This page uses the Nīrajā-Latin transliteration scheme.
How to Type ĐevaNāgarī Text
If you read this page carefully a few times, you will be able to type ĐevaNāgarī (Nāgarī) and learn about formations of various syllables/conjuncts in Nāgarī. If you find this page useful, click on the 'Recommend It' button at the end of this page.
If you are looking for a webpage where you can type some ĐevaNāgarī words for a message etc., then go to the home page and select an option under the title 'ĐevaNāgarī Keyboard'. You may visit hindi.co/t to search the web for what you type in Nāgarī. If you want to learn how to type paragraphs of Nāgarī and store it in your computer then continue reading. It will be a rewarding experience.
In most of the South Asian languages (like Hinđī, Nepali, Marāthī, Gujarāŧī, etc.) :
| a. | Letters are called Akṣhar/s. |
| b. | Consonants are called varṇ/s. |
| c. | Vowels which are independent letters are called svar/s. These vowels do not combine with consonants. |
| d. | Vowels which are applied over consonants are called māŧrāEn̐ (māŧrā/s). These dependent vowels are marks over consonants. |
The following abbreviations are used throughout this page.
| Cns | to denote a consonant. |
| BCns | to denote a base-consonant which is the last consonant in a syllable/conjunct. |
| hal | to denote a hal (also called halanŧ). |
Even if you are comfortable using ĐevaNāgarī, please click here to refresh your knowledge about the hal (हल, हलंत). Also you may want to learn about the schwa by clicking here.
Entering ĐevaNāgarī Character Sequences
While typing ĐevaNāgarī (or other Indic Scripts), we need to know the sequence of characters (keys) required to form (render) a particular conjunct or syllable. The examples below illustrate the character sequences required to form common syllables and conjuncts.
When we put a hal between two consonants, they join together to form a conjunct.
Which is the key for the hal?
In case of the default keyboard layout (called InScript), you will find the hal(anŧ) on the key marked 'd'.
In case of our keyboard layout SuNāgarī, you will find hal on the key marked ';' (semicolon).
Remember, a halanŧ (hal) makes sense only after a consonant. A hal results in the corresponding half form of the previous consonant. When we type another consonant after the hal, the preceding half form joins with it and forms a conjunct.
A. Regular Conjuncts
A conjunct is a combination of two or more consonants. In typography, a conjunct is a letterform representing two or more combined consonants.
Cns + hal + BCns = Conjunct
e.g. क (Cns) + ् (hal) + य (BCns) = क्य (Conjunct)
Similarly we will get :
| क + ् + ल | = क्ल |
| ष + ् + ट | = ष्ट |
The last consonant in a conjunct is the base consonant. Vowel marks called 'māŧrāEn̐' can only be applied over base consonant.
Conjuncts can be called 'Joḍakṣhar/s' (जोड़ाक्षर). Joḍ (जोड़) in Hinđī means join, so Joḍakṣhar means joint (combined) Akṣhar/s.
Some traditional conjuncts are referred to as "Akhand" (अखंड) because they are taught as indivisible letterforms. Following first three (क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ) Joḍakṣhar/s were included in the basic varṇamālā. I would also like to see 'श्र' included in the basic varṇamālā. If 'त्र' is included, why not 'श्र'?
These are formed as below.
| क + ् + ष | = क्ष |
| त + ् + र | = त्र |
| ज + ् + ञ | = ज्ञ |
| श + ् + र | = श्र |
| द + ् + ध | = द्ध |
| द + ् + व | = द्व |
| द + ् + य | = द्य |
B. Conjuncts having Rakār 'रकार'
Rakār means 'Akār' (shape) of the 'Ra' consonant. There are two shapes for rakār - one that looks like a small slash ('/') and another that looks like a caret ('^') or inverted 'v'.
Cns + hal + ra = Cns with Rakār
e.g. क (Cns) + ् (hal) + र (ra) = क्र (Cns with Rakār)
Similarly we will get :
| प + ् + र | = प्र |
| ट + ् + र | = ट्र |
So to get rakār below a consonant we have to type that consonant followed by 'hal' and finally 'ra'.
The 'ra' in the above example is the base consonant but is rendered as a 'mark' (chihn; चिह्न) instead of a letter ('Akṣhar'). In other words, the final (base) consonant is 'ra', but instead of appearing in its full letter form, it is rendered as the rakār sign beneath the preceding consonant.
Some people call it 'Below-Base Ra', but the last consonant is 'ra'! So we may call it 'Base ra written below as mark' or 'Sign/Mark of Base ra'. If you know Hinđī, you may think of it as 'purṇ ra kā chihn' (पूर्ण र का चिह्न) and simply call it 'rakār'.
C. Conjuncts having Reph ('रेफ')
To get reph over a consonant we have to type 'ra' + 'hal' before that consonant.
ra + hal + BCns = BCns with Reph
e.g. र (ra) + ् (hal) + क (BCns) = र्क (BCns with Reph)
Reph is sometimes called 'Above-Base Ra'. It looks like a simple curve over BCns.
The 'ra' consonant in the above example is placed above the base consonant in the form of a 'mark'. You may think of it as 'ra kī māŧrā' (र की मात्रा) and simply call it 'Reph'.
D. Conjuncts having Half Ra!
The following sequence results in a half (inline) form of 'Ra' also called as 'Eyelash Ra'. It is sometimes used in Marāthī instead of reph.
ra + hal + ZWJ + BCns = half ra & BCns
e.g. र (ra) + ् (hal) + ZWJ + य (BCns) = र्य (half ra & BCns)
This half-ra ( र् ) is in the line (area) of Akṣhar/s and not in the areas (above or below Akṣhar/s) of māŧrās. In other words, the eyelash-ra is rendered as part of the conjunct rather than above the Akṣhar/s.
ZWJ stands for Zero Width Joiner, a Unicode character with zero width. It is an invisible character used to produce alternate (less common) forms of conjuncts by joining adjacent characters. In the above example, it prevents the formation of a reph and instead produces an eyelash-ra.
This character can be typed by pressing '&' on our keyboard SuNāgarī and by pressing 'Ctrl + Shift + 2' on InScript.
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