Newa Letter Nna

It is Newa’s letter for the retroflex nasal n.

Make this n-like sound with the tongue curled slightly back. Devanagari, a script used for Hindi and Sanskrit, uses ण for the corresponding sound; these are letters in different scripts.

Newa is an abugida: each bare consonant carries a default vowel. A vowel sign changes the syllable, while a virama removes that vowel so consonants can join. Nepal Bhasa lessons teach 𑐞 for Sanskrit and Pali loan spellings, not as a native Nepal Bhasa sound.

How did Newa writing develop?

Newa descends from Brahmi through northern Gupta.

Newa writing is first recorded in a manuscript of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, a Buddhist scripture, dated 908 CE. Newa is historically related to Devanagari, Bengali, and Tirhuta; each is a distinct script with its own letters.

Newa script was used to record Nepal Bhasa and Sanskrit in stone and copper inscriptions, coins, manuscripts, books, signs, invitations, and digital publications. It also served Nepali and, historically, Maithili, Bengali, and Hindi. Newa writing was banned in 1905, and the ban ended in 1951. Its revival also includes renewed typing and manuscript digitization as preservation work.

Why can 𑐞 look different in a syllable?

Vowel signs can change how the consonant is drawn.

Newa vowel signs and the virama shape syllables and consonant clusters. After 𑐞, the ai, o, and au vowel signs can appear in two contextual parts, so a font may place pieces around the consonant.

Keyman Newa Traditional’s version 1.2.1 guide places some less-used characters behind long-press menus on phones. On desktop, choose a Newa keyboard layout.