Gurbani grammar: Aunkar rules for adjectives in Gurbani

Now that we have covered the rules for singular male nouns with an Aunkar, let us discuss the use of the Aunkar on a ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ਣ (adjective).

The same rules for nouns apply to adjectives. An adjective takes an Aunkar depending on the noun it is describing.

Examples from Gurbani:

  1. ਕਵਣੁ ਸੁ ਵੇਲਾ ਵਖਤੁ ਕਵਣੁ ਕਵਣ ਥਿਤਿ ਕਵਣੁ ਵਾਰੁ ॥

    • ਕਵਣੁ ਵੇਲਾ → ਵੇਲਾ is a singular male noun, so ਕਵਣ takes an Aunkar.

    • ਕਵਣੁ ਵਖਤੁ → ਵਖਤੁ is singular male, so ਕਵਣੁ has an Aunkar.

    • ਕਵਣ ਥਿਤਿ → ਥਿਤਿ is a female noun, so ਕਵਣ does not have an Aunkar.

    • ਕਵਣੁ ਵਾਰੁ → ਵਾਰੁ is singular male, so ਕਵਣੁ has an Aunkar.

  2. ਏਹੁ ਕੁਟੰਬੁ ਤੂ ਜਿ ਦੇਖਦਾ ਚਲੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਤੇਰੈ ਨਾਲ

    • ਕੁਟੰਬੁ is a male noun, so ਏਹੁ takes an Aunkar.

  3. ਏਹੁ ਲੇਖਾ ਲਿਖਿ ਜਾਣੈ ਕੋਇ

    • ਲੇਖਾ is a singular male noun, so ਏਹੁ has an Aunkar.

  4. ਏਹ ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹਣੀ ਜਿਨਿ ਏਤੁ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਇਆ

    • ਮਾਇਆ is a female noun, so ਏਹ does not have an Aunkar.

Important note:
When reading Gurbani, some people pronounce the Aunkar on adjectives ending with . This is incorrect.  If we don’t pronounce aunkar’s on other letters, then the same rule applies for .

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