Oriya alphabet

Origin

The Oriya script developed from the Kalinga script, one of the many descendents of the Brahmi script of ancient India. The earliest known inscription in the Oriya language, in the Kalinga script, dates from 1051.

The curved appearance of the Oriya script is a result of the practice of writing on palm leaves, which have a tendency to tear if you use too many straight lines.

Notable features

Type of writing system: syllabic alphabet in which all consonants have an inherent vowel. Diacritics, which can appear above, below, before or after the consonant they belong to, are used to change the inherent vowel.
When they appear the the beginning of a syllable, vowels are written as independent letters.
When certain consonants occur together, special conjunct symbols are used which combine the essential parts of each letter.
Direction of writing: left to right in horizontal lines.

Used to write:

Oriya, an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about 31 million people mainly in the Indian state of Orissa, and also in West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Gujarat. Oriya is closely related to Bengali and Assamese.

Also used to write a number of the other languages spoken in Orissa and Sanskrit.

Oriya alphabet

Vowels and vowel diacritics with k

Oriya vowels and vowel diacritics

Consonants

Oriya consonants

Some conjunct consonants

Some Oriya conjunct consonants

Numerals

Oriya numerals

Sample text

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Oriya

Sabu manuṣẏa janmukāḷaru svadhāna, ṣamainaṅkara narsẏāḍā o adhikāra samāna, sanainaṅaṭhāre prabã o bibake niha ṭachi, samaine paraspara paba brādahaba paiṣaṣa kari ṭhārpha jakirā ḍarakāra.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

A recording of this text

Tower of Babel in Oriya | Useful phrases in Oriya