Kaithi letter Na

The Kaithi letter na gives the n sound in “name.” Kaithi consonants carry an inherent, unwritten a; vowel signs change it, while the mark called virama removes it.

In some joined clusters, 𑂢 marks a general nasal classified by the following consonant. Printings vary between joined forms and visible virama; limited font support may explain some differences.

Kaithi grew from Kayastha scribal work into commerce, correspondence, administration, and private records. A c. 1090 copper-plate land grant linked to Baj Bahadur Chandradeva may be earlier if correctly identified; Kaithi was established by the 16th century, and manuscripts by the 17th century show literary use. By the 19th century it served official work in British Bihar and was adapted for Bhojpuri, Magahi, Urdu, and other regional languages. It yielded to Devanagari amid script politics in the early 20th century. Mahajani and Syloti Nagri are proposed descendants of Kaithi.