Kawi Letter Tha

It is a consonant letter, not a complete word.

In the Kawi script, consonant letters combine with vowel signs and other marks to form written syllables. Read 𑼢 within that spelling; on its own, it is a sample of the letter.

Kawi developed in Java from forms derived from the Pallava script of southern India. The Laguna Copperplate Inscription, an early Kawi-related record dated 900 CE, records a contract linking the Philippines with neighboring Southeast Asian societies.

What was Kawi used for?

Kawi carried public authority and learned writing.

Inscriptions and copper plates recorded royal decrees, land rights, tax exemptions, political events, and religious foundations. Palm-leaf manuscripts preserved epics, law, ritual, calendars, and literary works.

Kawi stands between Pallava-derived models and later regional scripts such as Javanese. In Java, it transitioned toward Javanese in the 14th–15th centuries. In Bali, Kawi poetry continued in Balinese-script manuscripts, recitation, translation, and ritual performance. As of 2026, Balinese poets adapt kakawin, a classical poetic form, for modern subjects.

Why does 𑼢 look different in text?

The font and text-layout software determine its appearance.

Kawi vowel signs can sit around a consonant, and joined consonants form compact shapes. Fonts draw 𑼢 with different outlines; weak text layout can misplace marks or show a dotted circle where a mark has lost its base.

Unicode Technical Note #48 describes line-breaking errors that split joined forms. A font without Kawi support may show a missing-glyph box; neither display changes the character in the text.