Consonant conjuncts Bengali alphabet

1 consonant conjuncts

1.1 fused forms
1.2 approximated forms
1.3 compressed forms
1.4 abbreviated forms
1.5 variant forms
1.6 exceptions

consonant conjuncts


the consonant ligature ndrô (ন্দ্র) : ন (nô) in green, দ (dô) in blue , র (rô) in maroon.

up 4 consonant clusters can orthographically represented typographic ligature called consonant conjunct (bengali: যুক্তাক্ষর/যুক্তবর্ণ juktakkhôr/juktôbôrnô or more যুক্তব্যঞ্জন). typically, first consonant in conjunct shown above and/or left of following consonants. many consonants appear in abbreviated or compressed form when serving part of conjunct. others take exceptional forms in conjuncts, bearing little or no resemblance base character.

often, consonant conjuncts not pronounced implied pronunciation of individual components. example, adding ল lô underneath শ shô in bengali creates conjunct শ্ল, not pronounced shlô slô in bengali. many conjuncts represent sanskrit sounds lost centuries before modern bengali ever spoken in জ্ঞ. combination of জ ǰô , ঞ ñô not pronounced ǰñô or jnô . instead, pronounced ggô in modern bengali. thus, conjuncts represent (combinations of) sounds cannot understood components, following descriptions concerned construction of conjunct, , not resulting pronunciation.

(some graphemes may appear in form other mentioned form due font used)

fused forms

some consonants fuse in such way 1 stroke of first consonant serves stroke of next.

the consonants can placed on top of 1 another, sharing vertical line: ক্ক kkô গ্ন gnô গ্ল glô ন্ন nnô প্ন pnô প্প ppô ল্ল llô etc.
as last member of conjunct, ব bô can hang on vertical line under preceding consonants, taking shape of ব bô (includes বফলা bôfôla): গ্ব gbô ণ্ব ṇbô দ্ব dbô ল্ব lbô শ্ব shbô .
the consonants can placed side-by-side, sharing vertical line: দ্দ ddô ন্দ ndô ব্দ bdô ব্জ bǰô প্ট pṭô শ্চ shchô শ্ছ shchhô, etc.

approximated forms

some consonants written closer 1 indicate in conjunct together.

the consonants can placed side-by-side, appearing unaltered: দ্গ dgô দ্ঘ dghô ড্ড ḍḍô.
as last member of conjunct, ব bô can appear right of preceding consonant, taking shape of ব bô (includes বফলা bôfôla): ধ্ব dhbô ব্ব bbô হ্ব hbô .

compressed forms

some consonants compressed (and simplified) when appearing first member of conjunct.

as first member of conjunct, consonants ঙ ngô চ chô ড ḍô , ব bô compressed , placed @ top-left of following consonant, little or no change basic shape: ঙ্ক্ষ ngkṣô ঙ্খ ngkhô ঙ্ঘ ngghô ঙ্ম ngmô চ্চ chchô চ্ছ chchhô চ্ঞ chnô ড্ঢ ḍḍhô ব্‍ব bbô.
as first member of conjunct, ত tô compressed , placed above following consonant, little or no change basic shape: ত্ন tnô ত্ম tmô ত্ব tbô .
as first member of conjunct, ম mô compressed , simplified curved shape. placed above or top-left of following consonant: ম্ন mnô ম্প mpô ম্ফ mfô ম্ব mbô ম্ভ mbhô ম্ম mmô ম্ল mlô.
as first member of conjunct, ষ ṣô compressed , simplified oval shape diagonal stroke through it. placed top-left of following consonants: ষ্ক ṣkô ষ্ট ṣṭô ষ্ঠ ṣṭhô ষ্প ṣpô ষ্ফ ṣfô ষ্ম ṣmô.
as first member of conjunct, স sô compressed , simplified ribbon shape. placed above or top-left of following consonant: স্ক skô স্খ skhô স্ট sṭô স্ত stô স্থ sthô স্ন snô স্প spô স্ফ sfô স্ব sbô স্ম smô স্ল slô.

abbreviated forms

some consonants abbreviated when appearing in conjuncts , lose part of basic shape.

as first member of conjunct, জ ǰô can lose final down-stroke: জ্জ ǰǰô জ্ঞ ǰñô জ্ব jbô .
as first member of conjunct, ঞ ñô can lose bottom half: ঞ্চ ñchô ঞ্ছ ñchhô ঞ্জ ñǰô ঞ্ঝ ñǰhô.
as last member of conjunct, ঞ ñô can lose left half (the এ part): জ্ঞ ǰñô .
as first member of conjunct, ণ ṇô , প pô can lose down-stroke: ণ্ঠ ṇṭhô ণ্ড ṇḍô প্ত ptô প্স psô.
as first member of conjunct, ত tô , ভ bhô can lose final upward tail: ত্ত ttô ত্থ tthô ত্র trô ভ্র bhrô.
as last member of conjunct, থ thô can lose final upstroke, taking form of হ hô instead: ন্থ nthô স্থ sthô ম্থ mthô
as last member of conjunct, ম mô can lose initial down-stroke: ক্ম kmô গ্ম gmô ঙ্ম ngmô ট্ম ṭmô ণ্ম ṇmô ত্ম tmô দ্ম dmô ন্ম nmô ম্ম mmô শ্ম shmô ষ্ম ṣmô স্ম smô .
as last member of conjunct, স sô can lose top half: ক্স ksô.
as last member of conjunct ট ṭô, ড ḍô , ঢ ḍhô can lose matra: প্ট pṭô ণ্ড ṇḍô ণ্ট ṇṭô ণ্ঢ ṇḍhô.
as last member of conjunct ড ḍô can change shape: ণ্ড ṇḍô

variant forms

some consonants have forms used regularly within conjuncts.

as first member of conjunct, ঙ ngô can appear loop , curl: ঙ্ক ngkô ঙ্গ nggô.
as last member of conjunct, curled top of ধ dhô replaced straight downstroke right, taking form of ঝ ǰhô instead: গ্ধ gdhô দ্ধ ddhô ন্ধ ndhô ব্ধ bdhô.
as first member of conjunct, র rô appears diagonal stroke (called রেফ ref) above following member: র্ক rkô র্খ rkhô র্গ rgô র্ঘ rghô, etc.
as last member of conjunct, র rô appears wavy horizontal line (called রফলা rôfôla) under previous member: খ্র khrô গ্র grô ঘ্র ghrô ব্র brô, etc.

in fonts, conjuncts রফলা rôfôla appear using compressed (and simplified) form of previous consonant: জ্র ǰrô ট্র ṭrô ঠ্র ṭhrô ড্র ḍrô ম্র mrô স্র srô.
in fonts, conjuncts রফলা rôfôla appear using abbreviated form of previous consonant: ক্র krô ত্র trô ভ্র bhrô.


as last member of conjunct, য jô appears wavy vertical line (called যফলা jôfôla) right of previous member: ক্য kyô খ্য khyô গ্য gyô ঘ্য ghyô etc.

in fonts, conjuncts যফলা jôfôla appear using special fused forms: দ্য dyô ন্য nyô শ্য shyô ষ্য ṣyô স্য syô হ্য hyô .



exceptions

when followed র rô or ত tô, ক kô takes on same form ত tô addition of curl right: ক্র krô, ক্ত ktô.
when preceded abbreviated form of ঞ ñô, চ chô takes shape of ব bô: ঞ্চ ñchô
when preceded ট ṭô, ট reduced leftward curl: ট্ট ṭṭô.
when preceded ষ ṣô, ঞ ñô appears 2 loops right: ষ্ণ ṣñô.
as first member of conjunct, or when @ end of word , followed no vowel, ত tô can appear ৎ: ৎস tsô ৎপ tpô ৎক tkô etc.
when preceded হ hô, ন nô appears curl right: হ্ন hnô .
certain combinations must memorised: ক্ষ kṣô হ্ম hmô .