Ahom Letter Ta

It starts an Ahom syllable with a t consonant. On its own, 𑜄 carries the script’s built-in “a” sound; a vowel sign changes that vowel. The visible vowel-killer mark suppresses the “a” when the consonant closes a syllable or joins a cluster.

Tai Ahom—the language of the Ahom kingdom—was written in this script. Its surviving record includes royal chronicles, origin stories, divination, prayers, and priestly learning. An 18th century Ahom manuscript now held by the British Library tells a creation story, records rulers from Siu Ka Pha to Gomedhar Konwar in the British period, and includes a prayer.

The oldest surviving Ahom text is the Snake Pillar inscription, made during King Siuw Hum Miung’s reign (1497–1539). The script’s lineage is traced through Lik-Tai forms and older Mon–Burmese traditions; similar inscriptions in Yunnan make a route from Mau Long to Assam possible, though not certain. Tai Ahom declined from the late 17th century, but priests maintained religious practice through the 19th century. A 1920 Ahom–Assamese–English dictionary marked the start of modern revival, followed by primers and digital fonts.

Why is there another Ahom ta?

𑜅 is the historical alternate ta, not the ordinary letter. A ligature is a joined written form: in an older ta–ja ligature, the ta is shortened. The sequence is represented by 𑜅 followed by 𑜊: 𑜅𑜊. The ordinary ta remains 𑜄.