ਖ਼ as /khh/, ਗ਼ as /ghh/, ਜ਼ as /jhh/ , ਫ਼ as /phh/ and ਲ਼ as /lh/.

ਸ਼ - susse pair bindi 

This is how words shark and shore are written in Gurmukhi

ਸ਼ਾ + ਰ + ਕ = ਸ਼ਾਰਕ = shark

ਸ਼ੋ + ਰ = ਸ਼ੋਰ = shore

ਖ਼ - khakke pair bindi 

This sound is not found in English. However here are some Punjabi examples

ਖ਼ + ਤ = ਖ਼ਤ = letter

ਤ + ਖ਼ + ਤ = ਤਖ਼ਤ = throne

ਖ਼ + ਰ + ਗੋ + ਸ਼ = ਖ਼ਰਗੋਸ਼ = rabbit

ਸ਼ਾ + ਖ਼ = ਸ਼ਾਖ਼ = branch

ਗ਼ - gagge pair bindi 

This sound is also not found in English. However here are some Punjabi examples

ਗ਼ + ਮ + ਲਾ = ਗ਼ਮਲਾ = flower pot

ਜ਼ - jajje pair bindi 

This sound is equivalent to /z/. Here are some examples

ਜ਼ਿ + ਪ = ਜਿਪ = zip

ਜੈ + ਬ + ਰਾ = ਜ਼ੈਬਰਾ = zebra

ਫ਼ - fufe pair bindi 

Exercises

1. Read these English words written in Gurmukhi

1. ਸ਼ੈੱਡ
2. ਸ਼ਾਉਟ
3. ਐਸ਼
4. ਗੱਸ਼

Solutions

1. Shed
2. Shout
3. Ash
4. Gush

2. Write these English words in Gurmukhi

1. Shop
2. Shoe
3. Rush
4. Blush
5. Push

Solutions

1. ਸ਼ੌ + ਪ = ਸ਼ੌਪ
2. ਸ਼ੂ
3. ਰੱ + ਸ਼ = ਰੱਸ਼
4. ਬ + ਲੱ + ਸ਼ = ਬਲੱਸ਼
5. ਪੁ + ਸ਼ = ਪੁਸ਼

Summary

In this lesson we have learnt the five letters of the second row of Gurmukhi script. These letter are ਸ਼ susse pair bindi, ਖ਼ khukhe pair bindi, ਗ਼ gugge pair bindi, ਜ਼ jujje pair bindi , ਫ਼ phuphe pair bindi and ਲ਼ lulle pair bindi. We have now learnt the complete Gurmukhi alphabet:

ੳ ਅ ੲ ਸ ਹ

ਕ ਖ ਗ ਘ ਙ

ਚ ਛ ਜ ਝ ਞ

ਟ ਠ ਡ ਢ ਣ

ਤ ਥ ਦ ਧ ਨ

ਪ ਫ ਬ ਭ ਮ

ਯ ਰ ਲ ਵ ੜ

ਸ਼ ਖ਼ ਗ਼ ਜ਼ ਫ਼ ਲ਼