The Assamese alphabet[2] (Assamese: অসমীয়া বৰ্ণমালা, Oxomiya bornomala) is a writing system of the Assamese language and is a part of the Bengali-Assamese script. This script was also used in Assam and nearby regions for Sanskrit as well as other languages such as Bodo (now Devanagari), Khasi (now Roman), Mising (now Roman), Jaintia (now Roman) etc. It evolved from Kamarupi script. The current form of the script has seen continuous development from the 5th-century Umachal/Nagajari-Khanikargaon rock inscriptions written in an eastern variety of the Gupta script, adopting significant traits from the Siddhaṃ script in the 7th century. By the 17th century three styles of Assamese alphabets could be identified (baminiya, kaitheli and garhgaya)[3] that converged to the standard script following typesetting required for printing. The present standard is identical to the Bengali alphabet except for two letters, ৰ (ro) and ৱ (vo); and the letter ক্ষ (khya) has evolved into an individual consonant by itself with its own phonetic quality whereas in the Bengali alphabet it is a conjunct of two letters.
Assamese Alphabet | |
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Script type | Abugida
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Time period | 8th century to the present |
Direction | left-to-right |
Region | Assam |
Languages | Assamese |
Related scripts | |
Parent systems | Proto-Sinaitic script[a]
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Sister systems | Bengali alphabet and Tirhuta |
[a] The Semitic origin of the Brahmic scripts is not universally agreed upon. | |
This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters. |
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The Buranjis were written during the Ahom dynasty in the Assamese language using the Assamese alphabet. In the 14th century Madhava Kandali used Assamese alphabets to compose the famous Saptakanda Ramayana, which is the Assamese translation of Valmiki's Sanskrit Ramayana. Later, Sankardev used it in the 15th and 16th centuries to compose his oeuvre in Assamese and Brajavali dialect, the literary language of the bhakti poems (borgeets) and dramas.
The Ahom king Supangmung (1663–1670) was the first ruler who started issuing Assamese coins for his kingdom. Some similar scripts with minor differences are used to write Maithili, Bengali, Meithei and Sylheti.
The Umachal rock inscription of the 5th century evidences the first use of a script in the region. The script was very similar to the one used in Samudragupta's Allahabad Pillar inscription. Rock and copper plate inscriptions from then onwards, and Xaansi bark manuscripts right up to the 18th–19th centuries show a steady development of the Assamese alphabet. The script could be said to develop proto-Assamese shapes by the 13th century. In the 18th and 19th century, the Assamese script could be divided into three varieties: Kaitheli (also called Lakhari in Kamrup region, used by non-Brahmins), Bamuniya (used by Brahmins, for Sanskrit) and Garhgaya (used by state officials of the Ahom kingdom)—among which the Kaitheli style was the most popular, with medieval books (like the Hastir-vidyrnava) and sattras using this style.[4] In the early part of the 19th century, Atmaram Sarmah designed the first Assamese script for printing in Serampore, and the Bengali and Assamese lithography converged to the present standard that is used today.
The script presently has a total of 11 vowel letters, used to represent the eight main vowel sounds of Assamese, along with a number of vowel diphthongs. All of these are used in both Assamese and Bengali, the two main languages using the script. In addition to the vowel system in the Bengali alphabet the Assamese alphabet has an additional "matra" (ʼ) that is used to represent the phonemes অʼ and এʼ. Some of the vowel letters have different sounds depending on the word, and a number of vowel distinctions preserved in the writing system are not pronounced as such in modern spoken Assamese or Bengali. For example, the Assamese script has two symbols for the vowel sound [i] and two symbols for the vowel sound [u]. This redundancy stems from the time when this script was used to write Sanskrit, a language that had a short [i] and a long [iː], and a short [u] and a long [uː]. These letters are preserved in the Assamese script with their traditional names of hôrswô i (lit. 'short i') and dirghô i (lit. 'long i'), etc., despite the fact that they are no longer pronounced differently in ordinary speech.
Vowel signs can be used in conjunction with consonants to modify the pronunciation of the consonant (here exemplified by ক, kô). When no vowel is written, the vowel অ (ô or o) is often assumed. To specifically denote the absence of a vowel, (্) may be written underneath the consonant.
Letter | Name of letter | Vowel sign with [kɔ] (ক) | Name of vowel sign | Transliteration | IPA |
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অ | o | ক (none) | (none) | ko | kɔ |
অ or অʼ | ó | ক (none) or কʼ | urdho-comma | kó | ko |
আ | a | কা | akar | ka | ka |
ই | hroswo i | কি | hôrswôikar | ki | ki |
ঈ | dirgho i | কী | dirghoikar | ki | ki |
উ | hroswo u | কু | hroswoukar | ku | ku |
ঊ | dirgho u | কূ | dirghoukar | ku | ku |
ঋ | ri | কৃ | rikar | kri | kri |
এ | e | কে | ekar | kê and ke | kɛ and ke |
ঐ | oi | কৈ | ôikar | koi | kɔɪ |
ও | ü | কো | ükar | kü | kʊ |
ঔ | ou | কৌ | oukar | kou | kɔʊ |
The names of the consonant letters in Assamese are typically just the consonant's main pronunciation plus the inherent vowel ô. Since the inherent vowel is assumed and not written, most letters' names look identical to the letter itself (e.g. the name of the letter ঘ is itself ঘ ghô). Some letters that have lost their distinctive pronunciation in Modern Assamese are called by a more elaborate name. For example, since the consonant phoneme /n/ can be written ন, ণ, or ঞ (depending on the spelling of the particular word), these letters are not simply called no; instead, they are called ন dontiya no ("dental n"), ণ murdhoinno no ("retroflex n"), and ঞ nio. Similarly, the phoneme /x/ can be written as শ taloibbo xo ("palatal x"), ষ murdhoinno xo ("retroflex x"), or স dontia xo ("dental x"), the phoneme /s/ can be written using চ prothom sô ("first s") or ছ ditio so ("second s"), and the phoneme /z/ can be written using জ borgia zo ("row z" = "the z included in the five rows of stop consonants") or য ontostho zo ("z situated between" = "the z that comes between the five rows of stop consonants and the row of sibilants"), depending on the standard spelling of the particular word.
Letter | Name of Letter | Transliteration | IPA |
---|---|---|---|
ক | ko | k | k |
খ | kho | kh | kʰ |
গ | go | g | ɡ |
ঘ | gho | gh | ɡʱ |
ঙ | uŋo | ng | ŋ |
চ | prothom so | s | s |
ছ | ditio so | s | s |
জ | borgiya zo | z | z |
ঝ | zho | zh | z |
ঞ | nio | y | ̃, n |
ট | murdhoinno to | t | t |
ঠ | murdhoinno tho | th | tʰ |
ড | murdhoinno do | d | d |
ঢ | murdhoinno dho | dh | dʱ |
ণ | murdhoinnya no | n | n |
ত | dontia to | t | t |
থ | dontia tho | th | tʰ |
দ | dontia do | d | d |
ধ | dontia dho | dh | dʱ |
ন | dontia no | n | n |
প | po | p | p |
ফ | pho | ph and f | pʰ~ɸ |
ব | bo | b | b |
ভ | bho | bh and vh | bʱ~β |
ম | mo | m | m |
য | ontostho zo | z | z |
ৰ | ro | r | ɹ |
ল | lo | l | l |
ৱ | wo | w | w~β |
শ | taloibbo xo | x and s | x~s |
ষ | murdhoinno xo | x and s | x~s |
স | dontia xo | x and s | x~s |
হ | ho | h | ɦ~h |
ক্ষ | khyo | khy, kkh | kʰj |
ড় | dore ro | r | ɹ |
ঢ় | dhore ro | rh | ɹɦ |
য় | ontostho yô | y | j |
Assamese or Asamiya consonants include thirty three pure consonant letters in Assamese alphabet and each letter represents a single sound with an inherent vowel, the short vowel /a /.
The first twenty-five consonants letters are called sporxo borno. These sporxo bornos are again divided into five borgos. Therefore, these twenty-five letters are also called borgio borno.
The Assamese consonants are typically just the consonant's main pronunciation plus the inherent vowel o. The inherent vowel is assumed and not written, thus, names of most letters look identical to the letter itself (e.g. the name of the letter ঘ is itself ঘ gho).
Some letters have lost their distinctive pronunciation in modern Assamese are called by a more elaborate name. For example, since the consonant phoneme /n/ can be written ন, ণ, or ঞ (depending on the spelling of the particular word), these letters are not simply called no; instead, they are called ন dointo no ("dental n"), ণ murdhoinno no ("cerebral n"), and ঞ nio.
Similarly, the phoneme /x/ can be written as শ taloibbo xo ("palatal x"), ষ murdh9inno xo ("cerebral x"), or স dointo xo ("dental x"), the phoneme /s/ can be written using চ prothom so ("first s") or ছ ditio so ("second s"), and the phoneme /z/ can be written using জ borgio zo ("row z" = "the z included in the five rows of stop consonants") or য ontostho zo ("z situated between" = "the z that comes between the five rows of stop consonants and the row of sibilants"), depending on the standard spelling of the particular word.
The consonants can be arranged in following groups:
Group: 1 – Gutturals
Consonants | Phonetics |
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ক | kô |
খ | khô |
গ | gô |
ঘ | ghô |
ঙ | ṅgô |
Group: 2 – Palatals
Consonants | Phonetics |
---|---|
চ | prôthôm sô |
ছ | ditiyô sô |
জ | bôrgiya ja |
ঝ | jhô |
ঞ | ñiô |
Group: 3 – Cerebrals or Retroflex
Consonants | Phonetics |
---|---|
ট | murdhôinnya ṭa |
ঠ | murdhôinnya ṭha |
ড | murdhôinnya ḍa |
ড় | daré ṛa |
ঢ | murdhôinnya ḍha |
ঢ় | dharé ṛha |
ণ | murdhôinnya ṇa |
Group: 4 – Dentals
Consonants | Phonetics |
---|---|
ত | dôntiya ta |
ৎ | khanda ṯ |
থ | dôntiya tha |
দ | dôntiya da |
ধ | dôntiya dha |
ন | dôntiya na |
Group: 5 – Labials
Consonants | Phonetics |
---|---|
প | pa |
ফ | pha |
ব | ba |
ভ | bha |
ম | ma |
Group: 6 – Semivowels
Consonants | Phonetics |
---|---|
য | ôntôsthô zô |
য় | ôntôsthô ẏô |
ৰ | ra |
ল | la |
ৱ | wa |
Group: 7 – Sibilants
Consonants | Phonetics |
---|---|
শ | talôibbya xô |
ষ | mudhôinnya xô |
স | dôntiya xô |
Group: 8 – Aspirate
Consonants | Phonetics |
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হ | ha |
ক্ষ | khyô |
Group: 9 – Anuxāra
Consonants | Phonetics |
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ং | ṃ anuxar |
Group: 9 – Bixarga
Consonants | Phonetics |
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ঃ | ḥ bixarga |
Group: 10 – Candrabindu (anunāsika)
Consonants | Phonetics |
---|---|
ঁ | n̐, m̐ candrabindu |
To write a consonant without the inherent vowel the halant sign is used below the base glyph. In Assamese this sign is called haxanta. (্)
In Assamese, the combination of three consonants is possible without their intervening vowels. There are about 122 conjunct letters. A few conjunct letters are given below:
Anuxôr ( ং ) indicates a nasal consonant sound (velar). When an anuxar comes before a consonant belonging to any of the 5 bargas, it represents the nasal consonant belonging to that barga.
Chandrabindu ( ঁ ) denotes nasalization of the vowel that is attached to it .
Bixargô ( ঃ ) represents a sound similar to /h /.
According to Dr. G. C. Goswami the number of two-phoneme clusters is 143 symbolised by 174 conjunct letters. Three phoneme clusters are 21 in number, which are written by 27 conjunct clusters. A few of them are given hereafter as examples:
Conjunct letters | Transliteration | [Phoneme clusters (with phonetics) |
---|---|---|
ক + ক | (kô + kô) | ক্ক kkô |
ঙ + ক | (ŋô + kô) | ঙ্ক ŋkô |
ল + ক | (lô + kô) | ল্ক lkô |
স + ক | (xô + kô) | স্ক skô |
স + ফ | (xô + phô) | স্ফ sphô |
ঙ + খ | (ŋô + khô) | ঙ্খ ŋkhô |
স + খ | (xô + khô) | স্খ skhô |
ঙ + গ | (ŋô + gô) | ঙ্গ ŋgô |
ঙ + ঘ | (ŋô + ghô) | ঙ্ঘ ŋghô |
দ + ঘ | (dô + ghô) | দ্ঘ dghô |
শ + চ | (xô + sô) | শ্চ ssô |
চ + ছ | (sô + shô) | চ্ছ sshô |
ঞ + ছ | (ñô + shô) | ঞ্ছ ñshô |
ঞ + জ | (ñô + zô) | ঞ্জ ñzô |
জ + ঞ | (zô + ñô) | জ্ঞ zñô |
ল + ট | (lô + ṭô) | ল্ট lṭô |
ণ + ঠ | (ṇô + ṭhô) | ণ্ঠ ṇṭhô |
ষ + ঠ | (xô + ṭhô) | ষ্ঠ ṣṭhô |
ণ + ড | (ṇô + ḍô) | ণ্ড ṇḍô |
ষ + ণ | (xô + ṇô) | ষ্ণ ṣṇô |
হ + ন | (hô + nô) | হ hnô |
ক + ষ | (kô + xô) | ক্ষ ksô |
প + ত | (pô + tô) | প্ত ptô |
স + ত | (xô + tô) | স্ত stô |
ক + ত | (kô + tô) | ক্ত ktô |
গ + ন | (gô + nô) | গ্ন gnô |
ম + ন | (mô + nô) | ম্ন mnô |
শ + ন | (xô + nô) | শ্ন snô |
স + ন | (xô + nô) | স্ন snô |
হ + ন | (hô + nô) | হ্ন hnô |
ত + থ | (tô + thô) | ত্থ tthô |
ন + থ | (nô + thô) | ন্থ nthô |
ষ + থ | (xô + thô) | ষ্থ sthô |
ন + দ | (nô + dô) | ন্দ ndô |
ব + দ | (bô + dô) | ব্দ bdô |
ম + প | (mô + pô) | ম্প mpô |
ল + প | (lô + pô) | ল্প lpô |
ষ + প | (xô + pô) | ষ্প spô |
স + প | (xô + pô) | স্প spô |
ম + ফ | (mô + phô) | ম্ফ mphô |
ষ + ফ | (xô + phô) | স্ফ sphô |
দ + ব | (dô + bô) | দ্ব dbô |
ম + ব | (mô + bô) | ম্ব mbô |
হ + ব | (hô + bô) | হ্ব hbô |
দ + ভ | (dô + bhô) | দ্ভ dbhô |
ম + ভ | (mô + bhô) | ম্ভ mbhô |
ক + ম | (kô + mô) | ক্ম kmô |
দ + ম | (dô + mô) | দ্ম dmô |
হ + ম | (hô + mô) | হ্ম hmô |
ম + ম | (mô + mô) | ম্ম mmô |
Hindu-Arabic numerals | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
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Assamese numerals | ০ | ১ | ২ | ৩ | ৪ | ৫ | ৬ | ৭ | ৮ | ৯ | ১০ |
Assamese names | xuinno | ek | dui | tini | sari | pas | soy | xat | ath | no (no') | doh |
শূণ্য | এক | দুই | তিনি | চাৰি | পাচ | ছয় | সাত | আঠ | ন, ন' | দহ |
Letter | Name of letter | Transliteration | IPA | Bengali |
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ৰ | rô | r | ɹ | – bôesunnô rô |
ৱ | wô | w | w | – (antasthya a) |
ক্ষ | khyô | khy | kʰj | – juktokkhyô |
Though ক্ষ is used in Bengali as a conjunct letter. Cha or Chha too has different pronunciation.
The keyboard locations of three characters unique to the Assamese script are depicted below:
The "Indian languages TRANSliteration" (ITRANS) the ASCII transliteration scheme for Indic scripts here, Assamese; the characterisations are given below:
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The following is a sample text in Assamese of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Assamese in Assamese alphabet
Assamese in Romanisation 1
Assamese in Romanisation 2
Assamese in Romanisation 3
Assamese in common chatting romanisation
Assamese in IAST Romanisation
Assamese in the International Phonetic Alphabet
Gloss
Translation
The Bengali–Assamese script was added to the Unicode Standard in October 1991 with the release of version 1.0.
The Unicode block for Assamese and Bengali is U+0980–U+09FF:
Bengali[1][2] Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF) | ||||||||||||||||
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | |
U+098x | ঀ | ঁ | ং | ঃ | অ | আ | ই | ঈ | উ | ঊ | ঋ | ঌ | এ | |||
U+099x | ঐ | ও | ঔ | ক | খ | গ | ঘ | ঙ | চ | ছ | জ | ঝ | ঞ | ট | ||
U+09Ax | ঠ | ড | ঢ | ণ | ত | থ | দ | ধ | ন | প | ফ | ব | ভ | ম | য | |
U+09Bx | র | ল | শ | ষ | স | হ | ় | ঽ | া | ি | ||||||
U+09Cx | ী | ু | ূ | ৃ | ৄ | ে | ৈ | ো | ৌ | ্ | ৎ | |||||
U+09Dx | ৗ | ড় | ঢ় | য় | ||||||||||||
U+09Ex | ৠ | ৡ | ৢ | ৣ | ০ | ১ | ২ | ৩ | ৪ | ৫ | ৬ | ৭ | ৮ | ৯ | ||
U+09Fx | ৰ | ৱ | ৲ | ৳ | ৴ | ৵ | ৶ | ৷ | ৸ | ৹ | ৺ | ৻ | ৼ | ৽ | ৾ | |
Notes |
Types of writing systems | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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