Limbu Letter Ra

It is Limbu’s full RA consonant letter. In a Limbu syllable, it writes r, and a built-in vowel is part of its ordinary reading unless a vowel sign changes it. It differs from the smaller subjoined RA and syllable-final RA, which have different positions and jobs.

Limbu script history includes a traditional origin story and evidence of a later revival. Limbu tradition credits Sirijanga Hang with creating the script in the ninth century; an alphabet book from the early 18th century survives from the revival period. A 2001 Unicode proposal described writings from Darjeeling in the 1850s as the oldest known to its authors and said the modern form began developing in Kalimpong in 1925.

How did Limbu writing gain a public role?

Its written role expanded through teaching and publication. Limbu religious knowledge, including mundhum (ritual narratives), was largely transmitted orally in Sikkim and Nepal. A 1961 Mundhum edition used Devanagari for technical reasons; after 1990, these texts also appeared in the Limbu script. Public-school teaching of Limbu began in Sikkim in 1968, and its literature includes songs, poetry, novels, histories, and teaching materials.

The modern Limbu script descends from an older Limbu script. Its subjoined YA, RA, and WA forms—letters tucked beneath another consonant—have structural parallels in Tibetan and Rong (Lepcha) writing. These connect writing practices; they do not make ᤖ a Tibetan letter.

How can I type ᤖ?

Use a Limbu keyboard or Unicode-capable text input. This is a text letter, so an emoji picker will not provide it. A dedicated Limbu/Yakthung Pan layout is documented for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS as of 2026. Without a Limbu-capable font, it may appear as a box.