Sylheti/Devanagari script
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The preservation and promotion of Sylheti in Devanagari script (syl-Deva), colloquially known as Nagari script, contribute to linguistic diversity and multiculturalism, fostering a sense of unity among communities with shared linguistic roots. Efforts to document and standardize the language in multiple scripts, including Devanagari, help to create a more inclusive linguistic landscape that celebrates the richness of Sylheti culture. Indian Sylheti, referring to the Sylheti spoken by the Indian diaspora, showcases the adaptability and resilience of the language. Communities in India, particularly in the states of Assam and Tripura, have retained and nurtured their Sylheti language and cultural practices over generations. Some Indian Sylhetis often use this combo on social media, making Sylheti more relatable to a wider audience. The use of the Devanagari script in text messages is also not uncommon amongst the Sylheti speakers in India.
In the context of Sylheti, the use of the Devanagari script offers a visual representation of the language that is familiar to speakers of other Indic languages (inc).
Sylheti in Devanagari script (vowels)[edit | edit source]
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- Source: English Wikivoyage
Sylheti in Devanagari script (consonants)[edit | edit source]
.png)
- Source: English Wikivoyage
History[edit | edit source]
Use of Devanagari script in Sylhet Region during the academic year 1899-1900 was recorded. Interestingly Arabic-Persian and Sanskrit languages were taught in the schools. It's worth noting that Devanagari and Perso-Arabic scripts were practised by different classes of society for various purposes.
| Year | Number of Schools | Medium of instruction |
|---|---|---|
| 1899-1900 | 17 | Arabic-Persian |
| 1899-1900 | 36 | Sanskrit |
Currently, Srihatta Sanskrit College of Sylhet is the only remaining Sanskrit-language college in Bangladesh.
Interested groups[edit | edit source]
Under the slogan "One country, one script", there is a suggestion to write all Indian languages (inc) in Devanagari script.[2]
Sylheti in other scripts[edit | edit source]
According to Ethnologue, as of 2003, Sylheti, spoken by 3,000,000 people in India, exhibits a literacy rate of 10% in Bengali, but this is largely limited to men.[3] The majority of Sylheti speakers in India adhere to Hinduism, forming the predominant religious group, while a minority follows Islam, contributing to the diverse religious landscape of the community. This religious distribution can be traced back to the partition of India between India and Pakistan based on religion. Historically, during this partition, populations were exchanged between the two countries along religious lines, shaping the demographic and religious composition of regions like Sylhet. This historical event has left a lasting impact on the religious diversity and cultural dynamics of the Sylheti-speaking community in both India and Bangladesh. It's worth noting that Sylhetis original literacy rate in its indigenous script is unknown, with other popular scripts being Devanagari and Latin, along with hundreds of writing systems in India.
Sylo-Deva conversation table[edit | edit source]
Different conversion tools (such as Aksharamukha) are available that facilitate the conversion of text between various Indic scripts, which enables the transformation of content from one script to another. Using different script converters Sylheti speakers can convert text between scripts such as Syloti Nagari, Devanagari, Latin, Bengali, and others.
| Syloti Nagri | Devanagari |
|---|---|
| ꠅ | अ |
| ꠀ | आ |
| ꠁ | इ |
| ꠁ | ई |
| ꠃ | उ |
| ꠃ | ऊ |
| ꠞꠤ | ऋ |
| ꠞꠤ | ॠ |
| ꠟꠤ | ऌ |
| ꠟꠤ | ॡ |
| ꠄ | ए |
| अॕ | ऐ |
| ꠅꠂ | ओ |
| ꠅ | औ |
| ꠄ | ऎ |
| ꠅ | ऒ |
| ꠄ | ऍ |
| ꠄ | एॕ |
| ꠀ | ऑ |
| ... (for additional mappings) | Combining Signs |
| ꠅꠋ | अं |
| ꠅꠢ꠆ | अः |
| ꠅꠋ | अँ |
| ꠇ | क |
| ꠈ | ख |
| ꠉ | ग |
| ꠊ | घ |
| ꠘ | ङ |
| ꠌ | च |
| ꠍ | छ |
| ꠎ | ज |
| ꠏ | झ |
| ꠘ | ञ |
| ꠐ | ट |
| ꠑ | ठ |
| ꠒ | ड |
| ꠓ | ढ |
| ꠘ | ण |
| ꠔ | त |
| ꠕ | थ |
| ꠖ | द |
| ꠗ | ध |
| ꠘ | न |
| ꠙ | प |
| ꠚ | फ |
| ꠛ | ब |
| ꠜ | भ |
| ꠝ | म |
| ꠎ | य |
| ꠞ | र |
| ꠟ | ल |
| ꠛ | व |
| ꠡ | श |
| ꠡ | ष |
| ꠡ | स |
| ꠢ | ह |
| ꠟ | ळ |
| ꠟ | ऴ |
| ꠞ | ऱ |
| ꠘ | ऩ |
| ꠘ | ऩ |
| ꠇ | क़ |
| ꠈ | ख़ |
| ꠉ | ग़ |
| ꠎ | ज़ |
| ꠠ | ड़ |
| ꠓ | ढ़ |
| ꠚ | फ़ |
| ꠎ | य़ |
| ꠋꠉ | ँˆग |
| ꠋꠎ | ँˆज |
| ꠋꠒ | ँˆड |
| ꠋꠖ | ँˆद |
| ꠋꠛ | ँˆब |
| ꠇ | क |
| ꠇꠣ | का |
| ꠇꠤ | कि |
| ꠇꠤ | की |
| ꠇꠥ | कु |
| ꠇꠥ | कू |
| ꠇ꠆ꠞꠤ | कृ |
| ꠇ꠆ꠞꠤ | कॄ |
| ꠇ꠆ꠟꠤ | कॢ |
| ꠇ꠆ꠟꠤ | कॣ |
| ꠇꠦ | के |
Universal Declaration of Human Rights[edit | edit source]
हकल मानुस साधिनभाबे हमान इज्जत आर अधिकार लइआ पएदा ‘अए। ताइनतान बिबेक आर आकल आछे। एर लागि हकलर एकजने आरकजनर लगे बिरादरिर मन लइआ आचरन करा उचित।
References and further study[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Colonial Globalization and Its Effects on South Asia Eastern Bengal, Sylhet, and Assam, 1874–1971
- ↑ https://www.newslaundry.com/2020/03/24/one-country-one-script-writing-all-indian-languages-in-devanagari-script-is-yet-another-push-for-hindi-imposition
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20160401121705/http://archive.ethnologue.com/16/show_language.asp?code=syl
- ↑ https://aksharamukha.appspot.com/describe/SylotiNagri (Guide script: Devanagari)