The Devanagari script, often simply referred to as “Devanagari,” is an abugida script used primarily for writing Sanskrit and several modern Indo-Aryan languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Konkani, and more. It is one of the most widely used scripts in South Asia and holds great cultural and linguistic significance. Here are some key features and facts about the Devanagari script. Devanagari, which means “divine city script” or “script of the city of the gods,” has its origins in ancient Brahmi script. It evolved from the Siddhaṃ script during the Gupta period (around 4th-5th centuries CE). Devanagari is typically written from left to right, although it can also be adapted for right-to-left writing for certain languages. It is known for its distinctive horizontal line at the top of most characters. Devanagari is an abugida script, meaning that each character represents a consonant with an inherent vowel sound that can be modified with diacritics to produce other vowel sounds. Consonant-vowel combinations are the basis of the script. Devanagari allows for the formation of complex consonant conjuncts, where two or more consonants combine in a single character. This feature is crucial for writing Sanskrit and some modern languages. Devanagari is used to write a variety of languages, with slight variations in character usage and pronunciation. For example, Hindi, Marathi, and Nepali all use Devanagari but may have some language-specific characters or diacritics. Devanagari script includes its own set of numerals, often referred to as “Devanagari numerals.” These are used in parallel with Arabic numerals for various purposes, including writing dates and numbers in Indic languages. Devanagari is closely associated with Sanskrit, the sacred language of Hinduism. Many religious and classical texts, including the Vedas, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita, are traditionally written in Devanagari script. The script can be adapted for the transliteration of other languages. For example, it is used for writing Marathi, Konkani, and other regional languages in India. In the modern era, Devanagari script is widely used in digital form. Numerous fonts and typing software are available for typing and publishing documents in Devanagari. In 2019, UNESCO recognized Devanagari as a part of India’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Month: September 2023
Mahajani Script
The Mahajani script, also known as Mahajani Lipi, is a historically significant script that was used for writing various languages, primarily in the northwestern regions of India during the 17th to 20th centuries. Mahajani is notable for its unique and distinctive characters, and it has historical relevance, especially in the context of business and trade records. Mahajani originated in the historical region of Punjab, which includes parts of present-day India and Pakistan. It was widely used in areas such as Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and other northwestern regions. The Mahajani script was commonly employed for business and trade purposes. It was used for maintaining account books, ledgers, and records of transactions, making it an important script for mercantile activities. Mahajani characters are unique and visually distinct. The script is written from left to right and consists of a set of characters that are often cursive in nature. Each character has a distinct shape and style. Mahajani script included numerical symbols, and it was used for writing numerical values in a distinctive way.While primarily associated with Punjabi, Mahajani was also used to write other regional languages, including Marwari and Hindi, among others. Over time, the Mahajani script gradually declined in usage, particularly with the spread of Devanagari script and other scripts. The decline was partly due to political and administrative changes in the region.
Hindi/Rajasthani Alphabets
Hindi/Rajasthani Alphabets:
Hindi and Rajasthani both use Devanagri script. Both are phonetic languages. Words are pronounced exactly as they are written. You don’t have to memorize the correct spelling of a word. All consonants have an ‘a’ sound inherent in them.
There are 13 vowels in Hindi.
Vowels are those letters which can be pronounced with an open vocal track or without touching the tongue anywhere inside the mouth. There are twelve such letters in Hindi.
- Hindi vowel # 1: अ a
“अ” is a short vowel. It is pronounced like first “A” in America or “U” in urn. - Hindi vowel # 2: आ aa
“आ” is a long vowel. It has the sound of “A” in art or A in cart. “ - Hindi vowel # 3: इ i
“इ” is a short vowel. It is pronounced like “e” in e-ager or “I” in ink. - Hindi vowel # 4: ई ii
“ई” is a long vowel. It has the same sound as that of “इ” but being a long vowel it doesn’t end abruptly. It has the sound of “EE” in seek or “EA” in peak. - Hindi vowel # 5: उ u
“उ” is a short vowel. It has the sound of “U” in pull or full. - Hindi vowel # 6: ऊ oo
“ऊ” is a long vowel. It is pronounced like short उ except for a little longer time. It has the sound of “oo” in pool or fool. - Hindi vowel # 7: ए e
“ए” is a short vowel. It has the sound of “E” in shed or “AI” in said. - 8. Hindi vowel # 8: ऐai
“ऐ” is a long vowel. It has the sound of “A” in shade or “AI” in mail. - 9. Hindi vowel # 9: ओ o
“ओ” has the sound of “O” in old or “OA” in coal. - 10. Hindi vowel # 10: औ au
“औ” has the sound of “O” in shot or “AU” in caught. - 11. Hindi vowel # 11: अं um
“अं” has the sound of “UM” in drum or lump. - 12. Hindi vowel # 12: अ: uh
“अ:” has the sound of “AH” in aha or ahem and “UGH” in ugh. - 13. Hindi vowel # 13: ऋ ri
“ऋ” has the sound of “RI” in rig or rim.