Gujarati script


The Gujarati script is an abugida for the Gujarati language, Kutchi language, and various other languages. It is one of the official scripts of the Indian Republic. It is a variant of the Devanagari script differentiated by the loss of the Shirorekhā, the characteristic horizontal line running above the letters and by a number of modifications to some characters.
Gujarati numerical digits are also different from their Devanagari counterparts.

Origin

The Gujarati script was adapted from the Nagari script to write the Gujarati language. The Gujarati language and script developed in three distinct phases — 10th to 15th century, 15th to 17th century and 17th to 19th century. The first phase is marked by use of Prakrit, Apabramsa and its variants such as Paisaci, Shauraseni, Magadhi and Maharashtri. In second phase, Old Gujarati script was in wide use. The earliest known document in the Old Gujarati script is a handwritten manuscript Adi Parva dating from 1591 to 1592, and the script first appeared in print in a 1797 advertisement. The third phase is the use of script developed for ease and fast writing. The use of shirorekhā was abandoned. Until the 19th century it was used mainly for writing letters and keeping accounts, while the Devanagari script was used for literature and academic writings. It is also known as the śarāphī, vāṇiāśāī or mahājanī script. This script became the basis of the modern script. Later the same script was adopted by writers of manuscripts. Jain community also promoted its use for copying religious texts by hired writers.

Overview

The Gujarati writing system is an abugida, in which each base consonantal character possesses an inherent vowel, that vowel being a . For postconsonantal vowels other than a, the vowel is applied with diacritics, while for non-postconsonantal vowels, there are full-formed characters. With a being the most frequent vowel, this is a convenient system in the sense that it cuts down on the width of writing.
Following out of the aforementioned property, consonants lacking a proceeding vowel may condense into the proceeding consonant, forming compound or conjunct letters. The formation of these conjuncts follows a system of rules depending on the consonants involved.
In accordance with all the other Indic scripts, Gujarati is written from left to right, and is not case-sensitive.
The Gujarati script is basically phonemic, with a few exceptions. First out of these is the written representation of non-pronounced as, which are of three types.
  • Word-final a's. Thus ઘર "house" is pronounced ghar and not ghara. The a's remain unpronounced before postpositions and before other words in compounds: ઘરકામ "housework" is gharkām and not gharakām. This non-pronunciation is not always the case with conjunct characters: મિત્ર "friend" is truly mitra.
  • Naturally elided as through the combination of morphemes. The root પકડ઼ pakaṛ "hold" when inflected as પકડ઼ે "holds" remains written as pakaṛe even though pronounced as pakṛe. See Gujarati phonology#ə-deletion.
  • a's whose non-pronunciation follows the above rule, but which are in single words not resultant of any actual combination. Thus વરસાદ "rain", written as varasād but pronounced as varsād.
Secondly and most importantly, being of Sanskrit-based Devanagari, Gujarati's script retains notations for the obsolete, and lacks notations for innovations.
Contemporary Gujarati uses English punctuation, such as the question mark, exclamation mark, comma, and full stop. Apostrophes are used for the rarely written clitic. Quotation marks are not as often used for direct quotes. The full stop replaced the traditional vertical bar, and the colon, mostly obsolete in its Sanskritic capacity, follows the European usage.

Use for Avestan

The Zoroastrians of India, who represent one of the largest surviving Zoroastrian communities worldwide, would transcribe Avestan in Nagri script-based scripts as well as the Avestan alphabet. This is a relatively recent development first seen in the texts of Neryosang Dhaval and other Parsi Sanskritist theologians of that era, and which are roughly contemporary with the oldest surviving manuscripts in Avestan script. Today, Avestan is most commonly typeset in Gujarati script. Some Avestan letters with no corresponding symbol are synthesized with additional diacritical marks, for example, the /z/ in zaraθuštra is written with /j/ + dot below.

Influence in Southeast Asia

Miller presented a theory that the indigenous scripts of Sumatra, Sulawesi and the Philippines are descended from an early form of the Gujarati script. Historical records show that Gujaratis played a major role in the archipelago, where they were manufacturers and played a key role in introducing Islam. Tomé Pires reported a presence of a thousand Gujaratis in Malacca prior to 1512.

Gujarati letters, diacritics, and digits

Vowels

, in their conventional order, are historically grouped into "short" and "long" classes, based on the "light" and "heavy" syllables they create in traditional verse. The historical long vowels ī and ū are no longer distinctively long in pronunciation. Only in verse do syllables containing them assume the values required by meter.
Finally, a practice of using inverted mātras to represent English and 's has gained ground.
VowelDiacritic with Name of diacritic
ભ
ભાkāno
ભિhrasva-ajju
ભીdīrgha-ajju
ભુhrasva-varaṛũ
ભૂdīrgha-varaṛũ
ભેek mātra
ભૈbe mātra
ભોkāno ek mātra
ભૌkāno be mātra
ભંanusvār
ભઃvisarga
ભૃ-
ભૅ-
ભૉ-

ર r, જ j and હ h form the irregular forms of રૂ rū, રુ ru, જી jī and હૃ hṛ.

Consonants

Consonants are grouped in accordance with the traditional, linguistically based Sanskrit scheme of arrangement, which considers the usage and position of the tongue during their pronunciation. In sequence, these categories are: velar, palatal, retroflex, dental, labial, sonorant and fricative. Among the first five groups, which contain the stops, the ordering starts with the unaspirated voiceless, then goes on through aspirated voiceless, unaspirated voiced, and aspirated voiced, ending with the nasal stops. They all have a Devanagari counterpart.
Guttural
Retroflex

  • Letters can take names by suffixing કાર kār. The letter ર ra is an exception; it is called રેફ reph.
  • Starting with ક ka and ending with જ્ઞ jña, the order goes:
  • The final two are compound characters that happen to be traditionally included in the set. They are indiscriminate as to their original constituents, and they are the same size as a single consonant character.
  • Written hV sets in speech result in murmured V̤ sets. Thus : ha → from ; hā → from ; ahe → from ; aho → from ; ahā → from ; ahǐ → from ; ahǔ → from ; āhǐ → from ; āhǔ → from ; etc.

    Indian Phonetics

  1. Guttural
  2. Palatal
  3. Retroflex
  4. Dental
  5. Labial

    Non-vowel diacritics

Numerals

Arabic
numeral		Gujarati
numeral		Name
0૦mīṇḍu or shunya
1૧ekado or ek
2૨bagado or bay
3૩tragado or tran
4૪chogado or chaar
5૫pāchado or paanch
6૬chagado or chah
7૭sātado or sāt
8૮āṭhado or āanth
9૯navado or nav

Conjuncts

As mentioned, successive consonants lacking a vowel in between them may physically join as a 'conjunct'. The government of these clusters ranges from widely to narrowly applicable rules, with special exceptions within. While standardized for the most part, there are certain variations in clustering, of which the Unicode used on this page is just one scheme. The rules:
  • 23 out of the 36 consonants contain a vertical right stroke. As first or middle fragments/members of a cluster, they lose that stroke. e.g. ત + વ = ત્વ, ણ + ઢ = ણ્ઢ, થ + થ = થ્થ.
  • *શ ś appears as a different, simple ribbon-shaped fragment preceding વ va, ન na, ચ ca and ર ra. Thus શ્વ śva, શ્ન śna, શ્ચ śca and શ્ર śra. In the first three cases the second member appears to be squished down to accommodate શ's ribbon fragment. In શ્ચ śca we see ચ's Devanagari equivalent of च as the squished-down second member. See the note on ર to understand the formation of શ્ર śra.
  • ર r
  • *as a first member it takes the form of a curved upward dash above the final character or its kāno. e.g. ર્ભ rbha, ર્ભા rbhā, ર્ગ્મ rgma, ર્ગ્મા rgmā.
  • *as a final member
  • **with છ chha, ટ ṭa, ઠ ṭha, ડ ḍa, ઢ ḍha and દ da, it is two lines below the character, pointed downwards and apart. Thus છ્ર, ટ્ર, ઠ્ર, ડ્ર, ઢ્ર and દ્ર.
  • **elsewhere it is a diagonal stroke jutting leftwards and down. e.g. ક્ર, ગ્ર, ભ્ર. ત ta is shifted up to make ત્ર tra. And as said before, શ ś is modified to શ્ર śra.
  • Vertical combination of geminates ṭṭa, ṭhṭha, ḍḍa and ḍhḍha: ટ્ટ, ઠ્ઠ, ડ્ડ, ઢ્ઢ. Also, ટ્ઠ ṭṭha and ડ્ઢ ḍḍha.
  • As first shown with શ્ચ śca, while Gujarati is a separate script with its own novel characters, for compounds it will often use the Devanagari versions.
  • *દ d as द preceding ગ ga, ઘ gha, ધ dha, બ ba, ભ bha, વ va, મ ma and ર ra. The first six-second members are shrunken and hang at an angle off the bottom left corner of the preceding દ/द. Thus દ્ગ dga, દ્ઘ dgha, દ્ધ ddha, દ્બ dba, દ્ભ dbha, દ્વ dva, દ્મ dma and દ્ર dra.
  • *હ h as ह preceding ન na, મ ma, ય ya, ર ra, વ va and ઋ ṛ. Thus હ્ન hna, હ્મ hma, હ્ય hya, હ્ર hra, હ્વ hva and હૃ hṛ.
  • *when ઙ ṅa and ઞ ña are first members we get second members of ક ka as क, ચ ca as च and જ ja as ज. ઙ forms compounds through vertical combination. ઞ's strokeless fragment connects to the stroke of the second member, jutting upwards while pushing the second member down. Thus ઙ્ક ṅka, ઙ્ગ ṅga, ઙ્ઘ ṅgha, ઙ્ક્ષ ṅkṣa, ઞ્ચ ñca and ઞ્જ ñja.
  • The remaining vertical stroke-less characters join by squeezing close together. e.g. ક્ય kya, જ્જ jja.
  • Outstanding special forms: ન્ન nna, ત્ત tta, દ્દ dda and દ્ય dya.
The role and nature of Sanskrit must be taken into consideration to understand the occurrence of consonant clusters. The orthography of written Sanskrit was completely phonetic, and had a tradition of not separating words by spaces. Morphologically it was highly synthetic, and it had a great capacity to form large compound words. Thus clustering was highly frequent, and it is Sanskrit loanwords to the Gujarati language that are the grounds of most clusters. Gujarati, on the other hand, is more analytic, has phonetically smaller, simpler words, and has a script whose orthography is slightly imperfect and separates words by spaces. Thus evolved Gujarati words are less a cause for clusters. The same can be said of Gujarati's other longstanding source of words, Persian, which also provides phonetically smaller and simpler words.
An example attesting to this general theme is that of the series of d- clusters. These are essentially Sanskrit clusters, using the original Devanagari forms. There are no cluster forms for formations such as dta, dka, etc. because such formations weren't permitted in Sanskrit phonology anyway. They are permitted under Gujarati phonology, but are written unclustered, with patterns such as a-elision at work instead.
કખગઘઙચછજઝઞટઠડઢણતથદધનપફબભમયરલળવશષસહ
કક્કક્ખક્ગક્ઘક્ઙક્ચક્છક્જક્ઝક્ઞક્ટક્ઠક્ડક્ઢક્ણક્તક્થક્દક્ધક્નક્પક્ફક્બક્ભક્મક્યક્રક્લક્ળક્વક્શક્ષક્સક્હ
ખખ્કખ્ખખ્ગખ્ઘખ્ઙખ્ચખ્છખ્જખ્ઝખ્ઞખ્ટખ્ઠખ્ડખ્ઢખ્ણખ્તખ્થખ્દખ્ધખ્નખ્પખ્ફખ્બખ્ભખ્મખ્યખ્રખ્લખ્ળખ્વખ્શખ્ષખ્સખ્હ
ગગ્કગ્ખગ્ગગ્ઘગ્ઙગ્ચગ્છગ્જગ્ઝગ્ઞગ્ટગ્ઠગ્ડગ્ઢગ્ણગ્તગ્થગ્દગ્ધગ્નગ્પગ્ફગ્બગ્ભગ્મગ્યગ્રગ્લગ્ળગ્વગ્શગ્ષગ્સગ્હ
ઘઘ્કઘ્ખઘ્ગઘ્ઘઘ્ઙઘ્ચઘ્છઘ્જઘ્ઝઘ્ઞઘ્ટઘ્ઠઘ્ડઘ્ઢઘ્ણઘ્તઘ્થઘ્દઘ્ધઘ્નઘ્પઘ્ફઘ્બઘ્ભઘ્મઘ્યઘ્રઘ્લઘ્ળઘ્વઘ્શઘ્ષઘ્સઘ્હ
ઙઙ્કઙ્ખઙ્ગઙ્ઘઙ્ઙઙ્ચઙ્છઙ્જઙ્ઝઙ્ઞઙ્ટઙ્ઠઙ્ડઙ્ઢઙ્ણઙ્તઙ્થઙ્દઙ્ધઙ્નઙ્પઙ્ફઙ્બઙ્ભઙ્મઙ્યઙ્રઙ્લઙ્ળઙ્વઙ્શઙ્ષઙ્સઙ્હ
ચચ્કચ્ખચ્ગચ્ઘચ્ઙચ્ચચ્છચ્જચ્ઝચ્ઞચ્ટચ્ઠચ્ડચ્ઢચ્ણચ્તચ્થચ્દચ્ધચ્નચ્પચ્ફચ્બચ્ભચ્મચ્યચ્રચ્લચ્ળચ્વચ્શચ્ષચ્સચ્હ
છછ્કછ્ખછ્ગછ્ઘછ્ઙછ્ચછ્છછ્જછ્ઝછ્ઞછ્ટછ્ઠછ્ડછ્ઢછ્ણછ્તછ્થછ્દછ્ધછ્નછ્પછ્ફછ્બછ્ભછ્મછ્યછ્રછ્લછ્ળછ્વછ્શછ્ષછ્સછ્હ
જજ્કજ્ખજ્ગજ્ઘજ્ઙજ્ચજ્છજ્જજ્ઝજ્ઞજ્ટજ્ઠજ્ડજ્ઢજ્ણજ્તજ્થજ્દજ્ધજ્નજ્પજ્ફજ્બજ્ભજ્મજ્યજ્રજ્લજ્ળજ્વજ્શજ્ષજ્સજ્હ
ઝઝ્કઝ્ખઝ્ગઝ્ઘઝ્ઙઝ્ચઝ્છઝ્જઝ્ઝઝ્ઞઝ્ટઝ્ઠઝ્ડઝ્ઢઝ્ણઝ્તઝ્થઝ્દઝ્ધઝ્નઝ્પઝ્ફઝ્બઝ્ભઝ્મઝ્યઝ્રઝ્લઝ્ળઝ્વઝ્શઝ્ષઝ્સઝ્હ
ઞઞ્કઞ્ખઞ્ગઞ્ઘઞ્ઙઞ્ચઞ્છઞ્જઞ્ઝઞ્ઞઞ્ટઞ્ઠઞ્ડઞ્ઢઞ્ણઞ્તઞ્થઞ્દઞ્ધઞ્નઞ્પઞ્ફઞ્બઞ્ભઞ્મઞ્યઞ્રઞ્લઞ્ળઞ્વઞ્શઞ્ષઞ્સઞ્હ
ટટ્કટ્ખટ્ગટ્ઘટ્ઙટ્ચટ્છટ્જટ્ઝટ્ઞટ્ટટ્ઠટ્ડટ્ઢટ્ણટ્તટ્થટ્દટ્ધટ્નટ્પટ્ફટ્બટ્ભટ્મટ્યટ્રટ્લટ્ળટ્વટ્શટ્ષટ્સટ્હ
ઠઠ્કઠ્ખઠ્ગઠ્ઘઠ્ઙઠ્ચઠ્છઠ્જઠ્ઝઠ્ઞઠ્ટઠ્ઠઠ્ડઠ્ઢઠ્ણઠ્તઠ્થઠ્દઠ્ધઠ્નઠ્પઠ્ફઠ્બઠ્ભઠ્મઠ્યઠ્રઠ્લઠ્ળઠ્વઠ્શઠ્ષઠ્સઠ્હ
ડડ્કડ્ખડ્ગડ્ઘડ્ઙડ્ચડ્છડ્જડ્ઝડ્ઞડ્ટડ્ઠડ્ડડ્ઢડ્ણડ્તડ્થડ્દડ્ધડ્નડ્પડ્ફડ્બડ્ભડ્મડ્યડ્રડ્લડ્ળડ્વડ્શડ્ષડ્સડ્હ
ઢઢ્કઢ્ખઢ્ગઢ્ઘઢ્ઙઢ્ચઢ્છઢ્જઢ્ઝઢ્ઞઢ્ટઢ્ઠઢ્ડઢ્ઢઢ્ણઢ્તઢ્થઢ્દઢ્ધઢ્નઢ્પઢ્ફઢ્બઢ્ભઢ્મઢ્યઢ્રઢ્લઢ્ળઢ્વઢ્શઢ્ષઢ્સઢ્હ
ણણ્કણ્ખણ્ગણ્ઘણ્ઙણ્ચણ્છણ્જણ્ઝણ્ઞણ્ટણ્ઠણ્ડણ્ઢણ્ણણ્તણ્થણ્દણ્ધણ્નણ્પણ્ફણ્બણ્ભણ્મણ્યણ્રણ્લણ્ળણ્વણ્શણ્ષણ્સણ્હ
તત્કત્ખત્ગત્ઘત્ઙત્ચત્છત્જત્ઝત્ઞત્ટત્ઠત્ડત્ઢત્ણત્તત્થત્દત્ધત્નત્પત્ફત્બત્ભત્મત્યત્રત્લત્ળત્વત્શત્ષત્સત્હ
થથ્કથ્ખથ્ગથ્ઘથ્ઙથ્ચથ્છથ્જથ્ઝથ્ઞથ્ટથ્ઠથ્ડથ્ઢથ્ણથ્તથ્થથ્દથ્ધથ્નથ્પથ્ફથ્બથ્ભથ્મથ્યથ્રથ્લથ્ળથ્વથ્શથ્ષથ્સથ્હ
દદ્કદ્ખદ્ગદ્ઘદ્ઙદ્ચદ્છદ્જદ્ઝદ્ઞદ્ટદ્ઠદ્ડદ્ઢદ્ણદ્તદ્થદ્દદ્ધદ્નદ્પદ્ફદ્બદ્ભદ્મદ્યદ્રદ્લદ્ળદ્વદ્શદ્ષદ્સદ્હ
ધધ્કધ્ખધ્ગધ્ઘધ્ઙધ્ચધ્છધ્જધ્ઝધ્ઞધ્ટધ્ઠધ્ડધ્ઢધ્ણધ્તધ્થધ્દધ્ધધ્નધ્પધ્ફધ્બધ્ભધ્મધ્યધ્રધ્લધ્ળધ્વધ્શધ્ષધ્સધ્હ
નન્કન્ખન્ગન્ઘન્ઙન્ચન્છન્જન્ઝન્ઞન્ટન્ઠન્ડન્ઢન્ણન્તન્થન્દન્ધન્નન્પન્ફન્બન્ભન્મન્યન્રન્લન્ળન્વન્શન્ષન્સન્હ
પપ્કપ્ખપ્ગપ્ઘપ્ઙપ્ચપ્છપ્જપ્ઝપ્ઞપ્ટપ્ઠપ્ડપ્ઢપ્ણપ્તપ્થપ્દપ્ધપ્નપ્પપ્ફપ્બપ્ભપ્મપ્યપ્રપ્લપ્ળપ્વપ્શપ્ષપ્સપ્હ
ફફ્કફ્ખફ્ગફ્ઘફ્ઙફ્ચફ્છફ્જફ્ઝફ્ઞફ્ટફ્ઠફ્ડફ્ઢફ્ણફ્તફ્થફ્દફ્ધફ્નફ્પફ્ફફ્બફ્ભફ્મફ્યફ્રફ્લફ્ળફ્વફ્શફ્ષફ્સફ્હ
બબ્કબ્ખબ્ગબ્ઘબ્ઙબ્ચબ્છબ્જબ્ઝબ્ઞબ્ટબ્ઠબ્ડબ્ઢબ્ણબ્તબ્થબ્દબ્ધબ્નબ્પબ્ફબ્બબ્ભબ્મબ્યબ્રબ્લબ્ળબ્વબ્શબ્ષબ્સબ્હ
ભભ્કભ્ખભ્ગભ્ઘભ્ઙભ્ચભ્છભ્જભ્ઝભ્ઞભ્ટભ્ઠભ્ડભ્ઢભ્ણભ્તભ્થભ્દભ્ધભ્નભ્પભ્ફભ્બભ્ભભ્મભ્યભ્રભ્લભ્ળભ્વભ્શભ્ષભ્સભ્હ
મમ્કમ્ખમ્ગમ્ઘમ્ઙમ્ચમ્છમ્જમ્ઝમ્ઞમ્ટમ્ઠમ્ડમ્ઢમ્ણમ્તમ્થમ્દમ્ધમ્નમ્પમ્ફમ્બમ્ભમ્મમ્યમ્રમ્લમ્ળમ્વમ્શમ્ષમ્સમ્હ
યય્કય્ખય્ગય્ઘય્ઙય્ચય્છય્જય્ઝય્ઞય્ટય્ઠય્ડય્ઢય્ણય્તય્થય્દય્ધય્નય્પય્ફય્બય્ભય્મય્યય્રય્લય્ળય્વય્શય્ષય્સય્હ
રર્કર્ખર્ગર્ઘર્ઙર્ચર્છર્જર્ઝર્ઞર્ટર્ઠર્ડર્ઢર્ણર્તર્થર્દર્ધર્નર્પર્ફર્બર્ભર્મર્યર્રર્લર્ળર્વર્શર્ષર્સર્હ
લલ્કલ્ખલ્ગલ્ઘલ્ઙલ્ચલ્છલ્જલ્ઝલ્ઞલ્ટલ્ઠલ્ડલ્ઢલ્ણલ્તલ્થલ્દલ્ધલ્નલ્પલ્ફલ્બલ્ભલ્મલ્યલ્રલ્લલ્ળલ્વલ્શલ્ષલ્સલ્હ
ળળ્કળ્ખળ્ગળ્ઘળ્ઙળ્ચળ્છળ્જળ્ઝળ્ઞળ્ટળ્ઠળ્ડળ્ઢળ્ણળ્તળ્થળ્દળ્ધળ્નળ્પળ્ફળ્બળ્ભળ્મળ્યળ્રળ્લળ્ળળ્વળ્શળ્ષળ્સળ્હ
વવ્કવ્ખવ્ગવ્ઘવ્ઙવ્ચવ્છવ્જવ્ઝવ્ઞવ્ટવ્ઠવ્ડવ્ઢવ્ણવ્તવ્થવ્દવ્ધવ્નવ્પવ્ફવ્બવ્ભવ્મવ્યવ્રવ્લવ્ળવ્વવ્શવ્ષવ્સવ્હ
શશ્કશ્ખશ્ગશ્ઘશ્ઙશ્ચશ્છશ્જશ્ઝશ્ઞશ્ટશ્ઠશ્ડશ્ઢશ્ણશ્તશ્થશ્દશ્ધશ્નશ્પશ્ફશ્બશ્ભશ્મશ્યશ્રશ્લશ્ળશ્વશ્શશ્ષશ્સશ્હ
ષષ્કષ્ખષ્ગષ્ઘષ્ઙષ્ચષ્છષ્જષ્ઝષ્ઞષ્ટષ્ઠષ્ડષ્ઢષ્ણષ્તષ્થષ્દષ્ધષ્નષ્પષ્ફષ્બષ્ભષ્મષ્યષ્રષ્લષ્ળષ્વષ્શષ્ષષ્સષ્હ
સસ્કસ્ખસ્ગસ્ઘસ્ઙસ્ચસ્છસ્જસ્ઝસ્ઞસ્ટસ્ઠસ્ડસ્ઢસ્ણસ્તસ્થસ્દસ્ધસ્નસ્પસ્ફસ્બસ્ભસ્મસ્યસ્રસ્લસ્ળસ્વસ્શસ્ષસ્સસ્હ
હહ્કહ્ખહ્ગહ્ઘહ્ઙહ્ચહ્છહ્જહ્ઝહ્ઞહ્ટહ્ઠહ્ડહ્ઢહ્ણહ્તહ્થહ્દહ્ધહ્નહ્પહ્ફહ્બહ્ભહ્મહ્યહ્રહ્લહ્ળહ્વહ્શહ્ષહ્સહ્હ