Writing system Bengali language

1 writing system

1.1 orthographic depth
1.2 uses
1.3 romanization

writing system


an example of handwritten bengali. part of poem written in bengali (and english translation below each bengali paragraph) nobel laureate rabindranath tagore in 1926 in hungary.

the bengali script abugida, script letters consonants, diacritics vowels, , in inherent vowel (অ ô) assumed consonants if no vowel marked. bengali alphabet used throughout bangladesh , eastern india (assam, west bengal, tripura). bengali alphabet believed have evolved modified brahmic script around 1000 ce (or 10th – 11th century). note despite bangladesh being majority muslim, uses bengali alphabet rather arabic-based 1 shahmukhi script used in pakistan.

the bengali script cursive script eleven graphemes or signs denoting 9 vowels , 2 diphthongs, , thirty-nine graphemes representing consonants , other modifiers. there no distinct upper , lower case letter forms. letters run left right , spaces used separate orthographic words. bengali script has distinctive horizontal line running along tops of graphemes links them called মাত্রা matra.

since bengali script abugida, consonant graphemes not represent phonetic segments, carry inherent vowel , syllabic in nature. inherent vowel vowel, either [ɔ] in মত [mɔt̪] opinion or [o], in মন [mon] mind , variants more open [ɒ]. emphatically represent consonant sound without inherent vowel attached it, special diacritic, called hôsôntô (্), may added below basic consonant grapheme (as in ম্ [m]). diacritic, however, not common, , chiefly employed guide pronunciation. abugida nature of bengali consonant graphemes not consistent, however. often, syllable-final consonant graphemes, though not marked hôsôntô, may carry no inherent vowel sound (as in final ন in মন [mon] or medial ম in গামলা [ɡamla]).

a consonant sound followed vowel sound other inherent [ɔ] orthographically realized using variety of vowel allographs above, below, before, after, or around consonant sign, forming ubiquitous consonant-vowel typographic ligatures. these allographs, called কার kar, diacritical vowel forms , cannot stand on own. example, graph মি [mi] represents consonant [m] followed vowel [i], [i] represented diacritical allographি (called ই-কার i-kar) , placed before default consonant sign. similarly, graphs মা [ma], মী [mi], মু [mu], মূ [mu], মৃ [mri], মে [me~mæ], মৈ [moj], মো [mo] , মৌ [mow] represent same consonant ম combined 7 other vowels , 2 diphthongs. should noted in these consonant-vowel ligatures, so-called inherent vowel [ɔ] first expunged consonant before adding vowel, intermediate expulsion of inherent vowel not indicated in visual manner on basic consonant sign ম [mɔ].

the vowel graphemes in bengali can take 2 forms: independent form found in basic inventory of script , dependent, abridged, allograph form (as discussed above). represent vowel in isolation preceding or following consonant, independent form of vowel used. example, in মই [moj] ladder , in ইলিশ [iliɕ] hilsa fish , independent form of vowel ই used (cf. dependent formি). vowel @ beginning of word realized using independent form.

in addition inherent-vowel-suppressing hôsôntô, 3 more diacritics commonly used in bengali. these superposed chôndrôbindu (ঁ), denoting suprasegmental nasalization of vowels (as in চাঁদ [tɕãd] moon ), postposed ônusbar (ং) indicating velar nasal [ŋ] (as in বাংলা [baŋla] bengali ) , postposed bisôrgô (ঃ) indicating voiceless glottal fricative [h] (as in উঃ! [uh] ouch! ) or gemination of following consonant (as in দুঃখ [dukʰːɔ] sorrow ).

the bengali consonant clusters (যুক্তব্যঞ্জন juktôbênjôn) realized ligatures, consonant comes first put on top of or left of 1 follows. in these ligatures, shapes of constituent consonant signs contracted , distorted beyond recognition. in bengali writing system, there 285 such ligatures denoting consonant clusters. although there exist few visual formulas construct of these ligatures, many of them have learned rote. recently, in bid lessen burden on young learners, efforts have been made educational institutions in 2 main bengali-speaking regions (west bengal , bangladesh) address opaque nature of many consonant clusters, , result, modern bengali textbooks beginning contain more , more transparent graphical forms of consonant clusters, in constituent consonants of cluster readily apparent graphical form. however, since change not widespread , not being followed uniformly in rest of bengali printed literature, today s bengali-learning children possibly have learn recognize both new transparent , old opaque forms, amounts increase in learning burden.

bengali punctuation marks, apart downstroke । daṛi – bengali equivalent of full stop – have been adopted western scripts , usage similar.

unlike in western scripts (latin, cyrillic, etc.) letter-forms stand on invisible baseline, bengali letter-forms instead hang visible horizontal left-to-right headstroke called মাত্রা matra. presence , absence of matra can important. example, letter ত tô , numeral ৩ 3 distinguishable presence or absence of matra, case between consonant cluster ত্র trô , independent vowel এ e. letter-forms employ concepts of letter-width , letter-height (the vertical space between visible matra , invisible baseline).

there yet uniform standard collating sequence (sorting order of graphemes used in dictionaries, indices, computer sorting programs, etc.) of bengali graphemes. experts in both bangladesh , india working towards common solution problem.

orthographic depth

the bengali script in general has comparatively shallow orthography, i.e., in cases there one-to-one correspondence between sounds (phonemes) , letters (graphemes) of bengali. grapheme-phoneme inconsistencies occur in cases.

one kind of inconsistency due presence of several letters in script same sound. in spite of modifications in 19th century, bengali spelling system continues based on 1 used sanskrit, , not take account sound mergers have occurred in spoken language. example, there 3 letters (শ, ষ, , স) voiceless alveolo-palatal sibilant [ɕɔ], although letter স retains voiceless alveolar sibilant [sɔ] sound when used in consonant conjuncts in স্খলন [skʰɔlɔn] fall , স্পন্দন [spɔndɔn] beat , etc. letter ষ retains voiceless retroflex sibilant [ʂɔ] sound when used in consonant conjuncts in কষ্ট [kɔʂʈɔ] suffering , গোষ্ঠী [ɡoʂʈʰi] clan , etc. similarly, there 2 letters (জ , য) voiced alveolo-palatal affricate [dʑɔ]. moreover, once pronounced , written retroflex nasal ণ [ɳɔ] pronounced alveolar [nɔ] when in conversation (the difference seen heard when reading) (unless conjoined retroflex consonant such ট, ঠ, ড , ঢ), although spelling not reflect change. near-open front unrounded vowel [æ] orthographically realized multiple means, seen in following examples: এত [æt̪ɔ] , এ্যাকাডেমী [ækademi] academy , অ্যামিবা [æmiba] amoeba , দেখা [d̪ækʰa] see , ব্যস্ত [bæst̪ɔ] busy , ব্যাকরণ [bækɔrɔn] grammar .

another kind of inconsistency concerned incomplete coverage of phonological information in script. inherent vowel attached every consonant can either [ɔ] or [o] depending on vowel harmony (স্বরসঙ্গতি) preceding or following vowel or on context, phonological information not captured script, creating ambiguity reader. furthermore, inherent vowel not pronounced @ end of syllable, in কম [kɔm] less , omission not reflected in script, making difficult new reader.

many consonant clusters have different sounds constituent consonants. example, combination of consonants ক্ [k] , ষ [ʂɔ] graphically realized ক্ষ , pronounced [kkʰɔ] (as in রুক্ষ [rukkʰɔ] rugged ) or [kkʰo] (as in ক্ষতি [kkʰot̪i] loss ) or [kkʰɔ] (as in ক্ষমতা [kkʰɔmɔt̪a] power ), depending on position of cluster in word. bengali writing system is, therefore, not true guide pronunciation.

uses

the script used bengali, assamese , other languages known bengali-assamese or eastern nagari script. script known bengali alphabet bengali , dialects , assamese alphabet assamese language minor variations. other related languages in nearby region make use of bengali alphabet meitei language in indian state of manipur, meitei language has been written in bengali alphabet centuries, though meitei script has been promoted in recent times.

romanization

there various ways of romanization systems of bengali created in recent years have failed represent true bengali phonetic sound. bengali alphabet has been included group of brahmic scripts romanization true phonetic value of bengali never represented. of them international alphabet of sanskrit transliteration or iast system (based on diacritics), indian languages transliteration or itrans (uses upper case alphabets suited ascii keyboards), , national library @ kolkata romanization.

in context of bengali romanization, important distinguish transliteration transcription. transliteration orthographically accurate (i.e. original spelling can recovered), whereas transcription phonetically accurate (the pronunciation can reproduced).

although might desirable use transliteration scheme original bengali orthography recoverable latin text, bengali words romanized on wikipedia using phonemic transcription, true phonetic pronunciation of bengali represented no reference how written.