Na (Indic)

The Brahmi letter , Na, is probably derived from the Aramaic Nun , and is thus related to the modern Latin N and Greek Nu.[2] Several identifiable styles of writing the Brahmi Na can be found, most associated with a specific set of inscriptions from an artifact or diverse records from an historic period.[3] As the earliest and most geometric style of Brahmi, the letters found on the Edicts of Ashoka and other records from around that time are normally the reference form for Brahmi letters, with vowel marks not attested until later forms of Brahmi back-formed to match the geometric writing style.

Brahmi Na historic forms

Ashoka (3rd-1st c. BCE)	Girnar (~150 BCE)	Kushana (~150-250 CE)	Gujarat (~250 CE)	Gupta (~350 CE)

The Tocharian letter is derived from the Brahmi , and has an alternate Fremdzeichen form used in conjuncts and as an alternate representation of Nä.

Tocharian Na with vowel marks

Na	Nā	Ni	Nī	Nu	Nū	Nr	Nr̄	Ne	Nai	No	Nau	Nä	Fremdzeichen

The Kharoṣṭhī letter is generally accepted as being derived from the Aramaic Nun , and is thus related to N and Nu, in addition to the Brahmi Na.[2]

In all languages, न is pronounced as [nə] or [n] when appropriate. Like all Indic scripts, Devanagari uses vowel marks attached to the base consonant to override the inherent /ə/ vowel:

Half form of Na.

Devanagari exhibits conjunct ligatures, as is common in Indic scripts. In modern Devanagari texts, most conjuncts are formed by reducing the letter shape to fit tightly to the following letter, usually by dropping a character's vertical stem, sometimes referred to as a "half form". Some conjunct clusters are always represented by a true ligature, instead of a shape that can be broken into constituent independent letters. Vertically stacked conjuncts are ubiquitous in older texts, while only a few are still used routinely in modern Devanagari texts. The use of ligatures and vertical conjuncts may vary across languages using the Devanagari script, with Marathi in particular preferring the use of half forms where texts in other languages would show ligatures and vertical stacks.[4]

True ligatures are quite rare in Indic scripts. The most common ligated conjuncts in Devanagari are in the form of a slight mutation to fit in context or as a consistent variant form appended to the adjacent characters. Those variants include the Repha and Rakar forms of Ra. Nepali and Marathi texts use the "eyelash" Ra half form for an initial "R" instead of repha.

• न্ (n) + न (na) gives us the ligature nna: ^note

• Repha र্ (r) + न (na) gives us the ligature rna:

• Eyelash र্ (r) + न (na) gives us the ligature rna:

• न্ (n) + rakar र (ra) gives us the ligature nra:

Vertically stacked ligatures are the most common conjunct forms found in Devanagari text. Although the constituent characters may need to be stretched and moved slightly in order to stack neatly, stacked conjuncts can be broken down into recognizable base letters, or a letter and an otherwise standard ligature. As the trailing letter in many conjuncts, Na will show a reduced form, angling down and to the right in order to stack under the preceding consonant.

• भ্ (bʰ) + न (na) gives us the ligature bʰna:

• ब্ (b) + न (na) gives us the ligature bna:

• छ্ (cʰ) + न (na) gives us the ligature cʰna:

• च্ (c) + न (na) gives us the ligature cna:

• ढ্ (ḍʱ) + न (na) gives us the ligature ḍʱna:

• ड্ (ḍ) + न (na) gives us the ligature ḍna:

• ध্ (dʱ) + न (na) gives us the ligature dʱna:

• द্ (d) + न (na) gives us the ligature dna:

• घ্ (ɡʱ) + न (na) gives us the ligature ɡʱna:

• ग্ (g) + न (na) gives us the ligature gna:

• ग্ (g) + न্ (n) + य (ya) gives us the ligature gnya:

• ह্ (h) + न (na) gives us the ligature hna:

• झ্ (jʰ) + न (na) gives us the ligature jʰna:

• ज্ (j) + न (na) gives us the ligature jna:

• ख্ (kʰ) + न (na) gives us the ligature kʰna:

• क্ (k) + न (na) gives us the ligature kna:

• ल্ (l) + न (na) gives us the ligature lna:

• म্ (m) + न (na) gives us the ligature mna:

• न্ (n) + च (ca) gives us the ligature nca:

• न্ (n) + द্ (d) + ध (dʱa) gives us the ligature nddʱa:

• ङ্ (ŋ) + न (na) gives us the ligature ŋna:

• न্ (n) + ज (ja) gives us the ligature nja:

• न্ (n) + ज্ (j) + ञ (ña) gives us the ligature njña:

• न্ (n) + ल (la) gives us the ligature nla:

• ण্ (ṇ) + न (na) gives us the ligature ṇna:

• न্ (n) + ञ (ña) gives us the ligature nña:

• ञ্ (ñ) + न (na) gives us the ligature ñna:

• फ্ (pʰ) + न (na) gives us the ligature pʰna:

• प্ (p) + न (na) gives us the ligature pna:

• श্ (ʃ) + न (na) gives us the ligature ʃna:

• स্ (s) + न (na) gives us the ligature sna:

• ष্ (ṣ) + न (na) gives us the ligature ṣna:

• थ্ (tʰ) + न (na) gives us the ligature tʰna:

• त্ (t) + न (na) gives us the ligature tna:

• ठ্ (ṭʰ) + न (na) gives us the ligature ṭʰna:

• ट্ (ṭ) + न (na) gives us the ligature ṭna:

• त্ (t) + त্ (t) + न (na) gives us the ligature ttna:

• व্ (v) + न (na) gives us the ligature vna:

• य্ (y) + न (na) gives us the ligature yna:

ন is used as a basic consonant character in all of the major Bengali script orthographies, including Bengali and Assamese.

Bengali ন exhibits conjunct ligatures, as is common in Indic scripts, with a tendency towards a trailing ন realized as a reduced form in stacked ligatures, similar to Va-phala, and initial ন appending a reduced form onto the vertical stemline of the following consonant, or as a fully stacked ligature.[5]

• ধ্ (dʱ) + ন (na) gives us the ligature dʱna:

• ঘ্ (ɡʱ) + ন (na) gives us the ligature ɡʱna:

• গ্ (g) + ন (na) gives us the ligature gna:

• গ্ (g) + ন্ (n) + য (ya) gives us the ligature gnya, with the ya phala suffix:

• ক্ (k) + শ্ (ʃ) + ন (na) gives us the ligature kʃna:

• ম্ (m) + ন (na) gives us the ligature mna:

• ন্ (n) + দ (da) gives us the ligature nda:

• ন্ (n) + ড (ḍa) gives us the ligature nḍa:

• ন্ (n) + ড্ (ḍ) + র (ra) gives us the ligature nḍra, with the ra phala suffix:

• ন্ (n) + ধ (dʱa) gives us the ligature ndʱa:

• ন্ (n) + ধ্ (dʱ) + র (ra) gives us the ligature ndʱra, with the ra phala suffix:

• ন্ (n) + ধ্ (dʱ) + য (ya) gives us the ligature ndʱya, with the ya phala suffix:

• ন্ (n) + দ্ (d) + র (ra) gives us the ligature ndra, with the ra phala suffix:

• ন্ (n) + দ্ (d) + ব (va) gives us the ligature ndva, with the va phala suffix:

• ন্ (n) + দ্ (d) + য (ya) gives us the ligature ndya, with the ya phala suffix:

• ন্ (n) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature nma:

• ন্ (n) + ন (na) gives us the ligature nna:

• ন্ (n) + ত (ta) gives us the ligature nta:

• ন্ (n) + থ (tʰa) gives us the ligature ntʰa:

• ন্ (n) + থ্ (tʰ) + র (ra) gives us the ligature ntʰra, with the ra phala suffix:

• ন্ (n) + ত্ (t) + র (ra) gives us the ligature ntra, with the ra phala suffix:

• ন্ (n) + ত্ (t) + র্ (r) + য (ya) gives us the ligature ntrya, with the ra phala and ya phala suffixes

• ন্ (n) + ট (ṭa) gives us the ligature nṭa:

• ন্ (n) + ঠ (ṭʰa) gives us the ligature nṭʰa:

• ন্ (n) + ট্ (ṭ) + র (ra) gives us the ligature nṭra, with the ra phala suffix:

• ন্ (n) + ত্ (t) + ব (va) gives us the ligature ntva, with the va phala suffix:

• ন্ (n) + ত্ (t) + য (ya) gives us the ligature ntya, with the ya phala suffix:

• ন্ (n) + ব (va) gives us the ligature nva, with the va phala suffix:

• ন্ (n) + য (ya) gives us the ligature nya, with the ya phala suffix:

• প্ (p) + ন (na) gives us the ligature pna:

• র্ (r) + ন (na) gives us the ligature rna, with the repha prefix:

• শ্ (ʃ) + ন (na) gives us the ligature ʃna:

• স্ (s) + ন (na) gives us the ligature sna:

• ত্ (t) + ন (na) gives us the ligature tna:

The Gujarati script is used to write the Gujarati and Kutchi languages. In both languages, ન is pronounced as [nə] or [n] when appropriate. Like all Indic scripts, Gujarati uses vowel marks attached to the base consonant to override the inherent /ə/ vowel:

Na	Nā	Ni	Nī	Nu	Nū	Nr	Nl	Nr̄	Nl̄	Nĕ	Ne	Nai	Nŏ	No	Nau	N
Gujarati Na syllables, with vowel marks in red.

Half form of Na.

Gujarati ન exhibits conjunct ligatures, much like its parent Devanagari Script. Most Gujarati conjuncts can only be formed by reducing the letter shape to fit tightly to the following letter, usually by dropping a character's vertical stem, sometimes referred to as a "half form". A few conjunct clusters can be represented by a true ligature, instead of a shape that can be broken into constituent independent letters, and vertically stacked conjuncts can also be found in Gujarati, although much less commonly than in Devanagari.

True ligatures are quite rare in Indic scripts. The most common ligated conjuncts in Gujarati are in the form of a slight mutation to fit in context or as a consistent variant form appended to the adjacent characters. One of the most common variants includes a form of Na that angles downward. Other non-half form variants include the Repha and Rakar forms of Ra.

• ર્ (r) + ન (na) gives us the ligature RNa:

• ન્ (n) + ર (ra) gives us the ligature NRa:

• ન્ (n) + ન (na) gives us the ligature NNa:

• ડ્ (ɖ) + ન (na) gives us the ligature ḌNa:

• ઢ્ (ɖʱ) + ન (na) gives us the ligature ḌhNa:

• ખ્ (kʰ) + ન (na) gives us the ligature KhNa:

• ગ્ (g) + ન (na) gives us the ligature GNa:

• ઘ્ (ɡʱ) + ન (na) gives us the ligature GhNa:

• ચ્ (c) + ન (na) gives us the ligature CNa:

• ઞ્ (ɲ) + ન (na) gives us the ligature ÑNa:

• ત્ (t) + ન (na) gives us the ligature TNa:

• થ્ (tʰ) + ન (na) gives us the ligature ThNa:

• દ્ (d) + ન (na) gives us the ligature DNa:

• ધ્ (dʱ) + ન (na) gives us the ligature DhNa:

• પ્ (p) + ન (na) gives us the ligature PNa:

• બ્ (b) + ન (na) gives us the ligature BNa:

• ભ્ (bʰ) + ન (na) gives us the ligature BhNa:

• મ્ (m) + ન (na) gives us the ligature MNa:

• ય્ (y) + ન (na) gives us the ligature YNa:

• લ્ (l) + ન (na) gives us the ligature LNa:

• ળ્ (ɭ̆) + ન (na) gives us the ligature LlNa:

• વ્ (v) + ન (na) gives us the ligature VNa:

• શ્ (ʃ) + ન (na) gives us the ligature ŚNa:

• હ્ (h) + ન (na) gives us the ligature HNa:

Malayalam letter Chillu N

As is common in Indic scripts, Malayalam joins letters together to form conjunct consonant clusters. There are several ways in which conjuncts are formed in Malayalam texts: using a post-base form of a trailing consonant placed under the initial consonant of a conjunct, a combined ligature of two or more consonants joined together, a conjoining form that appears as a combining mark on the rest of the conjunct, the use of an explicit candrakkala mark to suppress the inherent "a" vowel, or a special consonant form called a "chillu" letter, representing a bare consonant without the inherent "a" vowel. Texts written with the modern reformed Malayalam orthography, put̪iya lipi, may favor more regular conjunct forms than older texts in paḻaya lipi, due to changes undertaken in the 1970s by the Government of Kerala.

• ന് (n) + ത (ta) gives us the ligature nta:

• ന് (n) + ഥ (tʰa) gives us the ligature ntʰa:

• ന് (n) + ദ (da) gives us the ligature nda:

• ന് (n) + ധ (dʱa) gives us the ligature ndʱa:

• ക് (k) + ന (na) gives us the ligature kna:

• ഗ് (g) + ന (na) gives us the ligature gna:

• ഘ് (ɡʱ) + ന (na) gives us the ligature ɡʱna:

• ത് (t) + ന (na) gives us the ligature tna:

• ന് (n) + ന (na) gives us the ligature nna:

• പ് (p) + ന (na) gives us the ligature pna:

• ശ് (ʃ) + ന (na) gives us the ligature ʃna:

• സ് (s) + ന (na) gives us the ligature sna:

• ഹ് (h) + ന (na) gives us the ligature hna:

• ന് (n) + മ (ma) gives us the ligature nma:

• ന് (n) + റ (rra) gives us the ligature nrra:

As is common in Indic scripts, Odia joins letters together to form conjunct consonant clusters. The most common conjunct formation is achieved by using a small subjoined form of trailing consonants. Most consonants' subjoined forms are identical to the full form, just reduced in size, although a few drop the curved headline or have a subjoined form not directly related to the full form of the consonant.The subjoined form of Na is one of these mismatched forms, and is referred to as "Na Phala". The second type of conjunct formation is through pure ligatures, where the constituent consonants are written together in a single graphic form. This ligature may be recognizable as being a combination of two characters or it can have a conjunct ligature unrelated to its constituent characters.

• ନ୍ (n) + ଦ (da) gives us the ligature nda:

• ନ୍ (n) + ଧ (dʱa) gives us the ligature ndʱa: