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The Devanagari Script
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  The Devanagari Script used for writing Sanskrit and a few other Indian languages has evolved from the Brahmi script  which dates back to about 300 B.C. The Devanagari as we see it today, dates back to about 1700 A.D. Printing in Devanagari became possible around 1850 after printing presses were establised in India. The script studied here corresponds to modern Devanagari seen in books printed during the past seventy to hundred years. Books printed in Devanagari prior to 1900 A.D. may show some variations in representing some letters.

  The terminology used in classifying the aksharas is fairly standard and conforms to the terminology found in books on linguistics. It is of interest to note that the aksharas had already been classified from a linguistic point of view more than two thousand years ago. Sanskrit is probably the only language which has this distinction.

The Devanagari Script:  Historical Details

Learn to write Devanagari Aksharas
 

Contents 

Introduction

Short Vowels

Long Vowels

Support Vowels

Generic form of a Consonant

Gutterals

Palatals

Cerebrals

Dentals

Labials

Semi Vowels, Sibilants etc.

Consonant Vowel combinations

Conjunct characters

Writing methods for Conjuncts

Conjuncts with "ra"

Summary
 

 

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