Kaithi Letter U

It is Kaithi’s independent vowel letter for short u.

Use it when a syllable begins with u, like the u in “food,” said briefly. Kaithi consonants carry a built-in vowel, conventionally written a in transliteration; after a consonant, 𑂳 replaces that vowel with short u. The sequence 𑂍𑂳 is the Kaithi consonant ka plus the u sign.

How did Kaithi develop?

Kaithi and Devanagari developed in parallel from older Nagari traditions.

Nagari was an older North Indian writing system. A copper-plate inscription associated with Chandradeva may be an early Kaithi record, around 1090, but the identification is uncertain. Clearer documentary use appears by the 16th century.

Kaithi was used in areas now in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for government and business records, correspondence, personal records, and religious or literary texts in Bhojpuri, Magahi, Awadhi, Maithili, Urdu, and related languages. Devanagari eclipsed it in public administration by the early 20th century.