How to type ĐevaNāgarī text
If you will read this page carefully more than once, 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 goto 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. |
We have used following shortcuts.
| 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 (aka 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.
Typing ĐevaNāgarī Character Sequences
While typing ĐevaNāgarī (or other Indic Scripts), we want to know combination of characters (keys) required to form (render) a particular conjunct or syllable. Examples given here cover sequences to form some regular syllables.
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. Typographically, a conjunct means a letter-form representing combined consonants, in South Asian scripts.
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.
Conjunts can be called 'Joḍakṣhar/s' (जोड़ाक्षर). Joḍ (जोड़) in Hinđī means join, so Joḍakṣhar means joint (combined) Akṣhar/s.
Some of the essential conjuncts are sometimes referred as 'Akhand'. Following first three (क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ) Joḍakṣhar/s were included in the basic varṇamālā.
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 logically the base consonant but is written as a 'mark' (chihn; चिह्न) instead of a letter ('Akṣhar').
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 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
ZWJ stands for ZeroWidthJoiner (a Unicode character), which is a blank space-less (width-less) character needed to produce alternate (less common) form of conjunct by joining two adjoining character. In the above case it prevents formation of reph (māŧrā) and produces eyelash-ra.
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