Does the Term Varṇa Really Means “Phoneme”? Regarding the Role of Phonetic Elements in Verbal Cognition

Abstract

It is doubtful that the rendering of varṇa as “phoneme” has sound grounds, though many scholars, including the author, have used this rendering. The author has made multilateral investigations about the usage of the term “varṇa” in Indian theories of grammar. The conclusion is that it is roughly proper to interpret the term “varṇa” as “phoneme.”