Javanese Layar Sign

It marks r at the end of a Javanese syllable.

ꦂ attaches to a written syllable (an akṣara) and gives it a final r; alone, it cannot form a word. Javanese belongs to the Brahmic script family, descended from the ancient Brahmi writing system.

A dated example appears in the Saṅ Hyaṅ Tapak inscription, a Javanese inscription from 1030 CE: layar sits above the written syllable it follows. In later Javanese manuscripts, that placement became standard.

In older Kawi writing (an older script used in Java) and in Sanskrit passages written with Javanese characters, layar can serve as repha: its r is read before the next syllable, though the sign follows it in writing. Balinese sign surang ᬃ and Sundanese sign panglayar ᮁ are corresponding final-r marks in neighboring script traditions.

Can I send layar alone?

No. Without its syllable, it is an incomplete mark.

A lone ꦂ does not provide enough Javanese text to read; the surrounding characters supply the syllable it belongs to.

Why does layar show a dotted circle?

The mark may be out of order or lack a base syllable.

A font may show a dotted circle when it cannot attach a combining mark to the preceding syllable in the expected order. The circle is a rendering aid, not part of the word. Place layar after the syllable it closes and preserve the Javanese encoding order in the keyboard or text generator.