Ahom Letter Da

It is the Ahom consonant d, normally read with the built-in a vowel. Ahom is an abugida, a writing system where each consonant carries an inherent vowel, so 𑜓 normally forms a d+a syllable.

The oldest surviving Ahom text is the Snake Pillar inscription, made for King Siuw Hum Miung (1497–1539). The script also appears on stone inscriptions, coins, brass plates, and many manuscripts. Until the early 19th century, manuscripts were written on cloth or, more often, sasi-tree bark; many bark texts survive in multiple copies.

Ahom is linked to Mon-Burmese writing and Lik Tai, a family of scripts that includes Tai Le and Khamti. Its route to Assam remains uncertain: the Ahoms may have brought it from Mau Long in Yunnan, where similar inscriptions exist. The Tai Ahom language declined in the late 17th century, though priests kept the script in religious practice through the 19th century. An early revival may date to the late 18th century, with Bar Amra (an Ahom-Assamese word list) and Loti Amra. Modern print use began in 1920 with an Ahom-Assamese-English dictionary; publication grew after an Ahom computer font appeared in 1997.

Why can Ahom vowel marks change shape?

The font positions combining vowel signs around the consonant. They follow the consonant in stored text, but can display before, above, below, or around it.

The Ahom vowel signs 𑜢 (I) and 𑜤 (U) can join after some consonants. After 𑜓 they stay separate because the closed shape could be mistaken for another Ahom letter.

How do I type 𑜓?

Use a Unicode-aware input method that accepts this code point. The keystrokes depend on your device.