Newa digit two

It is the Newa-script digit for two. Newa is a historic script used for Nepal Bhasa, also called Newari. In Newa numerals, 𑑒 contributes two at its place in a larger number; it can be used in counts and dates.

The earliest known Newa-script witness is a manuscript of the Buddhist Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra dated 908 CE. Newa numerals served practical records: their decimal set recorded quantities and dates in inscriptions, coins, manuscripts, and books. After Newar rule in Nepal ended in 1769, use of the script declined. A 1905 ban further restricted it; the ban ended in 1951, and revival work gained pace in the 1980s. By 2026, Newa and Western digits (0–9) coexist in publications, while Devanagari remains more common for Nepal Bhasa. Across these settings, the digit's job stays numerical; the script's public use changed.

Why can 𑑒 look different?

The font changes the shape; the encoded character stays the same. Without Newa font coverage, a receiving app may show a box or no glyph.

Newa belongs to the older Brahmi writing tradition of South Asia, with links through northern Gupta and the Kutila/proto-Bengali script family. Bengali, Odia, and Tirhuta are historical relatives in that wider family. Ranjana is another Nepalese script linked to Newa, but it has different numerals and is not an alternate font for 𑑒.