[Facts] Re: Need help with pronunciation
by তন্ময় ভট্টাচার্য্য (guest)
12/21/2010, 6:02 PM
Abhay, the male Indian name (privative a- + bhaYa fear [bhI to fear, cognate with German beben + suffix -a] has been used as a name for shiva (one who removes fear) and as a personal name for about 2000 years at least. The bh is a bilabial aspirated voiced stop like b- in English boy but with an accompanying breath (b- and h- at the same time). The -y is like in English boy. The pronunciation of the vowel a depends on the language: in Northern India it is pretty neutral like the a- in English about, whereas it is more like the -o- in boy in Eastern India.
Stress is not a feature of modern Indian languages.