Lepcha Letter Wa

It begins a syllable with the sound at the start of “we.”

Lepcha, also called Róng, writes each syllable around a base consonant: it carries the script’s default vowel unless a vowel sign changes it. Other combining marks can add sounds within or at the end. So the Lepcha Wa letter is part of a written syllable, not a word to translate by itself.

Who created the Lepcha script?

Lepcha tradition names Thikúng Mensalóng; other accounts credit Chakdor Namgyal.

The script is thought to have developed around 1720 from Tibetan writing. Older Tibetan dbu-med forms ran vertically; Lepcha adapted the letterforms into horizontal lines, effectively rotating their orientation.

Lepcha writing served literature, records, religious printing, and schooling. The earliest dated documents discussed in historical accounts are from 1828; St Matthew’s Gospel was printed in 1845, followed by more Bible printing in 1849. School textbooks followed official-language recognition in 1977.

How do I type ᰢ?

Type ᰢ before its vowel and ending marks.

A full Lepcha syllable combines a base consonant with marks. Enter them in logical order: a mark may render above or to the left of ᰢ even though it follows ᰢ in the text. Its screen position does not change the stored order.

An empty box means the current font lacks Lepcha glyphs. Use a font with Lepcha support.