Sunuwar alphabet

Sunuwar Jenticha script, Kõits script
Script type	Alphabet
Creator	Unicode range	To be added
This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

The Sunuwar Alphabet (previously the Jenticha script, occasionally Kõits script) is an alphabet developed by Krishna Bahadur Jentich in 1942,^[1] to write the Sunwar language, a member of the Kiranti language family spoken in Eastern Nepal, as in Sikkim. It is recognised in Sikkim and used as an official writing system.^[2] The alphabet has 33 letters, 10 numerals and 1 'auspicious sign'. ^[1]

It is a grammatological isolate,^[3] though some symbols bear recognition to the Limbu and Latin scripts.^[4] The script is written left to right. The writing system currently has no official standard.

When first created, the script was a pure alphabet, and has come to include a default non written /a/, giving it a feature of an abugida.

History

When

During the tail end of the 20th century, users of the language added a further 11 letters into the script:

• aal - borrowed from Limbu to write /a/ with long vowel length
• kloko - to write the Glottal stop /ʔ/
• ṭentu, ṭhele, ḍonga - to improve clarity by having separate symbols for retroflexive consonants
• kha, chhelap, phar, thari - to improve clarity by having separate symbols for aspirated consonants
• sheyer - a letter for /ʃ/, to replace the digraph (sh)
• ngar - a letter for /ŋ/ to replace the digraph (ng)
• laissi - a character to denote Vowel length

Due to the lack of a set standard, the orthography can be vague, with digraphs still being used occasionally, and consonants still being used to denote retroflexives.^[1]

Soon after the creation of the script, conferences were held in villages in Dolakha District, to promote it, and help shape its future.^[5]

Letters

Image	Letter	Name	Transcription	IPA	Devanagari	Non-original?
	𑯖	aal	aa	[a]	आ	Yes
	𑯈	appho	a	[ə]	अ
	𑯕	ava	bb	[ɓ]	ब
	𑯎	bur	b	[b]	ब
	𑯌	carmi	c	[tʃ]	च
	𑯝	chelap	ch	[tʃʰ]	छ	Yes
	𑯀	devi	d	[d], [ɖ]	द, ड
	𑯗	donga	dd	[ɖ]	ड
	𑯂	eko	e	[e]	ए
	𑯊	gil	g	[ɡ]	ग
	𑯋	hamso	h	[h]	ह
	𑯃	imar	i	[i]	इ
	𑯏	jyah	j	[dʒ]	ज
	𑯛	kha	kh	[kʰ]	ख	Yes
	𑯆	kik	k	[k]	क
	𑯐	loacha	l	[l], [ɭ]	ल
	𑯇	ma	m	[m]	म
	𑯍	nah	n	[n]	न, ण
	𑯚	ngar	ng	[ŋ]	ङ	Yes
	𑯑	otthi	o	[o]	ओ
	𑯙	phar	ph	[pʰ]	फ	Yes
	𑯉	pip	p	[p]	प
	𑯄	reu	r	[r], [ɽ]	र, ड़
	𑯜	shyele	s	[s], [ʃ]	स
	𑯒	shyer	sh	[ʃ]	श, ष	Yes
	𑯁	tasla	t	[t], [ʈ]	त, ट
	𑯞	tentu	tt	[ʈ]	ट	Yes
	𑯘	thari	th	[tʰ]	थ	Yes
	𑯟	thele	tth	[ʈʰ]	ठ	Yes
	𑯅	utthi	u	[u]	उ
	𑯓	varca	v	[v]	व
	𑯔	yat	y	[y]	य
	𑯠	kloko	'	[ʔ]	अ्	Yes

The laissi symbol (:) is used to extend vowel length. It is a non-original character.

The symbol pvo is used to mark the Voiceless bilabial implosive /ɓ̥/. It is referred to as an 'auspicious symbol'. In spoken Sunuwar, the consonant is often said twice, and is often found in salutations and well wishes.

Numbers

Sunuwar uses a set of ten numerals, in

. They were also created by Jentrich.

Sunuwar
Name	ka	niashi	san	le	nga	raku	chani	sasi	yan	sum
Arabic	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0
Devanagari	१	२	३	४	५	६	७	८	९	०

Technological support

On 3 December 2021, ISO 15924 registered the Sunuwar Alphabet under the code 'Sunu'.^[6]

On Jan 26, 2022, the Unicode Consortium announced via Twitter that a decision had taken place to include all 44 of Sunuwar's characters in a future version of Unicode.^[7][1]

References