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Elision of Intervocalic Consonants

1. The Elision Rule​

As Sanskrit evolved into the Prakrits, Apabhramsha, and eventually regional dialects like Awadhi, certain consonants located between two vowels (intervocalic consonants) began to soften and eventually drop out entirely. This dropping of a sound is formally known as "elision."

2. Compensatory Lengthening​

When a consonant drops out and leaves two vowels sitting next to each other, speakers naturally slur or merge them together to maintain the rhythm of the word. Often, this results in the remaining vowel sound becoming longer or stronger to make up for the lost consonant. This phenomenon is called "Compensatory Lengthening."

3. Comparison with Hindi​

Most modern standard Hindi vocabulary relies heavily on restored Tatsama (pure Sanskrit) words, so you usually see the full consonants intact (e.g., रुचिर - Ruchir). However, in many rural dialects and classical Awadhi poetry, the heavily softened "elided" versions are used for rhythmic and romantic melody.

4. Examples from the Manas​

  • रूरी: From the feminine Sanskrit word Ruchirā (रुचिरा). The medial 'ch' (च्) dropped out (Ru-irā), and the remaining sounds merged into the long, beautiful 'ū' of Rūrī.