Linguistics - Bengali "V" and "B"I am new here and before anybody start spewing acrimony let me say that I am from southern most part of India - Kerala.
My only reason for this post is that we Indians seems to have a lot of acrimony stored in us against other States.
Mr Sun's post could have been handled in a better manner than getting into a north - south - east - west tussle.
I am not a linguist and they may have a valid explanation for Mr. Sun's query.
However I have traveled the wide world and have observed quaint idiosyncrasies in spoken language.
Now the part were B and V in Bengali is mixed up. I have worked in WB for some time and sorry to say this Mr. Sun, have not heard anybody say "begitable".
The reason for the mix up may lie in that in Bengali lipi B ('ba) and V ('va) is written in the same way. Somehow the 'ba in Bengali seems to have missed the cross or dot that almost all other indian languages in Devanagari script.
Remember our National Anthem (which has been creating a lot of heat these days)? Punjab, Sindh, Gujaratha, Maratha, Dravida, Utkala, Benga, the last word was taught to us as "Venga"( note those exta "h"s? pronounce them without and it would be like "Tata")
Hence I propose that the first consonant that comes in the aksharamala is used most when spoken from a written document (blame the Firangi for this).
The next issue I have to point out is the extra 'h" in the south. I could refute almost all those from the North and East who seemed to be bent on making this a State tussle.
Sanskrit is Sanskrit in the South in English. But the word is actually spoken as "Samskritham" (note the extra "h').
But, if you take our lipis t and th have two different consonants. So ?????? in Devanagiri converts not into Sultan (as the Americans pronounce it) but into "sulthan" in Indian languages.
The extra "h" makes the difference!
Quaintness is not a sin. Accent is acquired due to very many local and other effects.
Post Script (if there is an issue with p.s)
Try to answer a question with an intelligent answer rather than getting into Ego trips.
What does it matter whether it is "v" or "b"? Live and let Live. Sanathan Dharamam requires that. Note the h there? It cannot be Darmam as in Dance or Dandy. Or even Dharam! as it is spoken in the North. I am biassed and it is evident here. So is all who contributed to that issue. When do we get out of this sloop and be "Unity in Diversity"?
Regards to all