Grantha alphabet for Sanskrit
The Grantha alphabet is a descendent of the Brahmi alphabet and started to emerge during the 5th century AD. Most of the alphabets of southern India evolved from Grantha, and it also influenced the Sinhala and Thai alphabets.
The Grantha alphabet has traditional been used by Tamil speakers to write Sanskrit and is still used in traditional vedic schools (patasalas).
Notable features
- Type of writing system: abudiga / syllabic alphabet - each letter represents a consonant with an inherent vowel (a). Other vowels were indicated using a diacritics or separate letters.
- Writing direction: left to right in horizontal lines
- Used to write: Sanskrit
- Letters are grouped according to the way they are pronounced.
Grantha vowels
Grantha vowel diacritics (with ka)
Grantha consonants
Grantha numerals
Sample text
Transliteration
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē´pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu.
Translation
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They
are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Links
Information about the Grantha Script
http://www.mudgala.com/articles/grantha.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grantha_script
http://noolaham.net/wiki/index.php/வலைவாசல்:கிரந்தம்
Grantha Script Tutorials
http://www.ibiblio.org/sadagopan/gsindex.html
Grantha fonts
http://www.virtualvinodh.com/wp/grantha-17-fonts-softwares/
Some of the writing systems used to write Sanskrit
Bhaiksuki, Brāhmi, Devanāgari, Galik, Grantha, Gupta, Kadamba, Kharosthi, Nandinagari, Sharda, Siddham, Thai, Tibetan
Abugidas / Syllabic alphabets
Ahom, Aima, Arleng, Badagu, Badlit, Basahan, Balinese, Balti-A, Balti-B, Batak, Baybayin, Bengali, Bhaiksuki, Bhujimol, Bilang-bilang, Bima, Blackfoot, Brahmi, Buhid, Burmese, Carrier, Chakma, Cham, Cree, Dehong Dai, Devanagari, Dham Lipi, Dhankari / Sirmauri, Ditema, Dives Akuru, Dogra, Ethiopic, Evēla Akuru, Fox, Fraser, Gond, Goykanadi, Grantha, Gujarati, Gunjala Gondi, Gupta, Gurmukhi, Halbi Lipi, Hanifi, Hanuno'o, Hočąk, Ibalnan, Incung, Inuktitut, Jaunsari Takri, Javanese, Kaithi, Kadamba, Kamarupi, Kannada, Kawi, Kharosthi, Khema, Khe Prih, Khmer, Khojki, Khudabadi, Kirat Rai, Kōchi, Kodava Lipi, Komering, Kulitan, Kurukh Banna, Lampung, Lanna, Lao, Lepcha, Limbu, Lontara/Makasar, Lota Ende, Magar Akkha, Mahajani, Malayalam, Meitei (Modern), Manpuri (Old), Marchen, Meetei Yelhou Mayek, Meroïtic, Masarm Gondi, Modi, Mon, Mongolian Horizontal Square Script, Multani, Nandinagari, Newa, New Tai Lue, Ojibwe, Odia, Ogan, Pahawh Hmong, Pallava, Phags-pa, Purva Licchavi, Qiang / Rma, Ranjana, Rejang (Kaganga), Sasak, Savara, Satera Jontal, Shan, Sharda, Sheek Bakrii Saphaloo, Siddham, Sinhala, Sorang Sompeng, Sourashtra, Soyombo, Sukhothai, Sundanese, Syloti Nagri, Tagbanwa, Takri, Tamil, Tanchangya (Ka-Pat), Tani, Thaana, Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Tigalari, Tikamuli, Tocharian, Tolong Siki, Vatteluttu, Warang Citi
Page last modified: 16.03.23
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