Devanagari

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Devanagari is an Indic script used in India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, has a strong preference for symmetrical rounded shapes within squared outlines, and is recognisable by a horizontal line that runs along the top of full letters.

History[edit | edit source]

The Devanagari script is used for several languages including Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Sanskrit, and Konkani. It is a descendant of the Brahmi script, which was the earliest writing system developed in India in the mid-1st millennium BCE.

Structure[edit | edit source]

Devanagari is an abugida, meaning each base consonantal character carries an inherent vowel, which can be altered or muted by means of diacritics. It also includes additional symbols for vowels, which can be added to the base consonant.

Usage[edit | edit source]

Devanagari is used for writing Hindi, the most widely spoken language in India, as well as many other Indian languages. It is also used for writing Sanskrit, the liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

See also[edit | edit source]

Devanagari Resources
Doctor showing form.jpg
Wiki.png

Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index‏‎ - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes

Search WikiMD


Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD

WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.

Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.


Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD