Published on 26th November 2003
Using Hindi Traditional Keyboard
Consonants:
The following consonants can be typed with the Hindi traditional keyboard.
Hindi traditional keyboard layouts
Half Forms of the consonants:
Consonant letters can be rendered as Half Forms. When rendered as a half form, a consonant does not have its inherent vowel and is generally depicted without its vertical stem.
For example letter क has an inherent vowel /a/ in it. Its half form will look like this; क् .
Vowels:
Following vowels can be typed using Hindi-Traditional or Marathi keyboard. There are two types of vowels that can be typed.
Independent Vowels:
These are the letters in Devanagari script that stand of their own. The independent vowels letters are used to write syllables that start with a vowel. Following independent vowels can be typed with keyboards supporting Devanagari text.
अ आ इ ई उ ऊ ऋ ए ऐ ऍ ओ औ ऑ
Note: ऍ, ऑ , and their matra forms ॅ ॉ are newly introduced vowel forms into Devanagari for representing English sounds.
Dependent Vowels:
Also known as Matras, they serve as a way to write non-inherent vowels. Dependent vowels do not stand alone. A single consonant or a consonant cluster may have a dependent vowel applied to it to indicate the vowel quality of the syllable when it is different from the inherent vowel. Following dependent vowels can be typed with keyboards supporting Devanagari text.
ा ि ी ु ू ृ े ै ॅ ो ौ ॉ
Note: The dotted circle below the matras (dependent vowels or vowel signs) represents non-spacing characters that need to combine with another base character to be a validly typed character. When they are typed by themselves or in an invalid sequence they will be represented with the dotted circle.
Example - Applying a dependent vowel to a consonant
How to Prevent Conjunct Forms?
In certain situations where it is desired that dead consonant needs to be excluded from the conjunct formation, Virama sign is rendered visibly. This is done by placing a character known as Zero Width Non-Joiner (ZWNJ) immediately after the dead consonant that is to be excluded from conjunct formation.
Example - Conjunct Forms - Use of ZWNJ prevents default formation of conjunct क्ष.
Explicit Half Consonant:
In certain cases it is desirable to prevent a dead consonant from assuming full conjunct formation yet still not appear with explicit Virama. To explicitly encode a half consonant form, a character called Zero Width Joiner (ZWJ) is placed immediately after the dead consonant.
Example - Explicit Half consonant - Difference With ZWJ and Without ZWJ.
Anuswar, Chandrabindu and Visarga:
Devanagari script has number of combining marks such as Anuswar, Chandrabindu and Visarga. Anuswar and Chandrabindu indicate nasalization or final nasal closure of a syllable.
Example - Anuswar, Chandrabindu and Visarga
Rakar and Reph Forms:
The Rakar and Reph forms are also shaped transparently. When ् is followed by a र, a Rakar gets formed while when र is followed by a ्, a Reph gets formed.
Example - Rakar and Reph Forms
Nuktas:
The Nukta (accessed from the ] key on English keyboard) can be attached to the consonant to get a slightly modified sound:
गढ़वाल = ग ढ ़ व ा ल
Nuktas can only be shown on the following seven consonants:
क़ ख़ ग़ ज़ ड़ ढ़ फ़
Digits:
Following digits can be typed in keyboard that supports Devanagari Text.
१ २ ३ ४ ५ ६ ७ ८ ९ ०
In order to type a Devanagari digit, please change keyboard to Hindi and the press Right ALT button and type digits from the main keyboard.
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