Varang Kshiti alphabet    Varang Kshiti

Origin

The Varang Kshiti or Warang Chiti alphabet was invented by community leader Lako Bodra as an alternative to the writing systems devised by Christian missionaries. He claims that the alphabet was invented in the 13th century by Dhawan Turi, and that it was rediscovered in a shamanistic vision and modernised by Bodra.

It is used in primary and adult education and in various publications. About 2% of people who speak Ho are literate in their language.

Notable features

Used to write

Ho, a Munda language with over a million speakers mainly in the Indian states of Jharkhand, Orissa, and West Bengal, and also in Bangladesh. Ho is closely related to Mundari and Santali, and is know as ho kaji, ho: basa, or ho haram by it's speakers.

Varang Kshiti alphabet

Consonants

Varang Kshiti consonants

Vowels

Varang Kshiti vowels

Numerals

Varang Kshiti numerals

Links

Information about the Varang Kshiti / Warang Chiti alphabet and the Ho language
http://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/langhotspots/Ho/
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=hoc
http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=7XuYf2wtBZY

Information about the Munda languages
http://www.livingtongues.org/moremunda.html

Related languages

Ho, Mundari, Santali, Sora

Syllabic alphabets / abugidas

Ahom, Balinese, Batak, Bengali, Brahmi, Buhid, Burmese, Chakma, Cham, Dehong Dai, Devanagari, Dhives Akuru, Ethiopic, Evēla Akuru, Gondi, Grantha, Gujarati, Gupta, Gurmukhi (Punjabi), Hanuno'o, Hmong, Javanese, Kannada, Kharosthi, Khmer, Lanna, Lao, Lepcha, Limbu, Lontara/Makasar, Malayalam, Manpuri, Modi, New Tai Lue, Oriya, Pallava, Phags-pa, Ranjana, Redjang, Shan, Sharda, Siddham, Sindhi, Sinhala, Sorang Sompeng, Sourashtra, Soyombo, Sundanese, Syloti Nagri, Tagalog, Tagbanwa, Takri, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Tocharian, Varang Kshiti

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