Newa Letter Ta

It is the plain Newa /t/ consonant with a default vowel attached.

The label “ta” names the consonant, not a word meaning “ta.” Like other Newa consonants, 𑐟 is written in an abugida system: it carries an inherent vowel unless a dependent vowel sign changes it or a virama removes it.

Where did Newa letter ta come from?

It evolved within Newa's Brahmi-derived writing tradition, not from a single inventor. Newa descends through northern Gupta, belongs to the Kutila or proto-Bengali family, and is related to Bengali, Oriya, and Tirhuta; Devanagari also influenced it. A distinct Newar script emerged in the 10th century, and its first recorded use is a Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra manuscript dated 908 CE. Ranjana and Bhujimol later developed from the pācumola model; Ranjana first appeared in Nepal in 1099 in Mahayana Buddhist texts.

The script was made to write Newar, also called Nepal Bhasa, and its record also includes Sanskrit, Nepali, and historically Maithili, Bengali, and Hindi, on inscriptions, coins, manuscripts, and books. Use declined in the late 18th century after the Newar dynasties fell, the Rana government banned the script and language in 1905, and the ban was lifted in 1951. As of 2026, Nepal Bhasa is most often written in Devanagari, while Newa remains used for Nepal Bhasa, Sanskrit, and Nepali.

How does 𑐟 behave in a Newa word?

Its syllable changes when a vowel sign or virama follows.

A following dependent vowel sign changes the syllable; a following virama suppresses the inherent vowel. When another consonant follows the virama, the font may fuse a conjunct or leave the virama visible if shaping support is missing. A zero-width non-joiner can prevent an automatic fusion.