Chakma script

Unusually for Eastern Indo-Aryan languages, the inherent vowel in Chakma is a long 'ā' (a) as opposed to short 'a' (Ι”).

Some modern writers are generalizing this spelling in 𑄃𑄨 i, 𑄃π‘„ͺ u, and 𑄃𑄬 e. One of the interesting features of Chakma writing is that candrabindu π‘„€ (cānaphudā) can be used together with anusvara 𑄁 (ekaphudā) and visarga π‘„‚ (dviphudā): 𑄃𑄂𑄀 aαΈ₯αΉƒ = 𑄃 ā + π‘„‚ h + π‘„€αΉƒ 𑄃𑄁𑄀 aαΉƒαΉƒ = 𑄃 ā + 𑄁 αΉƒ + π‘„€αΉƒ 𑄅𑄁𑄀 uαΉƒαΉƒ = π‘„… u + 𑄁 αΉƒ + π‘„€αΉƒ π‘„Ÿπ‘„ͺπ‘„€ muαΉƒ = π‘„Ÿ mā + π‘„ͺ u + π‘„€αΉƒ Like other Brahmic scripts, Chakma makes use of the maayyaa (killer) to invoke conjoined consonants.

As shown above, most letters have their vowels killed with the use of the explicit maayyaa: 𑄇𑄴 k = 𑄇 kā + π‘„΄ MAAYYAA In 2001 an orthographic reform was recommended in the book Cāṅmā pattham pāt which would limit the standard repertoire of conjuncts to those composed with the five letters π‘„  yā, π‘„’ rā, π‘„£ lā, π‘„€ wā, and π‘„š nā.

Thus, taking the letter π‘„Ÿ mā as the second element, while the glyph shapes π‘„‡π‘„³π‘„Ÿ kmā, π‘„–π‘„³π‘„Ÿ tmā, π‘„šπ‘„³π‘„Ÿ nmā, 𑄝𑄳𑄝 bbā, π‘„Ÿπ‘„³π‘„Ÿ mmā, π‘„£π‘„³π‘„£ llā, π‘„₯π‘„³π‘„Ÿ smā, and π‘„¦π‘„³π‘„Ÿ hmā are attested, most users now prefer the glyph shapes π‘„‡π‘„³π‘„Ÿ kmā, π‘„–π‘„³π‘„Ÿ tmā, π‘„šπ‘„³π‘„Ÿ nmā, 𑄝𑄳𑄝 bbā, π‘„Ÿπ‘„³π‘„Ÿ mmā, π‘„£π‘„³π‘„£ llā, π‘„₯π‘„³π‘„Ÿ smā, and π‘„¦π‘„³π‘„Ÿ hmā.

- bā - mā - hā In the 1982 book Cāṅmār āg pudhi a much wider range of conjunct pairs is shown, some of them with fairly complicated glyphs: - k - g - c - ch - j - jh - αΉ­ - t - th - d - dh - p - b - m - l Chakma letters have a descriptive name followed by a traditional Brahmic consonant.

Alongside a single (𑅁) and double (π‘…‚) danda punctuation, Chakma has a unique question mark (π‘…ƒ), and a section sign, Phulacihna.

Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points: The Chakma language is being taught in many Government and private schools in India (Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh) and Bangladesh.

Chakma Letters