Kannada Script Overview

Kannada Script

Overview

• Kannada script is an abugida of the Brahmi family
• Used to write the Kannada language
• One of the oldest surviving scripts in India, with a history of over 1500 years

Characteristics

• Written from left to right
• 47 letters in the modern Kannada alphabet:
  • 14 vowels
  • 33 consonants
• Two special letters:
  • ೞ (avagraha) - used to indicate the sound of a vowel
  • ೕ (jihvamulya) - used to indicate the sound of a consonant

Types of Letters

• Vowels (swara):
  • 14 vowels in the modern Kannada alphabet
  • Can be classified into two categories:
    • Simple vowels (e.g., ಅ, ಆ, ಇ)
    • Compound vowels (e.g., ಐ, ಔ)
• Consonants (vyanjana):
  • 33 consonants in the modern Kannada alphabet
  • Can be classified into three categories:
    • Stops (e.g., ಕ, ಖ, ಗ)
    • Fricatives (e.g., ಶ, ಸ, ಹ)
    • Semivowels (e.g., ಯ, ರ)

Evolution

• Originated from the ancient Brahmi script
• Influenced by other scripts, such as Telugu and Tamil
• Underwent significant changes during the Kadamba dynasty (345-525 CE)
• Modern Kannada script emerged during the Vijayanagara Empire (1336-1646 CE)

Unique Features

• Kannada letter-forms:
  • Unique shapes and forms that distinguish Kannada from other scripts
  • Influenced by the region's cultural and historical context
• Kannada script variations:
  • Different styles and variations used in different regions and historical periods
  • Examples include the Halegannada (Old Kannada) and Tigalari scripts

Kannada Script

Overview

• Kannada script is an abugida of the Brahmi family
• Used to write the Kannada language
• One of the oldest surviving scripts in India, with a history of over 1500 years

Characteristics

• Written from left to right
• 47 letters in the modern Kannada alphabet
• Consists of 14 vowels and 33 consonants
• Two special letters: ೞ (avagraha) and ೕ (jihvamulya)

Vowels

• 14 vowels in the modern Kannada alphabet
• Classified into two categories: simple vowels and compound vowels
• Examples of simple vowels: ಅ, ಆ, ಇ
• Examples of compound vowels: ಐ, ಔ

Consonants

• 33 consonants in the modern Kannada alphabet
• Classified into three categories: stops, fricatives, and semivowels
• Examples of stops: ಕ, ಖ, ಗ
• Examples of fricatives: ಶ, ಸ, ಹ
• Examples of semivowels: ಯ, ರ

Evolution

• Originated from the ancient Brahmi script
• Influenced by other scripts, such as Telugu and Tamil
• Underwent significant changes during the Kadamba dynasty (345-525 CE)
• Modern Kannada script emerged during the Vijayanagara Empire (1336-1646 CE)

Unique Features

• Kannada letter-forms have unique shapes and forms that distinguish them from other scripts
• Influenced by the region's cultural and historical context
• Different styles and variations used in different regions and historical periods
• Examples of script variations: Halegannada (Old Kannada) and Tigalari scripts

Phonetics

• The study of the physical properties of speech sounds, including articulation, acoustics, and perception.
• Articulation: the study of how sounds are made, including the position and movement of lips, tongue, and teeth.
• Acoustics: the study of the physical properties of sound waves, including frequency, amplitude, and duration.
• Perception: the study of how listeners process speech sounds, including the role of the auditory system and the brain.

Phonology

• The study of sound patterns in language, including the distribution and patterning of speech sounds.
• Phonemes: the smallest units of sound that distinguish meaning, such as the /p/ and /b/ sounds in "pat" and "bat".
• Allophones: variations of phonemes in different environments, such as the "k" sound in "kite" and "kin".
• Syllable structure: the pattern of sounds in a syllable, including the onset, nucleus, and coda.

Morphology

• The study of the structure of words, including how they are formed and composed.
• Morphemes: the smallest units of meaning in language, such as prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
• Inflectional morphology: the study of grammatical endings, such as verb conjugation and noun declension.
• Derivational morphology: the study of word formation processes, such as compounding and blending.

Syntax

• The study of sentence structure, including how words are combined to form phrases and sentences.
• Phrase structure: the hierarchical organization of sentences, including the relationships between phrases and clauses.
• Constituency: the way words group together to form phrases, such as noun phrases and verb phrases.
• Dependency: the relationships between words in a sentence, including subject-verb and modifier-head relationships.

Semantics

• The study of meaning in language, including how words and sentences convey meaning.
• Semantic fields: categories of meaning, such as words related to food or color.
• Sense and reference: the distinction between the meaning of a word (sense) and the thing it refers to (reference).
• Compositionality: how meaning is composed from individual word meanings, including the role of context and inference.

Pragmatics

• The study of language in context, including how language is used in social contexts.
• Speaker meaning: what the speaker intends to convey, including their intentions and goals.
• Utterance meaning: the meaning of the sentence in context, including the role of prosody and gesture.
• Implicature: what is implied but not explicitly stated, including the role of inference and presupposition.

Learn about the Kannada script, an abugida of the Brahmi family used to write the Kannada language, with a history of over 1500 years. Discover its characteristics, letters, and special symbols.