Brahmic family

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History of the Alphabet
Middle Bronze Age 19–15th c. BC Canaanite-Phoenician 14th c. BC Paleo-Hebrew 10th c. BC Aramaic 9th c. BC Brāhmī & Indic 6th c. BC Tibetan 7th c. Khmer/Javanese 9th c. Hebrew 3rd c. BC Syriac 2nd c. BC Nabatean 2nd c. BC Arabic 4th c. Avestan 4th to 6th c. Greek 9th c. BC Etruscan 8th c. BC Latin 7th c. BC Runes 2nd c. Ogham 4th c. Gothic 4th c. Armenian 405 Glagolitic 862 Cyrillic 10th c. Samaritan 6th c. BC Iberian 6th c. BC Epigraphic South Arabian 9th c. BC Ge'ez 5–6th c. BC
Meroitic 3rd c. BC
Complete genealogy

The Brahmic family is  a family of abugidas (writing systems) used in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Mongolia, Manchuria.

The individual abugidas may be called Brahmic scripts or  Indic scripts.

Contents 1 History 2 Comparison 2.1 Consonants 2.2 Vowels 2.3 Numerals 3 List of Brahmic Scripts encoded in Unicode 4 Other Brahmic Scripts 5 See also 6 External links 7 References

[edit] History

Brahmic scripts are  descended from the Brāhmī script of ancient India, which according to evangelists, descended from a Semitic script^{[citation needed]}, thus they may have  a common ancestor with the European scripts. However, some academics (see references in Rastogi 1980:88-98) believe that the Viramkhol inscription is  conclusive evidence that Brahmi had indigenous origins, probably from the Indus Valley (Harappan) script.

The most prominent member of the family is  Devanagari, which is  used to write several languages of India and  Nepal, including Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Nepal Bhasa and  Sanskrit. Other northern Brahmic scripts include the Bengali-Assamese script, the Oriya script, the Gujarati script, the Ranjana script, the Prachalit script, the Bhujimol script and  the Gurmukhi script. The Dravidian languages of southern India have  Brahmic scripts with a rounded appearance (like in Telugu), as they were traditionally written on palm leaves, on which straight lines could not easily be formed. Tamil has far fewer letters than some of the other Indic scripts as it  has no separate aspirated or  voiced consonants.

Burmese, Cambodian, Lao, Thai, Javanese, Balinese and  Tibetan are  also written in Brahmic scripts, though with considerable modification to suit their phonology. The Siddham(kanji: 悉曇, modern Japanese pronunciation: shittan) script was especially important in Buddhism because many sutras were written in it, and  the art of Siddham calligraphy survives today in Japan.

Some characteristics, which may not be present in all the scripts are:

• Each consonant has an  inherent vowel which is  usually short 'a' (in Bengali, Oriya, and  Assamese, it  is short 'ô' due to sound shifts). Other vowels are  written by adding to the character. A mark, known in Sanskrit as a virama can be used to indicate the absence of an  inherent vowel.
• Each vowel has two forms, an  independent form when not part of a consonant, and  a dependent form, when attached to a consonant. Depending on the script, the dependent forms can be either placed to the left of, to the right of, above, below, or  on both the left and  the right sides of the base consonant.
• Consonants (up to 5 in Devanagari) can be combined in ligatures. Special marks are  added to denote the combination of 'r' with another consonant.
• Nasalization and  aspiration of a consonant's dependent vowel is  also noted by separate signs.
• The traditional ordering can be summarized as follows: vowels, velar consonants, palatal consonants, retroflex consonants, dental consonants, bilabial consonants, approximants, sibilants, and  other consonants. Each consonant grouping had four consonants (with all four possible values of voicing and  aspiration), and  a nasalised consonant.

Many languages using Brahmic scripts are  sometimes written in Latin script, primarily for the benefit of non-native speakers or  for use in computer software without support for said scripts, but these practices have  made little headway in South Asia itself.

Urdu, Kashmiri, and  Sindhi all primarily use the non-Brahmic Perso-Arabic script, although they are  also written in Devanagari by some in India.

Professor Gari Ledyard has hypothesized that the hangul script used to write Korean is  based on the Mongol Phagspa script, a descendant of the Brahmic family via Tibetan.

[edit] Comparison

Below are  comparison charts of several of the major Indic scripts; pronunciation is  indicated in National Library at Calcutta romanization and  IPA. Pronunciation is  taken from Sanskrit where possible, but other languages where necessary. These lists are  not comprehensive; some glyphs are  unrepresented.

[edit] Consonants

NLAC	IPA	Devanagari	Bengali	Gurmukhi	Gujarati	Oriya	Tamil	Telugu	Kannada	Malayalam
k	k	क	ক	ਕ	ક	କ	க	క	ಕ	ക
kh	kʰ	ख	খ	ਖ	ખ	ଖ	-	ఖ	ಖ	ഖ
g	ɡ	ग	গ	ਗ	ગ	ଗ	-	గ	ಗ	ഗ
gh	ɡʱ	घ	ঘ	ਘ	ઘ	ଘ	-	ఘ	ಘ	ഘ
ṅ	ŋ	ङ	ঙ	ਙ	ઙ	ଙ	ங	ఙ	ಙ	ങ
c	c	च	চ	ਚ	ચ	ଚ	ச	చ	ಚ	ച
ch	cʰ	छ	ছ	ਛ	છ	ଛ	-	ఛ	ಛ	ഛ
j	ɟ	ज	জ	ਜ	જ	ଜ	ஜ	జ	ಜ	ജ
jh	ɟʱ	झ	ঝ	ਝ	ઝ	ଝ	-	ఝ	ಝ	ഝ
ñ	ɲ	ञ	ঞ	ਞ	ઞ	ଞ	ஞ	ఞ	ಞ	ഞ
ṭ	ʈ	ट	ট	ਟ	ટ	ଟ	ட	ట	ಟ	ട
ṭh	ʈʰ	ठ	ঠ	ਠ	ઠ	ଠ	-	ఠ	ಠ	ഠ
ḍ	ɖ	ड	ড	ਡ	ડ	ଡ	-	డ	ಡ	ഡ
ḍh	ɖʱ	ढ	ঢ	ਢ	ઢ	ଢ	-	ఢ	ಢ	ഢ
ṇ	ɳ	ण	ণ	ਣ	ણ	ଣ	ண	ణ	ಣ	ണ
t	t̺	त	ত	ਤ	ત	ତ	த	త	ತ	ത
th	t̺ʰ	थ	থ	ਥ	થ	ଥ	-	థ	ಥ	ഥ
d	d̺	द	দ	ਦ	દ	ଦ	-	ద	ದ	ദ
dh	d̺ʰ	ध	ধ	ਧ	ધ	ଧ	-	ధ	ಧ	ധ
n	n	न	ন	ਨ	ન	ନ	ந	న	ನ	ന
ṉ	n	ऩ	-	-	-	-	ன	-	-	-
p	p	प	প	ਪ	પ	ପ	ப	ప	ಪ	പ
ph	pʰ	फ	ফ	ਫ	ફ	ଫ	-	ఫ	ಫ	ഫ
b	b	ब	ব	ਬ	બ	ବ	-	బ	ಬ	ബ
bh	bʱ	भ	ভ	ਭ	ભ	ଭ	-	భ	ಭ	ഭ
m	m	म	ম	ਮ	મ	ମ	ம	మ	ಮ	മ
y	j	य	য	ਯ	ય	ଯ	ய	య	ಯ	യ
r	r	र	র	ਰ	ર	ର	ர	ర	ರ	ര
ṟ	r	ऱ	-	-	-	-	ற	ఱ	ಱ	റ
l	l	ल	ল	ਲ	લ	ଲ	ல	ల	ಲ	ല
ḷ	ɭ	ळ	-	ਲ਼	ળ	ଳ	ள	ళ	ಳ	ള
ḻ	ɻ	ऴ	-	-	-	-	ழ	-	ೞ	ഴ
v	ʋ	व	-	ਵ	વ	-	வ	వ	ವ	വ
ś	ɕ	श	শ	ਸ਼	શ	ଶ	-	శ	ಶ	ശ
ṣ	ʂ	ष	ষ	-	ષ	ଷ	ஷ	ష	ಷ	ഷ
s	s	स	স	ਸ	-	ସ	ஸ	స	ಸ	സ
h	h	ह	হ	ਹ	હ	ହ	ஹ	హ	ಹ	ഹ

[edit] Vowels

Vowels are  presented in their independent form on the left of each column, and  combined with the corresponding consonant ka on the right.

NLAC	IPA	Devanagari		Bengali		Gurmukhi		Gujarati		Oriya		Tamil		Telugu		Kannada		Malayalam
a	ə	अ	-	অ	-	ਅ	-	અ	-	ଅ	-	அ	-	అ	-	ಅ	-	അ	-
ā	ɑː	आ	का	আ	কা	ਆ	ਕਾ	આ	કા	ଆ	କା	ஆ	கா	ఆ	కా	ಆ	ಕಾ	ആ	കാ
i	i	इ	कि	ই	কি	ਇ	ਕਿ	ઇ	કિ	ଇ	କି	இ	கி	ఇ	కి	ಇ	ಕಿ	ഇ	കി
ī	iː	ई	की	ঈ	কী	ਈ	ਕੀ	ઈ	કી	ଈ	କୀ	ஈ	கீ	ఈ	కీ	ಈ	ಕೀ	ഈ	കീ
u	u	उ	कु	উ	কু	ਉ	ਕੁ	ઉ	કુ	ଉ	କୁ	உ	கு	ఉ	కు	ಉ	ಕು	ഉ	കു
ū	uː	ऊ	कू	ঊ	কূ	ਊ	ਕੂ	ઊ	કૂ	ଊ	କୂ	ஊ	கூ	ఊ	కూ	ಊ	ಕೂ	ഊ	കൂ
e	e	ऎ	कॆ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	எ	கெ	ఎ	కె	ಎ	ಕೆ	എ	കെ
ē	eː	ए	के	এ	কে	ਏ	ਕੇ	એ	કે	ଏ	କେ	ஏ	கே	ఏ	కే	ಏ	ಕೇ	ഏ	കേ
ai	ai	ऐ	कै	ঐ	কৈ	ਐ	ਕੈ	ઐ	કૈ	ଐ	କୈ	ஐ	கை	ఐ	కై	ಐ	ಕೈ	ഐ	കൈ
o	o	ऒ	कॊ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	ஒ	கொ	ఒ	కొ	ಒ	ಕೊ	ഒ	കൊ
ō	oː	ओ	को	ও	কো	ਓ	ਕੋ	ઓ	કો	ଓ	କୋ	ஓ	கோ	ఓ	కో	ಓ	ಕೋ	ഓ	കോ
au	au	औ	कौ	ঔ	কৌ	ਔ	ਕੌ	ઔ	કૌ	ଔ	କୌ	ஔ	கௌ	ఔ	కౌ	ಔ	ಕೌ	ഔ	കൌ
ṛ	ɻ̣	ऋ	कृ	ঋ	কৃ	-	-	ઋ	કૃ	ଋ	କୃ	-	-	ఋ	కృ	ಋ	ಕೃ	ഋ	കൃ
ṝ	ɻ̣ː	ॠ	कॢ	ৠ	কৢ	-	-	ૠ	-	ୠ	-	-	-	ౠ	-	ೠ	-	ൠ	-
ḷ	ɭ̣	ऌ	कॄ	ঌ	কৄ	-	-	-	કૄ	ଌ	-	-	-	ఌ	కౄ	ಌ	ಕೄ	ഌ	-
ḹ	ɭ̣ː	ॡ	कॣ	ৡ	কৣ	-	-	-	-	ୡ	-	-	-	ౡ	-	ೡ	-	ൡ	-

[edit] Numerals

Number	Devanagari	Bengali	Gurmukhi	Gujarati	Oriya	Tamil	Telugu	Kannada	Malayalam
0	०	০	੦	૦	୦	௦	౦	೦	൦
1	१	১	੧	૧	୧	௧	౧	೧	൧
2	२	২	੨	૨	୨	௨	౨	೨	൨
3	३	৩	੩	૩	୩	௩	౩	೩	൩
4	४	৪	੪	૪	୪	௪	౪	೪	൪
5	५	৫	੫	૫	୫	௫	౫	೫	൫
6	६	৬	੬	૬	୬	௬	౬	೬	൬
7	७	৭	੭	૭	୭	௭	౭	೭	൭
8	८	৮	੮	૮	୮	௮	౮	೮	൮
9	९	৯	੯	૯	୯	௯	౯	೯	൯

[edit] List of Brahmic Scripts encoded in Unicode

• Balinese - accepted for Unicode 5.0
• Batak - added in Unicode 4.1
• Baybayin
• Bengali
• Buhid
• Devanagari
• Gujarati
• Gurmukhi
• Hanunó'o
• Javanese
• Kannada
• Khmer
• Lao
• Lepcha
• Limbu
• Malayalam
• Myanmar
• New Tai Lue
• Oriya
• 'Phags-pa - accepted for Unicode 5.0
• Rejang
• Sinhala
• Syloti Nagri - added in Unicode 4.1
• Tagbanwa
• Tai Le
• Tamil
• Telugu
• Thai
• Tibetan

[edit] Other Brahmic Scripts

• Ahom
• Brahmi
• Chakma
• Cham
• Grantha
• Hangul (partially Brahmic)
• Lanna
• Manchu
• Mithilakshar
• Ranjana
• Siddham
• Soyombo
• Tocharian - Extinct

[edit] See also

• Kharosthi alphabet
• ISCII — the coding scheme specifically designed to represent Indic scripts.
• Wikipedia:Naming conventions (Indic)

[edit] External links

• Windows Indic Script Support
• An Introduction to Indic Scripts
• South Asian Writing Systems
• Indian Transliterator A means to transliterate from romanized to Unicode Indian scripts.
• Bonji Siddham Character & Pronunciation
• Imperial Brahmi Font and  Text-Editor
• Brahmi Script

[edit] References

Rastogi, Naresh Prasad 1980. Origin of Brāhmī Script: The Beginning of Alphabet in India. Varanasi: Chowkhamba Saraswatibhawan.