Editing Punjabi language (section)

==== Mechanics ====
In Punjabi, tone is induced by the loss of [h] in tonal consonants. Tonal consonants are any [[Aspirated consonant#Breathy-voiced release|voiced aspirates /ʱ/]] and the [[Voiced glottal fricative|voiced glottal fricative /ɦ/]]. These include the five voiced aspirated plosives ''bh'', ''dh'', ''ḍh'', ''jh'' and ''gh'' (which are represented by their own letters in Gurmukhi), the ''h'' consonant itself and any voiced consonants appended with [h] (Gurmukhi:[[Gurmukhi#Subscript letters|੍ਹ ''"perī̃ hāhā"'']], Shahmukhi: [[Shahmukhi#Difference from Persian and Urdu|{{nq|ھ}} ''"dō-caśmī hē"'']]); usually ''ṛh'', ''mh'', ''nh'', ''rh'' and ''lh''.

* Tonal consonants induce a rising tone (also called "high tone") before them or a falling tone (also called "low tone") after them.
** E.g. ''kaḍḍh'' > ''káḍḍ'' "remove", ''he'' > ''è'' "is"
* In cases where a vowel is present on both sides of a tonal consonant, the stressed vowel receives the tone.
** E.g. ''paṛh'''ā'''ī'' > ''paṛ'''ā̀'''ī'' "study", ''m'''ō'''ḍhā'' > ''m'''ṓ'''ḍā'' "shoulder"

The five tonal plosives also become voiceless word-initially. E.g. ''ghar'' > ''kàr'' "house", ''ḍhōl'' > ''ṭṑl'' "drum" etc.<ref name=Bowden />

Tonogenesis in Punjabi forfeits the sound of [h] for tone. Thus, the more [h] is realised, the less "tonal" a word will be pronounced, and vice versa. Tone is often reduced or rarely deleted when words are said with emphasis or on their own as a form of more exact identification.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

Sequences with the consonant ''h'' have some additional gimmicks:
* The sequences ''ih'', ''uh'', ''ahi'' and ''ahu'' change into the vowels /eː˩˥/, /oː˩˥/, /ɛː˩˥/ and /ɔː˩˥/ respectively and acquire a rising tone.
** E.g. ''muhrā'' > ''mṓrā'' "chessman", ''rahiṇ'' > ''réṇ'' "stay"
* In the stressed sequence ''ah'', the vowel lengthens (''ā'') and acquires a rising tone /aː˩˥/.
** E.g. ''qahvā'' > ''qā́vā'' "coffee", ''dah'' > ''dā́'' "ten"
* In the final unstressed sequence ''ah'', the vowel becomes nasalised and long (''ā̃'').
** E.g. ''bā́rah'' > ''bā́rā̃'' "twelve", ''tárah'' > ''tárā̃'' "way"
* When h is preceded by a short vowel, proceeded by a long vowel and the latter is stressed, the former vowel becomes weak or blends into the latter.
** E.g. ''pahāṛ'' > ''păā̀ṛ'' /pə̯aː˥˩.ɽə̆/ "mountain", ''tuhāḍā'' > ''tŭā̀ḍā'' /tʊ̯aː˥˩ɖ.ɖaː/ "your"

The consonant ''h'' on its own is now silent or very weakly pronounced except word-initially.<ref>Lata, Swaran; Arora, Swati (2013) [http://www.tdil.meity.gov.in/WSI/papers/updated-ICHCI_SL%20SA.pdf "Laryngeal Tonal characteristics of Punjabi: An Experimental Study"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418092956/http://www.tdil.meity.gov.in/WSI/papers/updated-ICHCI_SL%20SA.pdf |date=18 April 2018 }}</ref> However, certain dialects which exert stronger tone, particularly more northern Punjabi varieties and [[Dogri language|Dogri]], pronounce ''h'' as very faint (thus tonal) in all cases. E.g. ''hatth'' > ''àtth''.

The [[Jhangvi dialect|Jhangvi]] and [[Shahpuri dialect|Shahpuri]] dialects of Punjabi (as they transition into [[Saraiki language|Saraiki]]) show comparatively less realisation of tone than other Punjabi varieties,{{citation needed|date=November 2024}} and do not induce the devoicing of the main five tonal consonants (''bh'', ''dh'', ''ḍh'', ''jh'', ''gh'').

The [[Gurmukhi script]] which was developed in the 16th century has separate letters for voiced aspirated sounds, so it is thought that the change in pronunciation of the consonants and development of tones may have taken place since that time.<ref name=Bowden />

Some other languages in Pakistan have also been found to have tonal distinctions, including [[Burushaski]], [[Gujari language|Gujari]], [[Hindko]], [[Kalami language|Kalami]], [[Shina language|Shina]], and [[Torwali language|Torwali]],<ref>Baart, J.L.G. [http://www.geocities.ws/kcs_kalam/tonefeat.pdf "Tonal features in languages of northern Pakistan"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728101201/http://www.geocities.ws/kcs_kalam/tonefeat.pdf |date=28 July 2020 }}</ref> though these (besides Hindko) seem to be independent of Punjabi.