Chakma script
The Chakma Script (Ajhฤ pฤแนญh), also called Ojhapath, Ojhopath, Aaojhapath, is an abugida used for the Chakma language.
Chakma Changmha Ajhapat ๐๐๐ด๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ด | |
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'Changmha Ajhapat' | |
Type | |
Languages | Chakma language |
Parent systems | |
Direction | Left-to-right |
ISO 15924 | Cakm, 349 |
Unicode alias | Chakma |
U+11100โU+1114F | |
Brahmic scripts |
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The Brahmic script and its descendants |
History
The Chakma script is an abugida that belongs to the Brahmic family of scripts. Chakma evolved from the Burmese script, which was ultimately derived from Pallava.[5][6][7]
The script, along with the Chakma language, has been introduced to non-government schools in Bangladesh, as well as schools in Mizoram and as of 2012 in Tripura in India. [8]
Structure
Chakma is of the Brahmic type: the consonant letters contain an inherent vowel. Unusually for Brahmic scripts, the inherent vowel in Chakma is a long 'ฤ' (aห) as opposed to short 'a' (ษ) which is standard in most other languages of India such as Hindi, Marathi or Tamil. Consonant clusters are written with conjunct characters, and a visible vowel killer shows the deletion of the inherent vowel when there is no conjunct.
Vowels
Four independent vowels exist: ๐ a, ๐ i, ๐ u, and ๐ e. Other vowels in initial position are formed by adding the vowel sign to ๐ a, as in ๐๐ฉ ฤซ, ๐๐ซ ลซ, ๐๐ญ ai, ๐๐ฐ oi. Some modern writers are generalizing this spelling in ๐๐จ i, ๐๐ช u, and ๐๐ฌ e.
Chakma vowel signs with the letter ๐ ka are given below:
๐ Ka = ๐ Ka
๐๐ง Ka = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ง - a (11127)
๐๐จ Ki = ๐ Kฤ + ๐จ - i (11128)
๐๐ฉ Kฤซ = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ฉ - ฤซ (11129)
๐๐ช Ku = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ช - u (1112A)
๐๐ซ Kลซ = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ซ - ลซ (1112B)
๐๐ฌ Ke = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ฌ - e (1112C)
๐๐ญ Kฤi = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ญ - ฤi (1112D)
๐๐ฎ Ko = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ฎ - o (1112E)
๐๐ฏ Kau = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ฏ - au (1112F)
๐๐ฐ Koi = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ฐ - oi (11130)
๐๐ Kaแน = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ - แน (11100)
๐๐ Kaแน = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ - แน (11101)
๐๐ Kaแธฅ = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ - แธฅ (11102)
๐๐ด K = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ด - MAAYYAA (11134)
One of the interesting features of Chakma writing is that candrabindu (cฤnaphudฤ) can be used together with anusvara (ekaphudฤ) and visarga (dviphudฤ):
๐๐๐ Aแธฅแน = ๐ ฤ + ๐ h + ๐แน
๐๐๐ Aแนแน = ๐ ฤ + ๐ แน + ๐แน
๐ ๐๐ Uแนแน = ๐ u + ๐ แน + ๐แน
๐๐ช๐ Muแน = ๐ mฤ + ๐ช u + ๐แน
Consonants with killed vowels and conjunct consonants
Like other Brahmic scripts, Chakma makes use of the maayyaa (killer) to invoke conjoined consonants. In the past, practice was much more common than it is today. Like the Myanmar script, Chakma is encoded with two vowel-killing characters in order to conform to modern user expectations. As shown above, most letters have their vowels killed with the use of the explicit maayyaa:
๐๐ด k = ๐ kฤ + ๐ด MAAYYAA
In 2001 an orthographic reform was recommended in the book Cฤแน mฤ pattham pฤt which would limit the standard repertoire of conjuncts to those composed with the five letters ๐ yฤ, ๐ข rฤ, ๐ฃ lฤ, ๐ค wฤ, and ๐ nฤ. The four here are the most widely accepted repertoire of conjuncts.
ya: X + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ yฤ
๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐
๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ ๐ ๐ณ๐ ๐ก๐ณ๐ ๐ข๐ณ๐ ๐ค๐ณ๐ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐
ra: X + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ข rฤ
๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข - ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข - ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข
๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข - ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข - ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข ๐ ๐ณ๐ข ๐ก๐ณ๐ข ๐ข๐ณ๐ข ๐ค๐ณ๐ข ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ข
la: X + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ฃ lฤ
๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ - ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ - ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ
๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ - ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ ๐๐ณ๐ฃ - ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฃ ๐ ๐ณ๐ฃ ๐ก๐ณ๐ฃ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ฃ
wa: X + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ค wฤ
๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค - ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค - ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค
๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค - ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค - ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ค ๐ ๐ณ๐ค ๐ก๐ณ๐ค ๐ข๐ณ๐ค ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ค
No separate conjunct forms of subjoined full-form -yฤ or -rฤ appear to exist. The fifth of these conjuncts, the -na conjunct, is exemplary of the orthographic shift which has taken place in the Chakma language.
na: X + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ nฤ
๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐
๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ ๐ ๐ณ๐ ๐ก๐ณ๐ ๐ข๐ณ๐ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐
While some writers would indeed write kakna (in ligating style) as ๐๐๐ณ๐ or (in subjoining style) as ๐๐๐ณ๐, most now would probably expect it to be written as ๐๐๐ด๐. The ligating style of glyphs is now considered old-fashioned. Thus, taking the letter ๐ mฤ as the second element, while the glyph shapes ๐๐ณ๐ kmฤ, ๐๐ณ๐ tmฤ, ๐๐ณ๐ nmฤ, ๐๐ณ๐ bbฤ, ๐๐ณ๐ mmฤ, ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ฃ llฤ, ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ smฤ, and ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ hmฤ are attested, most users now prefer the glyph shapes ๐๐ณ๐ kmฤ, ๐๐ณ๐ tmฤ, ๐๐ณ๐ nmฤ, ๐๐ณ๐ bbฤ, ๐๐ณ๐ mmฤ, ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ฃ llฤ, ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ smฤ, and ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ hmฤ. Again, this distinction is stylistic and not orthographic.
The 2004 book Phadagaแน shows examples of the five conjuncts above together alongside conjuncts formed with ๐ bฤ, ๐ mฤ, and ๐ฆ hฤ. These are all formed by simple subjoining.
ba: X + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ nฤ
๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐
๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐ ๐ณ๐ ๐ก๐ณ๐ ๐ข๐ณ๐ ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ ๐ค๐ณ๐ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐
ma: X + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ nฤ
๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐
๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ - ๐ ๐ณ๐ ๐ก๐ณ๐ ๐ข๐ณ๐ ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ ๐ค๐ณ๐ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐
ha: X + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ฆ nฤ
๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ - ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ - ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ
๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ - ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ - ๐ ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ก๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ฆ
In the 1982 book Cฤแน mฤr ฤg pudhi a much wider range of conjunct pairs is shown, some of them with fairly complicated glyphs:
๐๐ณ๐ Kkฤ = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Kฤ
๐๐ณ๐ Ktฤ = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Tฤ
๐๐ณ๐ Ktฤ = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Tฤ
๐๐ณ๐ Kmฤ = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Mฤ
๐๐ณ๐ Kcฤ = ๐ Kฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Cฤ
๐๐ณ๐ ลkฤ = ๐ ลฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Kฤ
๐๐ณ๐ ลkฤ = ๐ ลฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Gฤ
๐๐ณ๐ ccฤ = ๐ cฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Cฤ
๐๐ณ๐ Cchฤ = ๐ Cฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Chฤ
๐๐ณ๐ รฑcฤ = ๐ รฑฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Cฤ
๐๐ณ๐ รฑjฤ = ๐ รฑฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Jฤ
๐๐ณ๐ รjhฤ = ๐ รฑฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Jhฤ
๐๐ณ๐ Ttฤ = ๐ Tฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Tฤ
๐๐ณ๐ Ttฤ = ๐ Tฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Tฤ
๐๐ณ๐ Tmฤ = ๐ Tฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ mฤ
๐๐ณ๐ Tthฤ = ๐ Tฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Thฤ
๐๐ณ๐ Ddฤ = ๐ Dฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Dฤ
๐๐ณ๐ Ddhฤ = ๐ Dฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ Dhฤ
๐๐ณ๐ ntฤ = ๐ nฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ tฤ
๐๐ณ๐ nthฤ = ๐ nฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ thฤ
๐๐ณ๐ nmฤ = ๐ nฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ mฤ
๐๐ณ๐ ppฤ = ๐ pฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ pฤ
๐๐ณ๐ bbฤ = ๐ bฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ bฤ
๐๐ณ๐ mmฤ = ๐ mฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ mฤ
๐๐ณ๐ jjฤ = ๐ jฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ jฤ
๐ฃ๐ณ๐ lkฤ = ๐ฃ lฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ kฤ
๐ฃ๐ณ๐ lgฤ = ๐ฃ lฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ gฤ
๐ฃ๐ณ๐ฃ llฤ = ๐ฃ lฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ฃ lฤ
๐ฃ๐ณ๐ ltฤ = ๐ฃ lฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ tฤ
๐ฃ๐ณ๐ lpฤ = ๐ฃ lฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ pฤ
๐ฃ๐ณ๐ lchฤ = ๐ฃ lฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ chฤ
๐ฅ๐ณ๐ stฤ = ๐ฅ sฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ tฤ
๐ฅ๐ณ๐ skฤ = ๐ฅ sฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ kฤ
๐ฅ๐ณ๐ spฤ = ๐ฅ sฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ pฤ
๐ฅ๐ณ๐ smฤ = ๐ฅ sฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ mฤ
๐ฆ๐ณ๐ hmฤ = ๐ฆ hฤ + ๐ณ VIRAMA + ๐ hmฤ
Letter, punctuation and digit names
Chakma letters have a descriptive name followed by a traditional Brahmic consonant. These are given in annotations to the character names. Alongside a single and double danda punctuation, Chakma has a unique question mark, and a section sign, Phulacihna. There is some variation in the glyphs for the Phulacihna, some looking like flowers or leaves. A set of digits exists although Bengali digits are also used.
Unicode
Chakma script was added to the Unicode Standard in January, 2012 with the release of version 6.1.[9]
The Unicode block for Chakma script is U+11100โU+1114F. Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points:
Chakma[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+1110x | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ |
U+1111x | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ |
U+1112x | ๐ | ๐ก | ๐ข | ๐ฃ | ๐ค | ๐ฅ | ๐ฆ | ๐ง | ๐จ | ๐ฉ | ๐ช | ๐ซ | ๐ฌ | ๐ญ | ๐ฎ | ๐ฏ |
U+1113x | ๐ฐ | ๐ฑ | ๐ฒ | ๐ณ | ๐ด | ๐ถ | ๐ท | ๐ธ | ๐น | ๐บ | ๐ป | ๐ผ | ๐ฝ | ๐พ | ๐ฟ | |
U+1114x | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ||||||||
Notes |
References
- Handbook of Literacy in Akshara Orthography, R. Malatesha Joshi, Catherine McBride(2019),p.28
- Talukdar, S. P. (2010). Genesis of Indigenous Chakma Buddhists and Their Pulverization Worldwide. ISBN 9788178357584.
- Mru: Hill People on the Border of Bangladesh. 11 November 2013. ISBN 9783034856942.
- http://unicode.org/L2/L2009/09187r-n3645r-chakma.pdf
- Talukdar, S. P. (2010). Genesis of Indigenous Chakma Buddhists and Their Pulverization Worldwide. ISBN 9788178357584.
- Mru: Hill People on the Border of Bangladesh. 11 November 2013. ISBN 9783034856942.
- http://unicode.org/L2/L2009/09187r-n3645r-chakma.pdf
- Brandt, Carmen (January 2014). "Script as a potential demarcator and stabilizer of languages in South Asia": 86. Cite journal requires
|journal=
(help) - Download First & Only Chakma Unicode Font and Keyboard, retrieved 2020-01-16
Further reading
- Everson, Michael; Hosken, Martin (August 13, 2009). "Proposal for encoding the Chakma script in the UCS" (PDF). The Unicode Consortium.
- 'เฆฐเฆฟเฆฌเงเฆ เฆเฆเฆจเฆฟ'เฆคเง เฆฒเงเฆเฆพ เฆนเฆฌเง เฆเฆพเฆเฆฎเฆพ เฆญเฆพเฆทเฆพ [RibengUni will be written in the Chakma language]. Kaler Kantho. 2012-06-18. Archived from the original on 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
External links
- Omniglot's entry on the Chakma script
- RibengUni (First & Only Chakma Unicode Font)
- Chakma Script
- Chakma Bangla Blog
- Chakma Prototype Keyboard
- Chakma Unicode Converter
- Available Chakma Unicode Font
- Chakma Keyboard Layout for Mac OSX*Chakma Open Dictionary
- "Chakma alphabet, pronunciation and language". Omniglot. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
- "Tribal Languages - Banglapedia". Banglapedia. Retrieved 2018-09-01.