How did voiced aspirated consonants change in Punjabi?

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In Punjabi, the voiced aspirated consonants of earlier Indo-Aryan languages underwent specific changes that resulted in the development of a unique tonal system.1

The transformation occurred as follows:

  • Initial position: Earlier voiced aspirated stops became voiceless stops, accompanied by a low tone on the following vowel. For example, the Punjabi word kòṛa corresponds to the Hindi ghoṛa.1
  • Non-initial position: The voiced aspirated consonants became unaspirated, and the preceding vowel received a high tone. For instance, the Punjabi word dúúd (milk) corresponds to the Hindi dúdh.1

These shifts distinguish Punjabi from other languages in the northwest group, which generally retained different phonetic characteristics.1