Ahom Digit Two

It means two; Ahom Kha is a separate letter with its shape.

The numeral probably takes its form from Kha. The two characters have the same visible shape, so the surrounding number or word helps identify which one is intended.

Ahom was used in northeast India mainly to write the Tai Ahom language. The oldest surviving Ahom text is the Snake Pillar inscription, made during King Siuw Hum Miung’s reign (1497–1539). The Ahom kingdom is traditionally dated to 1228 and associated with a prince from Mau Long, now in Yunnan, China. Similar Yunnan inscriptions make it possible that the script travelled with him to Assam, but that route is not certain. Historical comparisons link the wider Ahom script to Lik Tai and Mon-Burmese writing traditions. Some manuscripts from the 18th century are partly in Assamese. Until the early 19th century, manuscripts were written on cloth or, more often, Sasi-tree bark; the script also appears on coins and brass plates. Tai Ahom use declined from the late 17th century, but priests kept the language and script in religious practice through the 19th century. An Ahom-Assamese-English dictionary published in 1920 marked the start of modern printed use; an Ahom computer font developed in 1997 helped publications grow.

How did Ahom numbers use this sign?

Traditional Ahom numbers mix numeral signs and spelled-out values.

They did not use base-ten place value. The forms for 3, 4, 5, and 20 are Ahom number words written out; 6 and 9 were adapted from Burmese digits. Manuscripts could mix signs from different numeral systems. Numbers above ten tended to appear as page numbers, while values above 100 were usually spelled out in words. One manuscript page number, 𑜲𑜻𑜺𑜸, represents 58: two, twenty, ten, and eight.

How do I type or display Ahom 2?

Use an Ahom Unicode keyboard and a font with Ahom support.

An Ahom keyboard or input method maps the character to a layout-specific key. If it appears as an empty box, the font lacks the glyph; choose a font that supports Ahom.