>Graham87: /* External links */ rm link added with gross conflict of interest

2021-06-10T02:05:45Z

External links: rm link added with gross conflict of interest

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{{short description|Braille in India and Nepal}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox writing system
| name = Devanagari Braille
| altname = Nagari Braille
| type = [[Alphabet]]
| typedesc =
| time =
| languages = [[Standard Hindi|Hindi]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]], [[Nepali language|Nepali]]
| fam1 = [[Night writing]]
| fam2 = [[Braille]]
| fam3 = [[English Braille]]
| fam4 = [[Bharati Braille]]
| print = [[Devanagari]]
| creator =
| sample =
| imagesize =
| note = none
}}
{{Contains special characters|Indic}}

Similar [[braille]] conventions are used for three languages of India and Nepal that in print are written in [[Devanagari script]]: [[Hindi]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]], and [[Nepali language|Nepali]]. These are part of a family of related braille alphabets known as [[Bharati Braille]]. There are apparently some differences between the Nepali braille alphabet of India and that of Nepal.

==System==
Although basically alphabetic, Devanagari Braille retains one aspect of Indian [[abugida]]s, in that the default vowel ''a'' is not written unless it occurs at the beginning of a word or before a vowel. For example, braille {{Braille cell|k}} (the consonant ''K'') renders print {{lang|hi|क}} ''ka'', and braille {{Braille cell|th}} (''TH''), print {{lang|hi|थ}} ''tha''. To indicate that a consonant is not followed by a vowel (as when followed by another consonant, or at the end of a syllable), a ''[[halant]]'' (vowel-cancelling) prefix is used: {{Braille cell|accent|k}} (''∅–K'') is {{lang|hi|क्}} ''k'', and {{Braille cell|accent|th}} (''∅–TH'') is {{lang|hi|थ्}} ''th''. (When writing in Hindi, the ''halant'' is generally omitted at the end of a word, following the convention in print.) However, unlike in an abugida, there are no vowel diacritics in Devanagari Braille: Vowels are written with full letters following the consonant regardless of their order in print. For example, in print the vowel ''i'' is prefixed to a consonant in a reduced diacritic form, {{lang|hi|कि}} ''ki'', but in braille it follows in its full form: {{Braille cell|k|i}} (''K–I''), equivalent to writing {{angle bracket|{{lang|hi|कइ}}}} for ''ki'' in print. Thus {{lang|hi|क्लिक}} ''klika'' is written in braille as {{Braille cell|accent|K|L|I|K}} (''∅–K–L–I–K''). The one time when a non-initial ''a'' is written in braille is when it is followed by another vowel. In this environment the ''a'' must be written to indicate that it exists, as otherwise the subsequent vowel will be read as following the consonant immediately. Thus a true {{angle bracket|{{lang|hi|कइ}}}} ''kai'' in print is rendered in braille as {{Braille cell|K|A|I}} (''K–A–I'').

Apart from ''kṣ'' and ''jñ'', which each have their own braille letter, Devanagari Braille does not handle [[conjunct consonant|conjuncts]]. Print conjuncts are rendered instead with the ''halant'' in braille. Devanagari braille is thus equivalent to Grade-1 English braille, though there are plans to extend it to conjuncts.

==Alphabet==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! [[Devanagari|Print]]
| {{lang|hi|अ}} || {{lang|hi|आ}} || {{lang|hi|इ}} || {{lang|hi|ई}} || {{lang|hi|उ}} || {{lang|hi|ऊ}} || {{lang|hi|ऎ}} || {{lang|hi|ए}} || {{lang|hi|ऐ}} || {{lang|hi|ऒ}} || {{lang|hi|ओ}} || {{lang|hi|औ}}
|-
! [[ISO 15919|ISO]] !! a !! ā !! i !! ī !! u !! ū !! e !! ē !! ai !! o !! ō !! au
|-
! Braille
| {{Braille cell|type=image|1}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|453}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|42}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|53}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|136}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|1256}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|26}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|15}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|43}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|1436}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|153}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|426}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Print
| {{lang|hi|क}} || {{lang|hi|ख}} || {{lang|hi|ग}} || {{lang|hi|घ}} || {{lang|hi|ङ}}
| {{lang|hi|च}} || {{lang|hi|छ}} || {{lang|hi|ज}} || {{lang|hi|झ}} || {{lang|hi|ञ}}
|-
! ISO !! k !! kh !! g !! gh !! ṅ !! ch !! chh !! j !! jh !! ñ
|-
! Braille
| {{Braille cell|type=image|13}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|46}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|1425}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|126}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|436}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|14}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|16}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|425}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|536}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|25}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Print
| {{lang|hi|ट}} || {{lang|hi|ठ}} || {{lang|hi|ड}} || {{lang|hi|ढ}} || {{lang|hi|ण}}
| {{lang|hi|त}} || {{lang|hi|थ}} || {{lang|hi|द}} || {{lang|hi|ध}} || {{lang|hi|न}}
|-
! ISO !! ṭ !! ṭh !! ḍ !! ḍh !! ṇ !! t !! th !! d !! dh !! n
|-
! Braille
| {{Braille cell|type=image|42536}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|4256}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|1426}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|142536}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|4536}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|4253}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|1456}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|145}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|4236}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|1453}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Print
| {{lang|hi|प}} || {{lang|hi|फ}} || {{lang|hi|ब}} || {{lang|hi|भ}} || {{lang|hi|म}}
| {{lang|hi|य}} || {{lang|hi|र}} || {{lang|hi|ल}} || {{lang|hi|ळ}}<ref>found in Marathi</ref> || {{lang|hi|व}}
|-
! ISO !! p !! ph !! b !! bh !! m !! y !! r !! l !! ḷ !! v
|-
! Braille
| {{Braille cell|type=image|1423}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|253}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|12}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|45}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|143}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|14536}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|1253}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|123}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|456}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|v}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Print
| {{lang|hi|श}} || {{lang|hi|ष}} || {{lang|hi|स}} || {{lang|hi|ह}}
| {{lang|hi|क्ष}} || {{lang|hi|ज्ञ}} || {{lang|hi|ड़}} || {{lang|hi|फ़}} || {{lang|hi|ज़}}
|-
! ISO !! ś !! ṣ !! s !! h !! kṣ !! jñ !! ṛ || f || z
|-
! Braille
| {{Braille cell|type=image|146}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|14236}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|423}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|125}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|14253}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|156}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|12456}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|f}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|z}}
|}

Not all of the letters used for [[Sanskrit]] are reported for [[Nepali language|Nepali]] in [[Nepal]].

===Codas===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!rowspan=2| Diacritic <br> (on {{lang|hi|क}})
|colspan=2| {{lang|hi|क्}} ||colspan=2| {{lang|hi|कं}} ||colspan=2| {{lang|hi|कः}} ||colspan=2| {{lang|hi|कँ}} ||colspan=2| {{lang|hi|कऽ}}
|-
!colspan=2| [[Halant]] !!colspan=2| [[Anusvara]] !!colspan=2| [[Visarga]] !!colspan=2| [[Candrabindu]] !!colspan=2| [[Avagraha]]
|-
! Braille
|colspan=2| {{Braille cell|type=image|4}} ||colspan=2| {{Braille cell|type=image|56}} ||colspan=2| {{Braille cell|type=image|6}} ||colspan=2| {{Braille cell|type=image|3}} ||colspan=2| {{Braille cell|type=image|2}}
|}

===Pointing===
The Bharati point, {{Braille cell|5|type=text}}, is used to derive the syllabic consonants. Long syllabic consonants are prefixed by point-6, which also transcribes the visarga.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Print
|colspan=2| {{lang|hi|ऋ}} ||colspan=2| {{lang|hi|ॠ}} ||colspan=2| {{lang|hi|ऌ}} ||colspan=2| {{lang|hi|ॡ}} ||colspan=2| {{lang|hi|ढ़}}<ref>According to Unesco (2013), this is the reading in Indian Nepali, but in Nepalese Nepali it transcribes {{lang|hi|त्र}} ''tr''. There is no indication of how ''r'' is written after other consonants, but it presumably requires the ''halant''.</ref>
|-
! ISO !!colspan=2| r̥ !!colspan=2| r̥̄ !!colspan=2| l̥ !!colspan=2| l̥̄ !!colspan=2| ṛh
|-
! Braille
|colspan=2| {{Braille cell|type=image|5|1253}} ||colspan=2| {{Braille cell|type=image|6|1253}} ||colspan=2| {{Braille cell|type=image|5|123}} ||colspan=2| {{Braille cell|type=image|6|123}} ||colspan=2| {{Braille cell|type=image|5|14256}}
|}

The pointing diacritic is also used for consonants that are derived with a point in print. Most of these consonants were introduced from [[Persian language|Persian]]:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Print
| {{lang|hi|क़}} || {{lang|hi|ख़}} || {{lang|hi|ग़}} || {{lang|hi|श़}}       or       {{lang|hi|झ़}}
|-
! ISO
! qa !! xa !! ġa !! ža
|-
! Braille
| {{Braille cell|type=image|5|k}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|5|46}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|5|g}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|5|jj}} or {{Braille cell|type=image|5|sh}}
|}

There are irregularities, however. {{lang|hi|फ़}} ''f'' and {{lang|hi|ज़}} ''z'', which are found in both Persian and English loans, are transcribed with [[English Braille]] (and international) {{bc|f}} and {{bc|z}}, as shown in the chart in the previous section, while the internal allophonic developments of {{lang|hi|ड़}} ''ṛ'' and {{lang|hi|ढ़}} ''ṛh'' are respectively an independent letter {{bc|12456}} in braille and a derivation from that letter rather than from the base letter in print.

This is also where, at least according to Unesco (2013), Hindi Braille and Indian Urdu Braille diverge. [[Urdu Braille]] (see) has several additional derivations along these lines, which are not possible in print Devanagari. In Urdu Braille, {{bc|x}} and {{bc|q}} are assigned their English/international values of ''x'' and ''q'', replacing {{bc|5|k}} and {{bc|5|kk}}. Also, {{bc|⠱}} ''jñ'' is used for {{lang|ur|ح}} ''ḥ'', and {{bc|⠷}} (not found in Devanagari Braille) is used for {{lang|ur|[[ع]]}} ''ʿ'', a role played by the letter {{lang|hi|अ}} in Devanagari Urdu but not found in Hindi.

==Nepali punctuation==
{{main|Bharati Braille#Punctuation}}
Braille as used in Nepal has some mostly minor differences from that used for Nepali in India. This may extend to punctuation. The asterisk in Nepal, {{bc|5|35}}, differs from the {{bc|35|35}} used in India, unless this is a copy error in Unesco (2013). Single quotation marks and additional brackets are noted for Nepal but not for India:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Print
! ‘ ... ’ || [ ... ] || { ... }
|-
! Braille
| {{Braille cell|type=image|3||3}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|kk|126||kk|345}} || {{Braille cell|type=image|ll|126||ll|345}}
|}

These differ from the same punctuation in [[Bengali Braille|Bangladesh]].

==Text==
The following is the sample text in the [[Hindi]] article, of the Article 1 of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]]:
:{{bc|⠁|⠝|⠥|⠈|⠉|⠡|⠑|⠙|0|⠼|#1|0|⠤|⠤|0|⠎|⠘|⠔|0}}{{bc|⠍|⠝|⠥|⠈|⠯|⠽|⠕|⠰|0|⠅|⠕|0|⠛|⠪|⠗|⠧|0|⠪|⠗|0}}{{bc|⠁|⠮|⠊|⠅|⠜|⠗|⠕|⠰|0|⠅|⠑|0|⠍|⠜|⠈|⠍|⠇|⠑|0}}{{bc|⠍|⠑|⠰|0|⠚|⠈|⠝|⠍|⠚|⠜|⠞|0|⠈|⠎|⠧|⠞|⠈|⠝|⠈|⠞}}{{bc|⠗|⠞|⠜|0|⠪|⠗|0|⠎|⠍|⠜|⠈|⠝|⠞|⠜|0|⠈|⠏|⠗|⠜}}{{bc|⠈|⠏|⠞|0|⠓|⠌|⠰|⠲}}
:{{bc|⠥|⠈|⠝|⠓|⠑|⠰|0|⠃|⠥|⠈|⠙}}{{bc|⠮|⠊|0|⠪|⠗|0|⠁|⠈|⠝|⠞|⠗|⠜|⠈|⠞|⠍|⠜|0|⠅|⠔|0}}{{bc|⠙|⠑|⠝|0|⠈|⠏|⠗|⠜|⠈|⠏|⠞|0|⠓|⠌|0|⠪|⠗|0|⠏|⠗}}{{bc|⠈|⠎|⠏|⠗|0|⠥|⠈|⠝|⠓|⠑|⠰|0|⠘|⠜|⠔|⠉|⠜|⠗|⠑|0}}{{bc|⠅|⠑|0|⠘|⠜|⠧|0|⠎|⠑|0|⠃|⠈|⠗|⠞|⠜|⠧|0}}{{bc|⠅|⠈|⠗|⠝|⠜|0|⠉|⠜|⠓|⠊|⠽|⠑|⠲}}⠀
:{{lang|hi|अनुच्छेद 1 — सभी मनुष्यों को गौरव और अधिकारों के मामले में जन्मजात स्वतन्त्रता और समानता प्राप्त हैं।}}
:{{lang|hi|उन्हें बुद्धि और अन्तरात्मा की देन प्राप्त है और परस्पर उन्हें भाईचारे के भाव से बर्ताव करना चाहिये।}}
:''Anucched 1 — Sabhī manuṣyoṃ ko gaurav aur adhikāroṃ ke māmle meṃ janmajāt svatantratā aur samāntā prāpt haiṃ.''
:''Unheṃ buddhi aur antarātmā kī den prāpt hai aur paraspar unheṃ bhāīcāre ke bhāv se bartāv karnā cāhiye.''

==See also==
* [[Bharati braille]]
* [[Urdu Braille]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Braille}}
{{hindi topics}}
{{marathi language topics}}

[[Category:Bharati braille alphabets]]
[[Category:Hindi]]
[[Category:Marathi language]]
[[Category:Nepali language]]
[[Category:Devanagari]]

Devanagari Braille - Revision history

>Graham87: /* External links */ rm link added with gross conflict of interest