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Marathi Alphabets: A Comprehensive Guide
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It uses the Devanagari script, which is also used for Hindi, Sanskrit, and several other Indian languages. This article provides a detailed overview of the Marathi alphabet, including its structure, pronunciation, and unique features.
Structure of the Marathi Alphabet
The Marathi alphabet, like other Indic scripts, is an abugida. This means that each consonant has an inherent vowel sound, usually short 'a'. The alphabet consists of:
- Vowels (स्वर - Swara)
- Consonants (व्यंजन - Vyanjan)
- Compound Characters (जोडाक्षरे - Jodakshare)
- Numerals (अंक - Anka)
Vowels (स्वर - Swara)
Marathi has 13 vowels, each with two forms: an independent form and a diacritic form used with consonants.
| Independent Form | Name | Pronunciation | Diacritic Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| अ | a-kāra | a (as in "about") | - |
| आ | ā-kāra | aa (as in "father") | ा |
| इ | i-kāra | i (as in "it") | ि |
| ई | ī-kāra | ee (as in "feet") | ी |
| उ | u-kāra | u (as in "put") | ु |
| ऊ | ū-kāra | oo (as in "boot") | ू |
| ऋ | ru-kāra | ru (no exact English equivalent) | ृ |
| ए | e-kāra | e (as in "bed") | े |
| ऐ | ai-kāra | ai (as in "aisle") | ै |
| ओ | o-kāra | o (as in "go") | ो |
| औ | au-kāra | au (as in "cow") | ौ |
| अं | anusvāra | nasal sound | ं |
| अः | visarga | aspiration | ः |
Consonants (व्यंजन - Vyanjan)
Marathi has 36 consonants, organized in a logical structure based on their place and manner of articulation.
| क | ख | ग | घ | ङ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ka | kha | ga | gha | ṅa |
| च | छ | ज | झ | ञ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ca | cha | ja | jha | ña |
| ट | ठ | ड | ढ | ण |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ṭa | ṭha | ḍa | ḍha | ṇa |
| त | थ | द | ध | न |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ta | tha | da | dha | na |
| प | फ | ब | भ | म |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pa | pha | ba | bha | ma |
| य | र | ल | व |
|---|---|---|---|
| ya | ra | la | va |
| श | ष | स | ह |
|---|---|---|---|
| śa | ṣa | sa | ha |
| ळ | क्ष | ज्ञ |
|---|---|---|
| ḷa | kṣa | jña |
Compound Characters (जोडाक्षरे - Jodakshare)
Marathi, like other languages using the Devanagari script, employs compound characters formed by combining two or more consonants. These are called 'jodakshare' in Marathi. For example:
- क्क (kka)
- त्त (tta)
- ल्ल (lla)
Numerals (अंक - Anka)
Marathi uses the standard Devanagari numerals:
| ० | १ | २ | ३ | ४ | ५ | ६ | ७ | ८ | ९ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Special Features of Marathi Script
Nukta: A dot placed below certain characters to represent sounds from Persian and Arabic, e.g., ड़ (ḍa with nukta).
Anusvara and Chandrabindu: Used to indicate nasalization. Anusvāra (ं) represents a nasal sound, while Chandrabindu (ँ) indicates nasalization of the vowel.
Visarga: Represented by two dots (ः) after a vowel, it indicates a soft aspiration sound.
Halant: A diacritic ( ् ) used to indicate that a consonant should be pronounced without its inherent vowel.
The Marathi alphabet, with its logical structure and comprehensive sound system, provides a rich foundation for the language. Understanding these alphabets is crucial for reading, writing, and pronouncing Marathi correctly. While it may seem complex at first, regular practice and exposure to the language will help in mastering the Marathi script.