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{{short description|Diacritic in Indic scripts}}
{{Diacritical marks|{{lang|hi|ं}}/{{lang|bn|ং}}}}
'''Anusvara''' ([[Sanskrit]]: {{lang|sa|अनुस्वार}} ''{{IAST|anusvāra}}'') is a symbol used in many [[Indic scripts]] to mark a type of [[nasalization|nasal sound]], typically transliterated {{grapheme|ṃ}}. Depending on its location in the word and the language for which it is used, its exact pronunciation can vary. In the context of ancient [[Sanskrit]], ''anusvara'' is the name of the particular nasal sound itself, regardless of written representation.

== Sanskrit ==
In [[Vedic Sanskrit]], the anusvāra (lit. "after-sound" or "subordinate sound"){{Sfn|Allen|1953|p=40}} was an [[allophonic]] (derived) nasal sound.

The exact nature of the sound has been subject to debate. The material in the various [[Prātiśākhya| ancient phonetic treatises]] points towards different phonetic interpretations, and these discrepancies have historically been attributed to either differences in the description of the same pronunciation<ref>[[William Dwight Whitney|Whitney]], cited in {{Harvnb|Emeneau|1946|p=91}}</ref> or to dialectal or diachronic variation.{{sfn|Varma|1961|pp=148–55}}{{sfn|Emeneau|1946|p=91}} In a 2013 reappraisal of the evidence, Cardona concludes that these reflect real dialectal differences.{{sfn|Cardona|2013}}

The environments in which the anusvara could arise, however, were well defined. In the earliest [[Vedic Sanskrit]], it was an allophone of /m/ at a [[morpheme]] boundary, or of /n/ within morphemes, when it was preceded by a vowel and followed by a [[fricative]] ({{IAST|/ś/, /ṣ/, /s/, /h/}}).{{sfn|Allen|1953|p=40}} In later Sanskrit its use expanded to other contexts, first before /r/ under certain conditions, then, in [[Classical Sanskrit]], before {{IAST|/l/}} and {{IAST|/y/}}.{{sfn|Allen|1953|p=40}} Later still, {{IAST|[[Pāṇini]]}} gave anusvara as an alternative pronunciation{{fix|text=of what?}} in word-final [[sandhi]], and later treatises also prescribed it at morpheme junctions and within morphemes.{{sfn|Allen|1953|p=41}} In the later written language, the diacritic used to represent anusvara was optionally used to indicate a [[nasal stop]] having the same [[place of articulation]] as a following [[plosive]].

== Devanagari script ==
In the [[Devanagari script]], anusvara is represented with a [[Dot (diacritic)|dot]] (''bindu'') above the letter (e.g. <big>मं</big>). In the [[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration]] (IAST), the corresponding symbol is ṃ (''m'' with an [[underdot]]). Some transcriptions render notation of phonetic variants used in some Vedic [[shakha]]s with variant transcription (ṁ).

In writing Sanskrit, the anusvara is often used as an alternative representation of the nasal stop with the same place of articulation as the following plosive. For example, {{IPA|[əŋɡə]}} 'limb (of the body)' may be written with either a conjunct, अङ्ग ''aṅga'', or with an anusvara, अंग ''aṃga''. A variant of the anusvara, the [[anunāsika]] or 'candrabindu', was used more explicitly for nasalized vowels, as in अँश ''aṃśa'' for {{IPA|[ə̃ɕə]}} 'portion'.<ref name="DB">William Bright, "The Devanagari Script", in Daniels & Bright, ''The World's Writing Systems'', OUP, 1996.</ref>

=== Hindi ===
In [[Standard Hindi]], the {{IAST|anusvāra|}} is traditionally defined as representing a nasal consonant [[homorganic consonants|homorganic]] to a following [[plosive]], in contrast to the {{lang|hi-Latn|[[Chandrabindu|candrabindu]]}} ({{lang|hi-Latn|anunāsika}}), which indicates [[nasal vowel|vowel nasalization]]. In practice, however, the two are often used interchangeably.

The precise phonetic value of the phoneme, whether it is represented by {{lang|hi-Latn|anusvāra|}} or {{lang|hi-Latn|[[Chandrabindu|candrabindu]]}}, is dependent on the phonological environment.<ref>The following rules are from {{Harvtxt|Ohala|1983|pp=87–90}}</ref>

Word-finally it is realized as nasalization of the preceding vowel: ''{{lang|hi-Latn|kuāṃ}}'' {{IPA|[kʊ̃ãː]}}, "a well". It results in vowel nasalization also medially between a short vowel and a non-[[obstruent]] (''{{lang|hi-Latn|kuṃvar}}'' {{IPA|[kʊ̃ʋər]}} "a youth", ''{{lang|hi-Latn|gaṃṛāsā}}'' {{IPA|[ɡə̃ɽaːsaː]}} "a long-handled axe") and, in native words, between a long vowel and a voiceless plosive (''{{lang|hi-Latn|dāṃt}}'' {{IPA|[dãːt]}} "tooth", ''{{lang|hi-Latn|sāṃp}}'' {{IPA|[sãːp]}} "a snake", ''{{lang|hi-Latn|pūṃch}}'' {{IPA|[pũːtʃʰ]}} "tail").

It is pronounced as a homorganic nasal, with the preceding vowel becoming nasalized [[allophone|allophonically]], in the following cases: between a long vowel and a voiced plosive (''{{lang|hi-Latn|tāṃbā}}'' {{IPA|[taːmbaː]}} "copper", ''{{lang|hi-Latn|cāṃdī}}'' {{IPA|[tʃaːndiː]}} "silver"), between a long vowel and a voiceless plosive in loanwords (''{{lang|hi-Latn|dāṃt}}'' {{IPA|[daːnt]}} "repressed", ''{{lang|hi-Latn|baiṃk}}'' {{IPA|[bæːŋk]}} "a bank", ''{{lang|hi-Latn|khazāṃcī}}'' {{IPA|[kʰəzaːɲtʃiː]}}), and between a short vowel and an obstruent (''{{lang|hi-Latn|saṃbhāl-}}'' {{IPA|[səmbʱaːl]}} "to support", ''{{lang|hi-Latn|saṃdūk}}'' {{IPA|[sənduːk]}} "a chest").

The last rule has two sets of exceptions where the {{lang|hi-Latn|anusvāra|}} effects only a nasalization of the preceding short vowel. Words from the first set are morphologically derived from words with a long nasalized vowel (''{{lang|hi-Latn|baṃṭ-}}'' {{IPA|[bə̃ʈ]}}, "to be divided" from ''{{lang|hi-Latn|bāṃṭ-}}'' {{IPA|[bãʈ]}}, "to divide"; ''{{lang|hi-Latn|siṃcāī}}'' {{IPA|[sɪ̃tʃai]}}, "irrigation" from ''{{lang|hi-Latn|sīṃc-}}'' {{IPA|[sĩːtʃ]}}, "to irrigate"). In suchs cases, the vowel is sometimes denasalized ({{IPA|[bəʈ]}}, {{IPA|[sɪtʃai]}} instead of {{IPA|[bə̃ʈ-]}}, {{IPA|[sɪ̃tʃai]}}). The second set is composed of a few words like ''({{lang|hi-Latn|pahuṃc-}}'' {{IPA|[pahʊ̃tʃ]}}, "to arrive" and ''{{lang|hi-Latn|haṃs-}}'' {{IPA|[hə̃s]}}, "to laugh").<ref group="note">{{Harvtxt|Ohala|1983|p=90}} lists five more such words: ''{{lang|hi-Latn|dhaṃs-}}'' "to sink", ''{{lang|hi-Latn|phaṃs-}}'' "to be stuck", ''{{lang|hi-Latn|haṃslī}}'' "a necklace", ''{{lang|hi-Latn|haṃsiyā}}'' "a sickle" and ''{{lang|hi-Latn|haṃsī}}'' "laughter".</ref>

=== Marathi ===
In [[Marathi Language|Marathi]] the anusvara is pronounced as a [[nasal consonant|nasal]] that is [[homorganic consonants|homorganic]] to the following consonant (with the same [[place of articulation]]). For example, it is pronounced as the [[dental nasal]] न् before [[dental consonant]]s, as the [[bilabial nasal]] म् before [[bilabial consonants]], etc.{{citation needed|date=December 2015|reason=sounds quite plausible, but the phonetivs of nasals in South Asian languages can be complex so the claim might as well turn out to be false.}}
Unlike in other Indic languages, in Marathi the same dot designating anusvara is also used to mark a retension of the inherent vowel (it is placed over a consonant after which the short central vowel is to be pronounced and not elided).

===Nepali===
In [[Nepali language|Nepali]], chandrabindu and anusvara have the same pronunciation similarly to Hindi. Therefore, there is a great deal of variation regarding which occurs in any given position. Many words containing anusvara thus have alternative spellings with [[chandrabindu]] instead of anusvara and vice versa.

==Other Indic script languages==
Anusvara is used in other languages using [[Indic scripts]] as well, usually to represent suprasegmental phones (such as [[phonation]] type or nasalization) or other nasal sounds.

===Bengali===
[[File:Bengali Letter Anusvara.svg|thumb|50px]]
In the [[Bengali alphabet|Bengali script]], the anusvara diacritic (<big>অনুস্বার</big> ''onushshar'' in Bengali) is written as a circle above a slanted line (<big>ং</big>), and represents {{IPAslink|ŋ}}. It is used in the name of the Bengali language <big>বাংলা</big> {{IPA|[baŋla]}}. It has merged in pronunciation with the letter <big>ঙ</big> ''ungô'' in Bengali. Although the anusvara is a consonant in [[Bengali phonology]], it is nevertheless treated in the written system as a diacritic in that it is always directly adjacent to the preceding consonant, even when consonants are spaced, apart in titles or banners: <big>বাং-লা-দে-শ</big> ''bang-la-de-sh'', not <big>বা-ং-লা-দে-শ</big> ''ba-ng-la-de-sh'' for <big>বাংলাদেশ</big> ''[[Bangladesh]]'' It is never pronounced with the inherent vowel "ô", and it cannot take a vowel sign (instead, the consonant <big>ঙ</big> ''ungô'' is used pre-vocalically).

===Burmese===
In the [[Burmese script]], the anusvara ({{my|အောက်မြစ်}} ''auk myit'' {{IPA-my|aʊʔ mjɪʔ|IPA}}) is represented as a dot underneath a nasalised final to indicate a [[Burmese language#Tones|creaky tone]] (with a shortened vowel). Burmese also uses a dot above to indicate the {{IPA|/-ɴ/}} nasalized ending (called "Myanmar Sign Anusvara" in Unicode), called {{my|သေးသေးတင်}} ''thay thay tin'' ({{IPA-my|θé ðé tɪ̀ɰ̃|IPA}})

===Sinhala===
In the [[Sinhala script]], the anusvara is not a nonspacing combining mark but a spacing combining mark. It has circular shape and follows its base letter ( ං).<ref>See an example in Anshuman Pandey’s ''Proposal to encode a nasal character in Vedic Extensions'', [https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2017/17117r-vedic-double-antargomukha.pdf L2/17-117R].</ref> It is called {{transl|si|binduva}} in [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]], which means "dot". The anusvara represents {{IPAslink|ŋ}} at the end of a syllable. It is used in fact, in the name of the [[Sinhala language]] සිංහල {{IPA-si|ˈsiŋɦələ|}}. It has merged in pronunciation with the letter ඞ ṅa in Sinhala.

===Telugu===
The [[Telugu script]] has full-zero (anusvāra) ం , half-zero (arthanusvāra) and ''visarga'' to convey various shades of nasal sounds. Anusvara is represented as a circle shape after a letter:<ref>{{cite book |title= A History of Telugu Literature |last= Chenchiah |first= P. |author2=Rao, Raja Bhujanga |year= 1988 |publisher= Asian Educational Services |isbn= 81-206-0313-3 |page=18}}</ref> క - ka and కం - kam.

===Thai===
The equivalent of the anusvara in the [[Thai alphabet]] is the [[Thai alphabet#anusvara|''nikkhahit'']], which is used when rendering Sanskrit and [[Pali]] texts. It is written as an open circle above the consonant (for example {{lang|th|อํ}}) and its pronunciation depends on the following sound: if it is a consonant then the nikkhahit is pronounced as a homorganic nasal, and if it is at the end of a word it is pronounced as the velar nasal {{IPA|ŋ}}.{{cn|date=July 2016}}

==Anunasika==
'''Anunasika''' (''{{IAST|anunāsika}}'') is a form of [[Nasal vowel|vowel nasalization]], often represented by an anusvara. It is a form of open mouthed nasalization, akin to the nasalization of vowels followed by "n" or "m" in Parisian [[French language|French]]. When "n" or "m" follow a vowel, the "n" or "m" becomes silent and causes the preceding vowel to become nasal (pronounced with the soft palate extended downward so as to allow part or all of the air to leave through the nostrils). Anunasika is sometimes called a ''subdot'' because of its [[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration|IAST]] representation.

In [[Devanagari]] and related orthographies, it is represented by the [[chandrabindu]] diacritic (''example'': मँ ).

In [[Burmese language|Burmese]], the anunasika, called {{my|သေးသေးတင်}} ({{IPA-my|θé ðé tɪ̀ɰ̃|IPA}}) and represented as {{angbr|{{lang|my|ံ}}}}, creates the {{IPA|/-ɰ̃/}} nasalized ending when it is attached as a dot above a letter. The anunasika represents the -m final in Pali.

== Unicode ==
[[Unicode]] encodes anusvara and anusvara-like characters for a variety of scripts:

{|
|
{|class="wikitable"
|+ South Asian scripts
! Script !! Sign !! Example !! Unicode
|-
| [[Bengali alphabet|Bengali]] || ং||কং|| U+0982
|-
| Bengali [[Vedic Sanskrit|Vedic]] ||ৼ|| || U+09FC
|-
| [[Bhaiksuki alphabet|Bhaiksuki]] || 𑰽||𑰎𑰽|| U+11C3D
|-
| [[Brahmi script|Brahmi]] || 𑀁||𑀓𑀁|| U+11001
|-
| [[Chakma alphabet|Chakma]] || 𑄁||𑄇𑄁|| U+11101
|-
| [[Devanagari]] || ं||कं|| U+0902
|-
| [[Dhives Akuru]] || 𑤻||𑤌𑤻|| U+1193B
|-
| [[Dogri language#Script|Dogra]] || 𑠷||𑠊𑠷|| U+11837
|-
| [[Grantha alphabet|Grantha]] || 𑌂||𑌕𑌂|| U+11302
|-
| Grantha Vedic ||𑍞|| || U+1135E
|-
| Grantha Vedic (double) ||𑍟|| || U+1135F
|-
| Grantha (combining above) || 𑌀||𑌕𑌀|| U+11300
|-
| [[Gujarati script|Gujarati]] || ં||કં|| U+0A82
|-
| [[Gunjala Gondi Lipi|Gunjala Gondi]] || 𑶕||𑵱𑶕|| U+11D95
|-
| [[Gurmukhī script|Gurmukhi]] || ਂ||ਕਂ|| U+0A02
|-
| [[Kaithi]] || 𑂁||𑂍𑂁|| U+11081
|-
| [[Kannada script|Kannada]] || ಂ||ಕಂ|| U+0C82
|-
| [[Kharosthi]] || 𐨎||𐨐𐨎|| U+10A0E
|-
| [[Khojki]] || 𑈴||𑈈𑈴|| U+11234
|-
| [[Khudabadi script|Khudabadi]] || 𑋟||𑊺𑋟|| U+112DF
|-
| [[Malayalam script|Malayalam]] || ം||കം|| U+0D02
|-
| Malayalam (combining above) || ഀ||കഀ|| U+0D00
|-
| Malayalam Vedic|| ഄ|| || U+0D04
|-
| [[Marchen script|Marchen]] || 𑲵||𑱲𑲵|| U+11CB5
|-
| [[Masaram Gondi script|Masaram Gondi]] || 𑵀||𑴌𑵀|| U+11D40
|-
| [[Modi alphabet|Modi]] || 𑘽||𑘎𑘽|| U+1163D
|-
| [[Nandinagari]] || 𑧞||𑦮𑧞|| U+119DE
|-
| [[Odia script|Odia]] || ଂ||କଂ|| U+0B02
|-
| [[Prachalit Nepal alphabet|Prachalit Nepal]] || 𑑄||𑐎𑑄|| U+11444
|-
| Prachalit Nepal (Vedic) ||𑑟|| || U+1145F
|-
| [[Śāradā script|Sharada]] || 𑆁||𑆑𑆁|| U+11181
|-
| [[Saurashtra alphabet|Saurashtra]] || ꢀ||ꢒꢀ|| U+A880
|-
| [[Siddhaṃ script|Siddham]] || 𑖽||𑖎𑖽|| U+115BD
|-
| [[Sinhala script|Sinhala]] || ං||කං|| U+0D82
|-
| [[Soyombo alphabet|Soyombo]] || 𑪖||𑩜𑪖|| U+11A96
|-
| [[Sylheti Nagari]] || ꠋ||ꠇꠋ|| U+A80B
|-
| [[Takri alphabet|Takri]] || 𑚫||𑚊𑚫|| U+116AB
|-
| [[Telugu script|Telugu]] || ం||కం|| U+0C02
|-
| Telugu ([[Prakrit]])<ref>{{cite web|title=L2/16-285: Proposal to encode the TELUGU SIGN COMBINING ANUSVARA ABOVE|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2016/16285-telugu-comb-anusvara.pdf|date=2016-10-20|first1=Srinidhi|last1=A|first2=Sridatta|last2=A}}</ref> (combining above) || ఄ||కఄ|| U+0C04
|-
| [[Tibetan alphabet|Tibetan]] (rjes su nga ro) || ཾ||ཀཾ||U+0F7E
|-
| [[Tirhuta]] || 𑓀||𑒏𑓀|| U+114C0
|-
| [[Zanabazar Square alphabet|Zanabazar Square]] || 𑨸||𑨋𑨸|| U+11A38
|}
| valign="top" |
{|class="wikitable"
|+ Southeast Asian scripts
! Script !! Sign !! Example !! Unicode
|-
| [[Balinese script|Balinese]] || {{script|Bali| ᬂ}} || {{script|Bali|ᬓᬂ}} || U+1B02
|-
| [[Burmese script|Burmese]] || {{script|Mymr| ံ}} || {{script|Mymr|ကံ}} || U+1036
|-
| [[Javanese script|Javanese]] || {{Jav| ꦁ}} || {{Jav|ꦏꦁ}} || U+A981
|-
| [[Khmer script|Khmer]] || {{script|Khmr| ំ}} || {{script|Khmr|កំ}} || U+17C6
|-
| [[Lao script|Lao]] || ໍ||ກໍ|| U+0ECD
|-
| [[Sundanese script|Sundanese]] || {{Sund| ᮀ}} || {{Sund|ᮊᮀ}} || U+1B80
|-
| [[Tai Tham alphabet|Tai Tham]] (mai kang) || ᩴ||ᨠᩴ|| U+1A74
|-
| [[Thai script|Thai]] || ํ||กํ|| U+0E4D
|}

|}

==See also==
* [[Chandrabindu]]
* [[Tilde]]
* [[Ogonek]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{Citation
|last= Allen
|first= W.S.
|title= Phonetics in ancient India
|year= 1953
|publisher= OUP
}}
*{{Cite journal| last = Cardona| first = George| date = 2013| title = Developments of nasals in early Indo-Aryan : anunāsika and anusvāra| journal = Tokyo University Linguistic Papers| volume = 33| pages = 3–81| issn = 13458663| url = https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/120005245953/en/}}
* {{Cite journal
|last= Emeneau
|first= M. B.
|author-link= Murray Barnson Emeneau
|year= 1946
|journal= Language
|title= The Nasal Phonemes of Sanskrit
|volume= 22
|pages= 86–93
|jstor= 410341
|issue= 2
|doi=10.2307/410341
}}
* {{Citation
|last= Ohala
|first= Manjari
|title= Aspects of Hindi Phonology
|year= 1983
|publisher= Motilal Banarsidass
|ISBN= 0-89581-670-9
}}
*{{Cite book| publisher = Munshi Ram Manohar Lal| last = Varma| first = Siddheshwar| title = Critical studies in the phonetic observations of Indian grammarians.| location = Delhi| series = James G. Forlong Fund| date = 1961| orig-year = 1927}}

[[Category:Brahmic diacritics]]
[[Category:Sanskrit]]

Anusvara - Revision history

CleanupBot: Robot: Replacing encoded entity with character

PenneyIrby336: Article enhanced with better details

>Uanfala: rv: 1) we use citation forms for Sanskrit words; 2) the phonetic description applies specifically to Standard Hindi