Assamese alphabet
The Assamese alphabet is a writing system of the Assamese language and is a part of the Bengali-Assamese script. This script was also used in Assam and nearby regions for Sanskrit as well as other languages such as Bodo, Khasi, Mising, Jaintia etc. The current form of the script has seen continuous development from the 5th-century Umachal/Nagajari-Khanikargaon rock inscriptions written in an eastern variety of the Gupta script, adopting significant traits from the Siddhaṃ script in the 7th century. By the 17th century three styles of Assamese alphabets could be identified that converged to the standard script following typesetting required for printing. The present standard is identical to the Bengali alphabet except for two letters, ৰ and ৱ ; and the letter ক্ষ has evolved into an individual consonant by itself with its own phonetic quality whereas in the Bengali alphabet it is an original conjunct of two letters.
The Buranjis were written during the Ahom dynasty in the Assamese language using the Assamese alphabet. In the 14th century Madhava Kandali used Assamese alphabets to compose the famous Saptakanda Ramayana, which is the Assamese translation of Valmiki's Sanskrit Ramayana. Later, Sankardev used it in the 15th and 16th centuries to compose his oeuvre in Assamese and Brajavali dialect, the literary language of the bhakti poems and dramas.
The Ahom king Supangmung was the first ruler who started issuing Assamese coins for his kingdom. Some similar scripts with minor differences are used to write Maithili, Bengali, Meithei and Sylheti.
History
The Umachal rock inscription of the 5th century evidences one of the earliest use of the script in the region. The script was very similar to the one used in Samudragupta's Allahabad Pillar inscription. Rock and copper plate inscriptions from then onwards, and Xaansi bark manuscripts right up to the 18th–19th centuries show a steady development of the Assamese alphabet. The script could be said to develop proto-Assamese shapes by the 13th century. In the 18th and 19th century, the Assamese script could be divided into three varieties: Kaitheli, Bamuniya and Garhgaya —among which the Kaitheli style was the most popular, with medieval books and sattras using this style. In the early part of the 19th century, Atmaram Sarmah designed the first Assamese script for printing in Serampore, and the Bengali and Assamese lithography converged to the present standard that is used today.Letters
Vowels
The script presently has a total of 11 vowel letters, used to represent the eight main vowel sounds of Assamese, along with a number of vowel diphthongs. All of these are used in both Assamese and Bengali, the two main languages using the script. In addition to the vowel system in the Bengali alphabet the Assamese alphabet has an additional "matra" that is used to represent the phonemes অʼ and এʼ. Some of the vowel letters have different sounds depending on the word, and a number of vowel distinctions preserved in the writing system are not pronounced as such in modern spoken Assamese or Bengali. For example, the Assamese script has two symbols for the vowel sound and two symbols for the vowel sound. This redundancy stems from the time when this script was used to write Sanskrit, a language that had a short and a long, and a short and a long. These letters are preserved in the Assamese script with their traditional names of hôrswô i and dirghô i, etc., despite the fact that they are no longer pronounced differently in ordinary speech.Vowel signs can be used in conjunction with consonants to modify the pronunciation of the consonant. When no vowel is written, the vowel অ is often assumed. To specifically denote the absence of a vowel, may be written underneath the consonant.
| Letter | Name of letter | Vowel sign with | Name of vowel sign | Transliteration | IPA |
| অ | o | ক | ko | ||
| অ or অʼ | ó | ক or কʼ | urdho-comma | kó | |
| আ | a | কা | akar | ka | |
| ই | hroswo i | কি | hôrswôikar | ki | |
| ঈ | dirgho i | কী | dirghoikar | ki | |
| উ | hroswo u | কু | hroswoukar | ku | |
| ঊ | dirgho u | কূ | dirghoukar | ku | |
| ঋ | ri | কৃ | rikar | kri | |
| এ | e | কে | ekar | kê and ke | and |
| ঐ | oi | কৈ | ôikar | koi | |
| ও | ü | কো | ükar | kü | |
| ঔ | ou | কৌ | oukar | kou |
Consonants
The names of the consonant letters in Assamese are typically just the consonant's main pronunciation plus the inherent vowel ô. Since the inherent vowel is assumed and not written, most letters' names look identical to the letter itself. Some letters that have lost their distinctive pronunciation in Modern Assamese are called by a more elaborate name. For example, since the consonant phoneme /n/ can be written ন, ণ, or ঞ, these letters are not simply called no; instead, they are called ন dontyo no, ণ murdhoinnyo no, and ঞ inyo. Similarly, the phoneme can be written as শ taloibbyo xo, ষ murdhoinnyo xo, or স dontyo xo, the phoneme can be written using চ prothom sô or ছ dwitio so, and the phoneme can be written using জ borgio zo or য ontohstho zo, depending on the standard spelling of the particular word.| Letter | Name of Letter | Transliteration | IPA |
| ক | ko | k | |
| খ | kho | kh | |
| গ | go | g | |
| ঘ | gho | gh | |
| ঙ | uŋo | ng | |
| চ | prothom so | s | |
| ছ | dwitio so | s | |
| জ | borgiyo zo | z | |
| ঝ | zho | zh | |
| ঞ | inyo | y | , |
| ট | murdhoinyo to | t | |
| ঠ | murdhoinyo tho | th | |
| ড | murdhoinyo do | d | |
| ঢ | murdhoinyo dho | dh | |
| ণ | murdhoinyo no | n | |
| ত | dontyo to | t | |
| থ | dontyo tho | th | |
| দ | dontyo do | d | |
| ধ | dontyo dho | dh | |
| ন | dontyo no | n | |
| প | po | p | |
| ফ | pho | ph and f | ~ |
| ব | bo | b | |
| ভ | bho | bh and v | ~ |
| ম | mo | m | |
| য | ontohstho zo | z | |
| Assamese rô | ro | r | |
| ল | lo | l | |
| ৱ | wo | w | ~ |
| শ | taloibyo xo | x and s | ~ |
| ষ | murdhoinyo xo | x and s | ~ |
| স | dontyo xo | x and s | ~ |
| হ | ho | h | ~ |
| ক্ষ | khyo | khy, kkh | |
| ড় | dore ro | r | |
| ঢ় | dhore ro | rh | |
| য় | ontohstho yô | y |
Assamese or Asamiya consonants include thirty three pure consonant letters in Assamese alphabet and each letter represents a single sound with an inherent vowel, the short vowel /a /.
The first twenty-five consonants letters are called sporxo borno. These sporxo bornos are again divided into five borgos. Therefore, these twenty-five letters are also called borgio borno.
The Assamese consonants are typically just the consonant's main pronunciation plus the inherent vowel o. The inherent vowel is assumed and not written, thus, names of most letters look identical to the letter itself.
Some letters have lost their distinctive pronunciation in modern Assamese are called by a more elaborate name. For example, since the consonant phoneme /n/ can be written ন, ণ, or ঞ, these letters are not simply called no; instead, they are called ন dointo no, ণ murdhoinyo no, and ঞ nio.
Similarly, the phoneme /x/ can be written as শ taloibyo xo, ষ murdhonno xo, or স dointo xo, the phoneme /s/ can be written using চ prothom so or ছ dwitio so, and the phoneme /z/ can be written using জ borgio zo or য ontohstho zo, depending on the standard spelling of the particular word.
The consonants can be arranged in following groups:
Group: 1 – Gutturals
| Consonants | Phonetics |
| ক | kô |
| খ | khô |
| গ | gô |
| ঘ | ghô |
| ঙ | ṅgô |
Group: 2 – Palatals
| Consonants | Phonetics |
| চ | prôthôm sô |
| ছ | dwitiyô sô |
| জ | bôrgiyo jô |
| ঝ | jhô |
| ঞ | iñyô |
Group: 3 – Cerebrals or Retroflex
| Consonants | Phonetics |
| ট | murdhôinyo ṭa |
| ঠ | murdhôinyo ṭha |
| ড | murdhôinyo ḍa |
| ড় | daré ṛa |
| ঢ | murdhôinyo ḍha |
| ঢ় | dharé ṛha |
| ণ | murdhôinyo ṇa |
Group: 4 – Dentals
| Consonants | Phonetics |
| ত | dôntyo ta |
| ৎ | khanda ṯ |
| থ | dôntyo tha |
| দ | dôntyo da |
| ধ | dôntyo dha |
| ন | dôntyo na |
Group: 5 – Labials
| Consonants | Phonetics |
| প | pa |
| ফ | pha |
| ব | ba |
| ভ | bha |
| ম | ma |
Group: 6 – Semivowels
| Consonants | Phonetics |
| য | ôntôhsthô zô |
| য় | ôntôhsthô ẏô |
| ৰ | ra |
| ল | la |
| ৱ | wa |
Group: 7 – Sibilants
| Consonants | Phonetics |
| শ | talôibyo xô |
| ষ | mudhôinnya xô |
| স | dôntyo xô |
Group: 8 – Aspirate
Group: 9 – Anuxāra
Group: 9 – Bixarga
Group: 10 – Chandrabindu
- The letters শ, ষ, স and হ are called usma barna
- The letters য, ৰ, ল and ৱ are called ôntôhsthô barna
- The letters ড় and ঢ় are phonetically similar to /ra/
- The letter য is articulated like 'ôntôhsthô yô' in the word medial and final position. To denote the ôntôhsthô ẏô, the letter য় is used in Assameseৎ means the consonant letter Tö without the inherent vowel
Halant
To write a consonant without the inherent vowel the halant sign is used below the base glyph. In Assamese this sign is called hôsôntô or tôlôr réf.Consonant Conjuncts
In Assamese, the combination of three consonants is possible without their intervening vowels. There are about 122 conjunct letters. A few conjunct letters are given below:Anuxôr
Anuxôr indicates a nasal consonant sound. When an anuxar comes before a consonant belonging to any of the 5 bargas, it represents the nasal consonant belonging to that barga.Candrabindu
Chandrabindu denotes nasalization of the vowel that is attached to it.Bixargô
Bixargô represents a sound similar to /h /.Consonant clusters according to Goswami
According to G. C. Goswami, the number of two-phoneme clusters is 143 symbolised by 174 conjunct letters. Three phoneme clusters are 21 in number, which are written by 27 conjunct clusters. A few of them are given hereafter as examples:| Conjunct letters | Transliteration | Phoneme clusters |
| ক + ক | ক্ক kkô | |
| ঙ + ক | ঙ্ক ŋkô | |
| ল + ক | ল্ক lkô | |
| স + ক | স্ক skô | |
| স + ফ | স্ফ sphô | |
| ঙ + খ | ঙ্খ ŋkhô | |
| স + খ | স্খ skhô | |
| ঙ + গ | ঙ্গ ŋgô | |
| ঙ + ঘ | ঙ্ঘ ŋghô | |
| দ + ঘ | দ্ঘ dghô | |
| শ + চ | শ্চ ssô | |
| চ + ছ | চ্ছ sshô | |
| ঞ + ছ | ঞ্ছ ñshô | |
| ঞ + জ | ঞ্জ ñzô | |
| জ + ঞ | জ্ঞ zñô | |
| ল + ট | ল্ট lṭô | |
| ণ + ঠ | ণ্ঠ ṇṭhô | |
| ষ + ঠ | ষ্ঠ ṣṭhô | |
| ণ + ড | ণ্ড ṇḍô | |
| ষ + ণ | ষ্ণ ṣṇô | |
| হ + ন | হ hnô | |
| ক + ষ | ক্ষ ksô | |
| প + ত | প্ত ptô | |
| স + ত | স্ত stô | |
| ক + ত | ক্ত ktô | |
| গ + ন | গ্ন gnô | |
| ম + ন | ম্ন mnô | |
| শ + ন | শ্ন snô | |
| স + ন | স্ন snô | |
| হ + ন | হ্ন hnô | |
| ত + থ | ত্থ tthô | |
| ন + থ | ন্থ nthô | |
| ষ + থ | ষ্থ sthô | |
| ন + দ | ন্দ ndô | |
| ব + দ | ব্দ bdô | |
| ম + প | ম্প mpô | |
| ল + প | ল্প lpô | |
| ষ + প | ষ্প spô | |
| স + প | স্প spô | |
| ম + ফ | ম্ফ mphô | |
| ষ + ফ | স্ফ sphô | |
| দ + ব | দ্ব dbô | |
| ম + ব | ম্ব mbô | |
| হ + ব | হ্ব hbô | |
| দ + ভ | দ্ভ dbhô | |
| ম + ভ | ম্ভ mbhô | |
| ক + ম | ক্ম kmô | |
| দ + ম | দ্ম dmô | |
| হ + ম | হ্ম hmô | |
| ম + ম | ম্ম mmô |
Three distinct variations of Assamese script from the Bengali
Though ক্ষ is used in Bengali as a conjunct letter. Cha or Chha too has different pronunciation.Assamese keyboard layout
Inscript keyboard layout:Phonetic keyboard layout:The unique letter identifiers:The keyboard locations of three characters unique to the Assamese script are depicted below:[ITRANS characterisation:
The "Indian languages TRANSliteration" the ASCII transliteration scheme for Indic scripts here, Assamese; the characterisations are given below:
Sample textThe following is a sample text in Assamese of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:Assamese in Assamese alphabet Assamese in Romanisation 1 Assamese in Romanisation 2 Assamese in Romanisation 3 Assamese in common chatting romanisation Assamese in IAST Romanisation Assamese in the International Phonetic Alphabet Gloss '''Translation''' UnicodeThe Bengali–Assamese script was added to the Unicode Standard in October 1991 with the release of version 1.0.The Unicode block for Assamese and Bengali is U+0980–U+09FF: |