Grantha Letter Ssa

It writes Sanskrit ṣa, a hissing consonant made with the tongue tip curled back. The Grantha letters 𑌶 (śa) and 𑌸 (sa) represent different sounds. Each consonant has a default a vowel; a vowel mark changes it, while the virama sign removes it.

The Grantha script developed gradually from Southern Brahmi, a regional form of the older Brahmi script, through Pallava-era forms around 500–600 CE. The Pallavas were a South Indian dynasty. Grantha inscriptions are reported from the 8th century onward. The script was used in the Tamil region to write Sanskrit, and Tamil and Grantha characters appeared together in inscriptions and manuscripts. It also contributed to the script used for Malayalam, a language of southern India. Manuscripts used Grantha for Sanskrit glosses—short explanations—alongside Tamil material; early printing reduced much of this mixed-script practice.

How do I type Grantha letter Ssa?

Use a Grantha keyboard layout or a Latin-input tool. On the Lexilogos Grantha keyboard, uppercase S produces ṣa; a Grantha INSCRIPT layout also includes 𑌷.

If typing seems to fail or the letter looks blank, check the selected font: an app may use one without Grantha coverage. Noto Sans Grantha is a practical fallback.

Which Grantha sibilant is 𑌷?

𑌷 is ṣa; 𑌶 is śa, and 𑌸 is sa. The marks on these Latin transliterations distinguish separate Sanskrit consonants; they are not decoration. Using one Grantha letter in place of another changes the spelling and sound.