Newar script

Nepalese script From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Newar script, known in the Newar language as Nepal lipi, Nepalakshar and Prachalit, is an abugida, one of the Nepalese scripts that descend from the Brahmi script. It is used to write Nepal Bhasa, Maithili and Sanskrit. Various publications are still published in this script including the Sikkim Herald the bulletin of the Sikkim government (Newari edition).[2]

Script type
Period
10th–20th century
DirectionLeft-to-right Edit this on Wikidata
Quick facts Newar Nepal Lipi 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑐮 𑐮𑐶𑐥𑐶‎, Script type ...
Newar
Nepal Lipi 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑐮 𑐮𑐶𑐥𑐶
The phrase 'Prachalit Nepal' in Newar script
Script type
Period
10th–20th century
DirectionLeft-to-right Edit this on Wikidata
LanguagesNepal Bhasa, Sanskrit, Maithili
Related scripts
Parent systems
Sister systems
Ranjana
Bhujimol
ISO 15924
ISO 15924Newa (333), Newa, Newar, Newari, Nepāla lipi
Unicode
Unicode alias
Newa
U+11400U+1147F
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A folio of Newar poem Atina Sundar Desh Kantipuri, written by Bhuwan Lakshmi, the queen consort of King Bhupalendra Malla in Newar script.
A 17th-century Devi Mahatmya manuscript written in Newar script

Etymology

The Newar script is also known as "Nepalakshar" or "Nepal lipi", which means script of Nepal. This script is referred as Newā Ākhaḥ in Modern-Newar language, and Newari Lipi in Nepali language. The Newar script is also known as Prachalit script ("popular script"), as it was one of the most widely used script among all of the scripts used in Nepal, with majority of manuscripts and inscription written in it.

The multilingual stone inscription of Pratap Malla dated to 1654 CE, uses "nevāra ākhala" (Newar script) to refer this script in Classical Newar language.[3] Similarly, in a 1747 CE work, Capuchin friar Costantino da Ascoli refers to this script as Nepalese.[4]

History

The Newar script appeared in the inscription of King Shankaradeva at Jaishideval, dated to 920 CE. Similarly, the first coin in Newar script appeared on a coin of King Shivadeva (1098–1126 CE). The oldest surviving manuscript of the Abhijnana Shakuntala, dated to the 12th century, was written in this script and is now situated at the Asiatic Society.[5]

During Malla dynasty, official records and inscription were written in Newar script. It was also used in official documents by early-Shah rulers, as shown by the Nepal-Tibet treaty of 1775, which was written in Newar script. Later since 1906, with rise of Rana dynasty, official documents written in Newar script was declared illegal. Since than, the Newar script started to replaced by Devanagari script.[6]

Alphabet

Vowels

More information Vowels, Diactrics ...
Vowels Diactrics IAST & IPA With 𑐎 (ka) With 𑐐 (ga) Vowels Diactrics IAST & IPA With 𑐎 (ka) With 𑐐 (ga)
𑐀a /ə/ 𑐎 𑐐 𑐁𑐵ā /aː/ 𑐎𑐵 𑐐𑐵
𑐂𑐶i /i/ 𑐎𑐶 𑐐𑐶 𑐃𑐷ī /iː/ 𑐎𑐷 𑐐𑐷
𑐄𑐸u /u/ 𑐎𑐸 𑐐𑐸 𑐅𑐹ū /uː/ 𑐎𑐹 𑐐𑐹
𑐆𑐺 /r̩/ 𑐎𑐺 𑐐𑐺 𑐇𑐻 /r̩ː/ 𑐎𑐻 𑐐𑐻
𑐈𑐼 /l̩/ 𑐎𑐼 𑐐𑐼 𑐉𑐽 /l̩ː/ 𑐎𑐽 𑐐𑐽
𑐊𑐾e /eː/ 𑐎𑐾 𑐐𑐾 𑐋𑐿ai /ai̯/ 𑐎𑐿 𑐐𑐿
𑐌𑑀o /oː/ 𑐎𑑀 𑐐𑑀 𑐍𑑁au /au̯/ 𑐎𑑁 𑐐𑑁
𑐀𑑄𑑄aṃ /ə̃/ 𑐎𑑄 𑐐𑑄 𑐀𑑅𑑅aḥ /əḥ/ 𑐎𑑅 𑐐𑑅
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Consonant

More information Plosive, Nasal ...
Plosive Nasal Sonorant Fricative
Voiceless Voiced
Plain Aspirated Modal Breathy Modal Breathy Modal Breathy
Velar 𑐎ka /k/ 𑐏kha /kʰ/ 𑐐ga /ɡ/ 𑐑gha /ɡʱ/ 𑐒ṅa /ŋ/ 𑐓ṅha /ŋʱ/
Palatal 𑐔ca /t͡ɕ/ 𑐕cha /t͡ɕʰ/ 𑐖ja /d͡ʑ/ 𑐗jha /d͡ʑʱ/ 𑐘ña /ɲ/ 𑐙ñha /ɲʱ/ 𑐫ya /j/ 𑐴𑑂𑐫yha /jʱ/ 𑐱śa /ʃ/
Retroflex 𑐚ṭa /ʈ/ 𑐛ṭha /ʈʰ/ 𑐜ḍa /ɖ/ 𑐝ḍha /ɖʱ/ 𑐞ṇa /ɳ/ 𑐴𑑂𑐞ṇha /ɳʱ/ 𑐬ra /r/ 𑐭rha /ɾʱ/ 𑐲ṣa /ʂ/
Dental 𑐟ta /t/ 𑐠tha /tʰ/ 𑐡da /d/ 𑐢dha /dʱ/ 𑐣na /n/ 𑐤nha /nʱ/ 𑐮la /l/ 𑐯lha /lʱ/ 𑐳sa /s/
Labial 𑐥pa /p/ 𑐦pha /pʰ/ 𑐧ba /b/ 𑐨bha /bʱ/ 𑐩ma /m/ 𑐪mha /mʱ/ 𑐰va /w, ʋ/ 𑐴𑑂𑐰vha /wʱ/
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More information Guttural ...
Guttural 𑐴ha /ɦ/
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Symbols

Numerals

𑑐𑑑𑑒𑑓𑑔𑑕𑑖𑑗𑑘𑑙
0123456789

Unicode

Newar script was added to the Unicode Standard in June, 2016 with the release of version 9.0.

The Unicode block for Newar, called Newa, is U+11400U+1147F:

Newa[1][2]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)
 0123456789ABCDEF
U+1140x 𑐀 𑐁 𑐂 𑐃 𑐄 𑐅 𑐆 𑐇 𑐈 𑐉 𑐊 𑐋 𑐌 𑐍 𑐎 𑐏
U+1141x 𑐐 𑐑 𑐒 𑐓 𑐔 𑐕 𑐖 𑐗 𑐘 𑐙 𑐚 𑐛 𑐜 𑐝 𑐞 𑐟
U+1142x 𑐠 𑐡 𑐢 𑐣 𑐤 𑐥 𑐦 𑐧 𑐨 𑐩 𑐪 𑐫 𑐬 𑐭 𑐮 𑐯
U+1143x 𑐰 𑐱 𑐲 𑐳 𑐴 𑐵 𑐶 𑐷 𑐸 𑐹 𑐺 𑐻 𑐼 𑐽 𑐾 𑐿
U+1144x 𑑀 𑑁 𑑂 𑑃 𑑄 𑑅 𑑆 𑑇 𑑈 𑑉 𑑊 𑑋 𑑌 𑑍 𑑎 𑑏
U+1145x 𑑐 𑑑 𑑒 𑑓 𑑔 𑑕 𑑖 𑑗 𑑘 𑑙 𑑚 𑑛 𑑝 𑑞 𑑟
U+1146x  𑑠   𑑡 
U+1147x
Notes
1.^ As of Unicode version 17.0
2.^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points


See also

References

Further reading

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