Exercise 1
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Characters
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Notes
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Script Tutor 1
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Script Tutor 2
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HW 1
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We will begin our foray into Devanāgarī by learning the following manageable subset of characters. They will permit us both to read many of the words in Lesson 2 and to form simple sentences:
- Consonants: ह (ha), य (ya), त (ta), थ (tha), द (da), न (na), स (sa), म (ma), व (va)
- Note how य (ya) and थ (tha) are similar except for the loop of the latter; and that स (sa) especially differs from म (ma) in its diagonal stroke
- Note how य (ya) and थ (tha) are similar except for the loop of the latter; and that स (sa) especially differs from म (ma) in its diagonal stroke
- Vowels: अ a, आ ā (ा), इ i ( ि), ई ī ( ी), ए e ( े), औ au ( ौ)
- Helpfully, related vowels have related forms:
- long आ (ā) is just short अ (a) plus its diacritic: a vertical bar
- long ई (ī) is just short इ (i) with a hook on top
- औ (au) is just अ (a) plus the diacritic ( ौ) for औ : e.g., कौ (kau)
- long आ (ā) is just short अ (a) plus its diacritic: a vertical bar
- The most anomalous diacritic is that of इ (i). In general, devanāgarī is read left to right, top to bottom, but the i-diacritic actually comes before the cons. it follows in pronunciation: कि ki (not ik), versus की kī, etc.
- Helpfully, related vowels have related forms:
- Miscellaneous: ं ṃ (anusvāra), ः ḥ (visarga), ् virāma
- Diacritics for the nasalization (ṃ, anusvāra) and aspiration (ḥ, visarga) of vowels are especially easy, coming respectively above and after their characters: कं kaṃ, कां kāṃ, किं kiṃ, कीं kīṃ, कौं kauṃ, कः kaḥ, etc.
- Note how the anusvāra is in general written at the end of its syllable (i.e., top-right, as in कां kāṃ, कौं kauṃ, तं taṃ, etc.), except where possible with a vertically centered character (i.e., कं kaṃ, किं kiṃ, etc.).
- The virāma simply cancels the inherent a-vowel of any consonant: क् k (versus क ka), ह् h (verus ह ha), य् y, त् t, etc.
- Diacritics for the nasalization (ṃ, anusvāra) and aspiration (ḥ, visarga) of vowels are especially easy, coming respectively above and after their characters: कं kaṃ, कां kāṃ, किं kiṃ, कीं kīṃ, कौं kauṃ, कः kaḥ, etc.
Using the script tutors above as models, practice writing the characters in the sheets attached below. Feel free to continue practicing these characters (with or without vowel diacritics) on lined paper for any that require more practice. It’s always a good idea to pronounce the sounds while you’re writing them—the more senses you engage in learning new material, the more quickly you’ll remember it.