Kannada script: Difference between revisions

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Kannada script or the early [[Kadamba script]] evolved from the Ashokan Brahmi script,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thakur |first1=Aksheev |title=How king Ashoka scripted Kannada to glory |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/281017/how-king-ashoka-scripted-kannada-to-glory.html |date=28 Oct 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Language Atlas of India 2011 |date=April 2022 |url=https://language.census.gov.in/map/data/viewFlipBook?book_type=Atlas&folder_name=2011&title=Language%20Atlas%202011#page/54/mode/1up}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=History of the Kannada Script and Language |url=https://bangaloreliteraturefestival.org/history-kannada-script-language/}}</ref> which later evolved into [[Telugu-Kannada script|Kannada-Telugu script]], during the period of [[Chalukya dynasty|Chalukyas]] and later [[Eastern Chalukyas|Chalukyas of Vengi]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=New Delhi |first1=All India Radio |title=AKASHVANI Vol. XXX, No. 33 ( 15 AUGUST, 1965 ) |date=15 August 1965 |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/AKASHVANI/ie7zDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Telugu-Kannada+chalukyas&pg=PA4&printsec=frontcover}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kannada-language}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Diringer |first1=David |title=Alphabet a key to the history of mankind |date=1948 |page=381}}</ref> The Kannada and Telugu scripts then separated by around 1300 C.E.<ref name=epigraphy>Indian Epigraphy: a guide to the study of inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan languages, by Richard Solomon, Oxford University Press, 1998, p.41, {{ISBN|0-19-509984-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=R |first1=Narasimhacharya |title=History of Kannada Language |date=1934 |page=50 |url=https://archive.org/details/HistoryKannadaLanguage/page/n61/mode/1up?view=theater}}</ref>
Kannada script or the early [[Kadamba script]] evolved from the Ashokan Brahmi script,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thakur |first1=Aksheev |title=How king Ashoka scripted Kannada to glory |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/281017/how-king-ashoka-scripted-kannada-to-glory.html |date=28 Oct 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Language Atlas of India 2011 |date=April 2022 |url=https://language.census.gov.in/map/data/viewFlipBook?book_type=Atlas&folder_name=2011&title=Language%20Atlas%202011#page/54/mode/1up}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=History of the Kannada Script and Language |url=https://bangaloreliteraturefestival.org/history-kannada-script-language/}}</ref> which later evolved into [[Telugu-Kannada script|Kannada-Telugu script]], during the period of [[Chalukya dynasty|Chalukyas]] and later [[Eastern Chalukyas|Chalukyas of Vengi]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=New Delhi |first1=All India Radio |title=AKASHVANI Vol. XXX, No. 33 ( 15 AUGUST, 1965 ) |date=15 August 1965 |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/AKASHVANI/ie7zDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Telugu-Kannada+chalukyas&pg=PA4&printsec=frontcover}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kannada-language}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Diringer |first1=David |title=Alphabet a key to the history of mankind |date=1948 |page=381}}</ref> The Kannada and Telugu scripts then separated by around 1300 C.E.<ref name=epigraphy>Indian Epigraphy: a guide to the study of inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan languages, by Richard Solomon, Oxford University Press, 1998, p.41, {{ISBN|0-19-509984-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=R |first1=Narasimhacharya |title=History of Kannada Language |date=1934 |page=50 |url=https://archive.org/details/HistoryKannadaLanguage/page/n61/mode/1up?view=theater}}</ref>


The 11th-century Persian scholar and polymath [[Al-Biruni]] calls the Kannada script as ''Karnata'' alphabets used in ''[[Karnataka|Karnatadesa]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ahmad |first1=Qeyamuddin |title=India by Al-Biruni |date=1983 |page=30 |url=https://archive.org/details/india-by-al-biruni-qeyamuddin-ahmad/page/n27/mode/1up?view=theater}}</ref>
The 11th-century Persian scholar and polymath [[Al-Biruni]] calls the Kannada script as ''Karnata'' alphabets used in ''[[Karnataka|Karnatadesa]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ahmad |first1=Qeyamuddin |author-link=Qeyamuddin Ahmad |url=https://archive.org/details/india-by-al-biruni-qeyamuddin-ahmad/page/n27/mode/1up?view=theater |title=India by Al-Biruni |date=1983 |page=30}}</ref>


Over the centuries some changes have been made to the Kannada script. These changes consist of:
Over the centuries some changes have been made to the Kannada script. These changes consist of:

Latest revision as of 07:33, 4 September 2025

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Indian English Template:Infobox Writing system Template:Contains special characters Template:Brahmic The Kannada script (IAST: Kannaḍa lipi; obsolete: Kanarese or Canarese script in English) is an abugida of the Brahmic family,[1] used to write Kannada, one of the Dravidian languages of South India especially in the state of Karnataka. It is one of the official scripts of the Indian Republic. Kannada script is also widely used for writing Sanskrit texts in Karnataka. Several minor languages, such as Tulu, Konkani, Kodava, Beary and Sanketi also use alphabets based on the Kannada script.[2] The Kannada and Telugu scripts share very high mutual intellegibility with each other,[3] and are often considered to be regional variants of single script. Other scripts similar to Kannada script are Sinhala script[4] (which included some elements from the Kadamba script[5]), and Old Peguan script (used in Burma).[6]

The Kannada script (Script error: No such module "Lang". akṣaramāle or Script error: No such module "Lang". varṇamāle) is a phonemic abugida of forty-nine letters. The character set is almost identical to that of other Brahmic scripts or often known as Brahmi Lipi.[7] Consonantal letters imply an inherent vowel. Letters representing consonants are combined to form digraphs (Script error: No such module "Lang". ottakṣara) when there is no intervening vowel. Otherwise, each letter corresponds to a syllable.

The letters are classified into three categories: Script error: No such module "Lang". svara (vowels), Script error: No such module "Lang". vyañjana (consonants), and Script error: No such module "Lang". yōgavāhaka (semiconsonants).

The Kannada words for a letter of the script are Script error: No such module "Lang". akshara, Script error: No such module "Lang". akkara, and Script error: No such module "Lang". varṇa. Each letter has its own form (Script error: No such module "Lang". ākāra) and sound (Script error: No such module "Lang". śabda), providing the visible and audible representations, respectively. Kannada is written from left to right.[8]

History

Kannada script or the early Kadamba script evolved from the Ashokan Brahmi script,[9][10][11] which later evolved into Kannada-Telugu script, during the period of Chalukyas and later Chalukyas of Vengi.[12][13][14] The Kannada and Telugu scripts then separated by around 1300 C.E.[15][16]

The 11th-century Persian scholar and polymath Al-Biruni calls the Kannada script as Karnata alphabets used in Karnatadesa.[17]

Over the centuries some changes have been made to the Kannada script. These changes consist of:

  1. Modification of existing glyphs: In the early Kannada script, no orthographic distinction was made between the short mid Script error: No such module "IPA". Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang". and long mid Script error: No such module "IPA". Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang".. However, distinct signs were employed to denote the special consonants viz. the trill Script error: No such module "IPA". Script error: No such module "Lang". the retroflex lateral Script error: No such module "IPA". Script error: No such module "Lang". and the retroflex rhotic Script error: No such module "IPA". Script error: No such module "Lang"., by the 5th century.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".Template:Category handlerTemplate:Category handler[<span title="Script error: No such module "string".">the transcriptions contradict themselves]Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Vowels

There are thirteen vowel letters (Script error: No such module "Lang". svara) in modern Kannada. The Kannada script is an abugida, where when a vowel follows a consonant, it is written with a diacritic rather than as a separate letter. There are also three obsolete vowels, corresponding to vowels in Sanskrit.

Written Kannada is composed of akshara or kagunita, corresponding to syllables. The letters for consonants combine with diacritics for vowels. The consonant letter without any diacritic, such as Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Translit, has the inherent vowel Template:Translit Script error: No such module "Lang".. A consonant without a vowel is marked with a 'killer' stroke, such as Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Translit. This silencing diacritic and process is known as Script error: No such module "Lang". [[virama|Template:Translit]], whereas the resulting letter is called an Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Translit (Template:Lit).[18]

Kannada has a phonemic vowel length distinction, so like many other Brahmic scripts, the writing system has two sets of diacritics, one for short vowels and one for long vowels. Short vowels are referred to as Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Translit, while long vowels are referred to as Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Translit.[18]

Vowels with their corresponding diacritics and akshara with ಅ
Independent Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter
Diacritic template Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter
Diacritic with ದ Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter

Template:NoteFoot

Yōgavāha

There are two yōgavāha (part-vowel, part consonant) letters, known as ardhavisarga, used in modern Kannada and two others used in Sanskrit transcription.

yōgavāha with their corresponding diacritics and akshara with ಅ and ದ
Diacritic template Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter
Diacritic with ಅ Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter
Diacritic with ದ Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter

Template:NoteFoot

Consonant letters

File:Kanheri-brahmi.jpg
Brahmi script, Kanheri Caves

Two categories of consonant letters (Script error: No such module "Lang". vyan̄jana) are defined in Kannada: the structured consonants and the unstructured consonants.

Structured consonants

The structured consonants are classified according to their place of articulation, that is, where the tongue touches the palate.

Structured consonants
voiceless voiceless
  1. REDIRECT Template:Breakaspirated
 voiced voiced
  1. REDIRECT Template:Breakaspirated
 Nasal
velar Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter
palatal Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter
retroflex Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter
dental Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter
labial Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter

Unstructured consonants

The unstructured consonants are consonants that do not fall into any of the above structures:

Unstructured consonants
Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter

Template:Notelist

Obsolete Kannada letters

Archaic n in Kannada script .
Historical form of representing Script error: No such module "Lang". in Kannada script.

Kannada literary works employed the letters Script error: No such module "Lang". (transliterated 'Template:Transliteration' or 'rh') and Script error: No such module "Lang". (transliterated 'Template:Transliteration', 'lh' or 'zh'), whose manner of articulation most plausibly could be akin to those in present-day Malayalam and Tamil. The letters dropped out of use in the 12th and 18th centuries, respectively. Later Kannada works replaced 'rh' and 'lh' with Script error: No such module "Lang". (ra) and Script error: No such module "Lang". (la) respectively.[19]

It is still used to write the Badaga language and a vowel + virama + ḻ is used to transcribe its retroflex vowels.[20]

Another letter (or unclassified vyanjana (consonant)) that has become extinct is 'nh' or 'inn'. ನ್ Likewise, this has its equivalent in Telugu, where it is called Nakaara pollu. The usage of this consonant was observed until the 1980s in Kannada works from the mostly coastal areas of Karnataka (especially the Dakshina Kannada district). Now, hardly any mainstream works use this consonant. This letter has been replaced by Script error: No such module "Lang". (consonant n).Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Template:Notelist

Consonant conjuncts

The Kannada script is rich in conjunct consonant clusters, with most consonants having a standard subjoined form and few true ligature clusters. A table of consonant conjuncts follows although the forms of individual conjuncts may differ according to the font.

Of special note is the sequence concerning the letter Script error: No such module "Lang". (ra). Unlike other letters, the conjunct form is written second even if it is pronounced first in the sequence.

For example, the /rnaː/ in the word Karnāṭaka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ) is written ರ್ನಾ rather than ರ‍್ನಾ.

The nasal consonants Script error: No such module "Lang". (ṅa), Script error: No such module "Lang". (ña), Script error: No such module "Lang". (ṇa), Script error: No such module "Lang". (na), and Script error: No such module "Lang". (ma) are usually written as an anusvara Script error: No such module "Lang". when preceding another consonant rather than a consonant conjunct.

For example, the /ŋg/ in the word Beṅgaḷūru (ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು) is usually written Script error: No such module "Lang". rather than Script error: No such module "Lang". (ಬೆಙ್ಗಳೂರು).

Complete list of consonant conjuncts

Full list of consonant + vowel combinations

The formations shown boldface above are seldom used.

Numerals

File:Mysore Clocktower - clock face.jpg
Clock in Mysore with Kannada numerals. Note that the rotation of digits is not uniform along the outer ring: numerals 3 (left), 6 (bottom), 9 (right) and 12 (top) are upright, numbers 1, 2, 4, 7 and 8 are slightly rotated to the right, numbers 5, 10 and 11 are slightly rotated to the left, so they are all readable as if they were all upright (with numbers 10, 11 and 12 read normally from left to right, ignoring the slight rotations).

The decimal numerals in the script are:

Kannada numerals
Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter Template:Letter

Transliteration

Several transliteration schemes/tools are used to type Kannada characters using a standard keyboard. These include Baraha[21] (based on ITRANS), Pada Software[22] and several internet tools like Google transliteration, Quillpad[23] (predictive transliterator). Nudi, the Government of Karnataka's standard for Kannada Input, is a phonetic layout loosely based on transliteration.

In popular culture

Due to its resemblance to an eye and an eyebrow, the Kannada letter Script error: No such module "Lang". ṭha is used in the "look of disapproval" (displayed as "ಠ_ಠ"), a popular emoticon used to convey disapproval or contempt.[24] Similarly, the akshara Script error: No such module "Lang". rr̥a has been used in emoticons to represent a monocle, while Script error: No such module "Lang". tha has been used to represent a tearing eye.

Unicode

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote".

Kannada script was added to the Unicode Standard in October 1991 with the release of version 1.0.

The Unicode block for Kannada is U+0C80–U+0CFF:

Kannada<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>[1]<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>[2]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)
  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
U+0C8x ಀ ಁ ಂ ಃ ಄ ಅ ಆ ಇ ಈ ಉ ಊ ಋ ಌ ಎ ಏ
U+0C9x ಐ ಒ ಓ ಔ ಕ ಖ ಗ ಘ ಙ ಚ ಛ ಜ ಝ ಞ ಟ
U+0CAx ಠ ಡ ಢ ಣ ತ ಥ ದ ಧ ನ ಪ ಫ ಬ ಭ ಮ ಯ
U+0CBx ರ ಱ ಲ ಳ ವ ಶ ಷ ಸ ಹ ಼ ಽ ಾ ಿ
U+0CCx ೀ ು ೂ ೃ ೄ ೆ ೇ ೈ ೊ ೋ ೌ ್
U+0CDx ೕ ೖ ೝ ೞ
U+0CEx ೠ ೡ ೢ ೣ ೦ ೧ ೨ ೩ ೪ ೫ ೬ ೭ ೮ ೯
U+0CFx  ೱ   ೲ  ೳ
Notes
1.<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^ Template:Unicode version
2.<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

See also

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Notes

Template:Reflist

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Script error: No such module "Sister project links".Template:Main other

  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". (634 KB)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — South and Southeast Asian Scripts
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". — Kannada Code Chart (111 KB)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Kannada alphabet — From Omniglot

Script error: No such module "Navbox".

Template:List of writing systems Template:Authority control

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ A Grammar of the Kannada Language. F. Kittel (1993), p. 5
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Indian Epigraphy: a guide to the study of inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan languages, by Richard Solomon, Oxford University Press, 1998, p.41, Template:ISBN
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Rice, Edward. P (1921), "A History of Kannada Literature", Oxford University Press, 1921: 14–15
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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