Jina m. butchart at 14:47, 29 March 2026

2026-03-29T14:47:04Z

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{{short description|Letter "Ḹ" in Indic scripts}}
{{Infobox Indic letter |letname = Ḹ
|mainimg = Devanagari ॡ.svg
|bengcp = 09E1
|tibtcp = 0F63;ཱ&#x0F80
|mlymcp = 0D61
|sinhcp = 0D90
|brahcp = 1100E |ashokaimg = Brahmi lii.svg
|devacp = 0961
| hbchar = ל
| grchar = Λ
| lachar = L, Ł, Ɬ
| cychar = Л, Љ, Ԓ, Ӆ
|ipa = l̩ː |iast = Ḹ
}}

'''Ḹ''' is a vowel of Indic abugidas. In modern Indic scripts, Ḹ is derived from the early "[[Ashoka]]" Brahmi letter [[Image:Brahmi lii.svg|13px|ng]]. As an Indic vowel, Ḹ comes in two normally distinct forms: 1) as an independent letter, and 2) as a vowel sign for modifying a base consonant. Bare consonants without a modifying vowel sign have the inherent "A" vowel.

==Āryabhaṭa numeration==
{{further|Āryabhaṭa numeration}}
[[Aryabhata]] used Devanagari letters for numbers, very similar to the [[Greek numerals]], even after the invention of [[Indian numerals]]. The "Ḹ" sign was used to modify a consonant's value {{e|8}}, but the vowel letter did not have an inherent value by itself.<ref name="Ifrah">{{cite book|last=Ifrah|first=Georges|title=The Universal History of Numbers. From Prehistory to the Invention of the Computer|year=2000|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|location=New York|isbn=0-471-39340-1|pages=447–450}}</ref>

==Historic Ḹ==
There are three different general early historic scripts - [[Brahmi script|Brahmi]] and its variants, [[Kharosthi|Kharoṣṭhī]], and [[Tocharian alphabet|Tocharian]], the so-called ''slanting Brahmi''. Ḹ as found in [[Brahmi]] was missing in earlier geometric styles, but emerged during more flowing styles of Brahmi, such as the Kushana and Gupta. In both Tocharian and Kharoṣṭhī, Ḹ is not currently known from any source materials.

===Brahmi Ḹ===
The Brahmi letter Ḹ is only found as a vowel mark, and is derived from the [[La (Indic)#Brahmi La|consonant La]], and therefore is [[Brahmi script#origin|probably]] from the Aramaic [[Lamed]] [[File:Lamed.svg|13px]]. This would make it related to the modern Latin [[L]] and Greek [[Lambda]].<ref name="Buhler">{{cite web |last1=Bühler |first1=Georg |title=On the Origin of the Indian Brahmi Alphabet |url=https://archive.org/details/onoriginofindian00bhuoft/page/n3/mode/2up |website=archive.org |year=1898 |publisher=Karl J. Trübner |accessdate=10 June 2020}}</ref> Several identifiable styles of writing the Brahmi Ḹ can be found, most associated with a specific set of inscriptions from an artifact or diverse records from an historic period.<ref>[[:File:Brahmi script consonants according to James Prinsep March 1838.jpg|Evolutionary chart]], Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol 7, 1838 [https://archive.org/stream/journalofasiatic775asia#page/n101]</ref> As the earliest and most geometric style of Brahmi, the letters found on the [[Edicts of Ashoka]] and other records from around that time are normally the reference form for Brahmi letters, but Ḹ must be back-formed from later forms to match the reference geometric writing style, and the reference image for the independent letter [[File:Brahmi lii.svg|13px]] is just the vowel mark enlarged to the size of a full letter.

==Devanagari Ḹ==

{{multiple image
| width = 100px
| image1 = Devanagari ॡ.svg
| alt1 = Ḹ vowel
| image2 = Devanagari ॣ.svg
| alt2 = Ḹ vowel sign
| footer = Devanagari independent Ḹ and Ḹ vowel sign.
}}
'''Ḹ''' ('''ॡ''') is a vowel of the [[Devanagari]] [[abugida]]. It ultimately arose from the [[Brahmi]] letter [[Image:Brahmi lii.svg|13px|Ḹ]]. Letters that derive from it are the [[Gujarati script|Gujarati]] letter '''ૡ''', and the [[Modi alphabet|Modi]] letter 𑘉.

===Devanagari-script languages===
The Devanagari script is used to write the [[Hindi language]], [[Sanskrit]] and the majority of [[Indo-Aryan languages]]. {{Dubious span|text=In most of these languages, ॡ is pronounced as {{IPA|hi|ḹ|}}|date=March 2026}}. Like all Indic scripts, Devanagari vowels come in two forms: an independent vowel form for syllables that begin with a vowel sound, and a vowel sign attached to base consonant to override the inherent /ə/ vowel.

==Bengali Ḹ==
{{main|Ḹ (Bengali)}}
{{multiple image
| width = 100px
| image1 = Bengali Letter Vocalic Ll.svg
| alt1 = Ḹ vowel
| image2 = Bengali Ll vowel sign.svg
| alt2 = Ḹ vowel sign
| footer = Bengali independent Ḹ and Ḹ vowel sign.
}}
'''Ḹ''' ('''ৡ''') is a vowel of the [[Bengali script|Bengali]] [[abugida]]. It is derived from the [[Siddhaṃ]] letter [[Image:Siddham ll.svg|13px|Ḹ]], and is marked a lack of horizontal head line and less geometric shape than its Devanagari counterpart, ॡ.

===Bengali-script languages===
The Bengali script is used to write several languages of eastern India, notably the [[Bengali language]] and [[Assamese language|Assamese]]. {{Dubious span|text=In most languages, ৡ is pronounced as {{IPA|bn|ḹ|}}.|date=March 2026}} Like all Indic scripts, Bengali vowels come in two forms: an independent vowel form for syllables that begin with a vowel sound, and a vowel sign attached to base consonant to override the inherent /ɔ/ vowel.

==Gujarati Ḹ==
{{multiple image
| width = 100px
| image1 = Gujarati ૡ.svg
| alt1 = Ḹ vowel
| image2 = Gujarati ૣ.svg
| alt2 = Ḹ vowel sign
| footer = Gujarati independent Ḹ and Ḹ vowel sign.
}}
'''Ḹ''' ('''ૡ''') is a vowel of the [[Gujarati script|Gujarati]] [[abugida]]. It is derived from the Devanagari Ḹ [[Image:Devanagari lii.svg|13px|ll]], and ultimately the [[Brahmi]] letter [[Image:Brahmi lii.svg|13px|ll]].

===Gujarati-script languages===
The Gujarati script is used to write the [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] and [[Kutchi language|Kutchi]] languages. In both languages, ૡ is pronounced as {{IPA|gu|ḹ|}}. Like all Indic scripts, Gujarati vowels come in two forms: an independent vowel form for syllables that begin with a vowel sound, and a vowel sign attached to base consonant to override the inherent /ə/ vowel.

==Javanese Ḹ==
{{main|Ḹ (Javanese)}}

==Telugu Ḹ==
{{multiple image
| width = 100px
| image1 = Telugu vowel Ll.svg
| alt1 = Telugu independent vowel Ḹ
| image2 = Telugu Ll vowel sign.svg
| alt2 = Telugu vowel sign Ḹ
| footer = Telugu independent vowel and vowel sign Ḹ.
}}
'''Ḹ''' ('''ౡ''') is a vowel of the [[Telugu script|Telugu]] [[abugida]]. It ultimately arose from the [[Brahmi]] letter [[Image:Brahmi lii.svg|13px|Ḹ]] Ḹ. It is closely related to the [[Kannada script|Kannada]] letter '''ೡ'''. Like in other Indic scripts, Telugu vowels have two forms: and independent letter for word and syllable-initial vowel sounds, and a vowel sign for changing the inherent "a" of Telugu consonant letters. Ḹ is a non-attaching vowel sign, and does not alter the underlying consonant or contextually shape itself in any way.
[[File:Telugu Ll matra.svg|thumb|center|550px|Telugu Ḹ vowel sign on క, ఖ, గ, ఘ & ఙ: Kḹ, Khḹ, Gḹ, Ghḹ and Ngḹ.]]

==Malayalam Ḹ==
{{multiple image
| width = 100px
| image1 = Malayalam vowel Ll.svg
| alt1 = Malayalam independent vowel Ḹ
| image2 = Malayalam vowel sign Ll.svg
| alt2 = Malayalam vowel sign Ḹ
| footer = Malayalam independent vowel and vowel sign Ḹ.
}}
'''Ḹ''' ('''ൡ''') is a vowel of the [[Malayalam script|Malayalam]] [[abugida]]. It ultimately arose from the [[Brahmi]] letter [[Image:Brahmi lii.svg|13px|Ḹ]], via the [[Grantha script|Grantha]] letter [[Image:Grantha vowel Ll.svg|x15px|Ḹ]] ''ḹ''. Like in other Indic scripts, Malayalam vowels have two forms: an independent letter for word and syllable-initial vowel sounds, and a vowel sign for changing the inherent "a" of consonant letters. Vowel signs in Malayalam usually sit adjacent to its base consonant - below, to the left, right, or both left and right, but are always pronounced after the consonant sound.

==Odia Ḹ==
{{multiple image
| width = 100px
| image1 = Odia vowel ll.svg
| alt1 = Odia independent vowel Ḹ
| image2 = Odia vowel sign ll.svg
| alt2 = Odia vowel sign Ḹ
| footer = Odia independent vowel and vowel sign Ḹ.
| align = left
}}
'''Ḹ''' ('''ୡ''') is a vowel of the [[Odia script|Odia]] [[abugida]]. It ultimately arose from the [[Brahmi]] letter [[Image:Brahmi lii.svg|13px|Ḹ]], via the [[Siddhaṃ script|Siddhaṃ]] letter [[Image:Siddham lii.svg|x15px|Ḹ]] ''ḹ''. Like in other Indic scripts, Odia vowels have two forms: an independent letter for word and syllable-initial vowel sounds, and a vowel sign for changing the inherent "a" of consonant letters. Vowel signs in Odia usually sit adjacent to its base consonant - below, to the left, right, or both left and right, but are always pronounced after the consonant sound. No base consonants are altered in form when adding a vowel sign, and there are no consonant+vowel ligatures in Odia.

==Tirhuta Ḹ==
{{multiple image
| width = 100px
| image1 = TIRHUTA LETTER VOCALIC LL.svg
| alt1 = Tirhuta independent vowel Ḹ
| image2 = TIRHUTA VOWEL SIGN VOCALIC LL.svg
| alt2 = Tirhuta vowel sign Ḹ
| footer = Tirhuta independent vowel and vowel sign Ḹ.
}}
'''Ḹ''' ('''𑒊''') is a vowel of the [[Tirhuta script|Tirhuta]] [[abugida]]. It ultimately arose from the [[Brahmi]] letter [[Image:Brahmi lii.svg|13px|Ḹ]], via the [[Siddhaṃ script|Siddhaṃ]] letter [[Image:Siddham lii.svg|x15px|Ḹ]] ''ll''. Like in other Indic scripts, Tirhuta vowels have two forms: an independent letter for word and syllable-initial vowel sounds, and a vowel sign for changing the inherent "a" of consonant letters. Vowel signs in Tirhuta usually sit adjacent to its base consonant - below, to the left, right, or both left and right, but are always pronounced after the consonant sound. No consonants are altered in form when adding the ''Ḹ'' vowel mark, although there are some consonant+vowel ligatures in Tirhuta.

{{clear}}

==Comparison of Ḹ==
The various Indic scripts are generally related to each other through adaptation and borrowing, and as such the glyphs for cognate letters, including Ḹ, are related as well.
{{Indic glyph |letname = Ḹ
|devacp = 0961
|bengcp = 09E1
|telucp = 0C61
|oryacp = 0B61
|kndacp = 0CE1
|mlymcp = 0D61
|gujrcp = 0AE1

|brahcp = 1100E |ashokaimg = Brahmi lii.svg
|siddcp = 11589 |siddimg = Siddham ll.svg
|grancp = 11361
|tibtcp = 0F63;ཱ&#x0F80
|newacp = 11409
|shrdcp = 1118C
|mymrcp = 1055
|sinhcp = 0D90
|saurcp = A88B
|modicp = 11609
|tirhcp = 1148A
|balicp = 1B0E
|javacp = A98B
| armiimg = Lamed.svg
| ranjimg = Ranjana lii.svg
}}

==Character encodings of Ḹ==
Most Indic scripts are encoded in the [[Unicode Standard]], and as such the letter Ḹ in those scripts can be represented in plain text with unique codepoint. Ḹ from several modern-use scripts can also be found in legacy encodings, such as [[ISCII]].
{{Indic encoding |= Ḹ
|devacp = 0961
|bengcp = 09E1
|telucp = 0C61
|oryacp = 0B61
|kndacp = 0CE1
|mlymcp = 0D61
|gujrcp = 0AE1

|brahcp = 1100E |ashokaimg = Brahmi lii.svg
|siddcp = 11589 |siddimg = Siddham ll.svg
|grancp = 11361

|newacp = 11409
|shrdcp = 1118C
|mymrcp = 1055
|khmrcp = 17AE
|sinhcp = 0D90
|saurcp = A88B
|modicp = 11609
|tirhcp = 1148A
|balicp = 1B0E
|javacp = A98B
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Devanagari_abugida}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ll (Indic)}}
[[Category:Indic letters]]

Ḹ - Revision history

Jina m. butchart at 14:47, 29 March 2026