{"history":[],"article":{"id":"62f5d462-bc04-48b1-96aa-3016dfd720d8","title":"Limbu script","slug":"limbu-script","content":":::summary\n**Name:** Limbu \n**Sample:** limbu.png \n**Type:** [Abugida](https://bliptext.com/articles/abugida) \n**Languages:** [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-language) \n**Time:** c. 1740–present \n**Unicode:** [U+1900–U+194F](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined) \n**Iso 1 5 9 2 4:** Limb \n**Region:** Nepal and Northeastern India \n**Fam 1:** [Proto-Sinaitic alphabet](https://bliptext.com/articles/proto-sinaitic-alphabet) \n**Fam 2:** [Phoenician alphabet](https://bliptext.com/articles/phoenician-alphabet) \n**Fam 3:** [Aramaic alphabet](https://bliptext.com/articles/aramaic-alphabet) \n**Fam 4:** [Brāhmī](https://bliptext.com/articles/br-hm-script) \n**Fam 5:** [Gupta](https://bliptext.com/articles/gupta-script) \n**Fam 6:** [Tibetan](https://bliptext.com/articles/tibetan-script) \n**Fam 7:** [Lepcha](https://bliptext.com/articles/lepcha-script) \n:::\n\n# \nThe **Limbu script** (also Sirijanga script) is used to write the [Limbu language](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-language).\nIt is a [Brahmic](https://bliptext.com/articles/brahmic-scripts) type [abugida](https://bliptext.com/articles/abugida).\n\n# History\nThe [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-people) script was invented in the 18th century by [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-people) monk and scholar [Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe](https://bliptext.com/articles/te-ongsi-sirijunga-xin-thebe), in order to give the [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-people) a distinct medium to commit their oral tradition to writing.\nHe claimed that the script was used in late first millennium and that he had only rediscovered it, but no text from before the 18th century has been discovered.\nIt was likely invented as an act of defiance.\n\n## Accounts with Sirijunga\nThe [Limbu language](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-language) is one of the few [Sino-Tibetan](https://bliptext.com/articles/sino-tibetan-languages) languages of the Central [Himalayas](https://bliptext.com/articles/himalayas) to possess their own scripts.\nThe Limbu or Sirijunga script was devised during the period of Buddhist expansion in [Sikkim](https://bliptext.com/articles/sikkim) in the early 18th century when [Limbuwan](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbuwan) still constituted part of [Sikkim](https://bliptext.com/articles/sikkim)ese territory.\nThe Limbu script was probably composed at roughly the same time as the [Lepcha script](https://bliptext.com/articles/lepcha-script) which was created by the third King of Sikkim, [Chakdor Namgyal](https://bliptext.com/articles/chakdor-namgyal) (ca. 1700–1717).\nThe [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-people) script is ascribed to the [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-people) hero, [Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe](https://bliptext.com/articles/te-ongsi-sirijunga-xin-thebe).\n\n# Structure\nThe Limbu script is an [abugida](https://bliptext.com/articles/abugida), which means that a basic letter represents both a consonant and an inherent, or default, vowel.\nIn [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-language), the inherent vowel is, as in [Bengali–Assamese](https://bliptext.com/articles/bengali-assamese-script) and [Odia scripts](https://bliptext.com/articles/odia-script).\nTo start a syllable with a vowel, the appropriate vowel diacritic is added to the vowel-carrier\n. A vowel-carrier with no diacritic represents the sound.\nInitial consonant clusters are written with small marks following the main consonant:\nFinal consonants after short vowels are written with another set of marks, except for some final consonants occurring only in loanwords.\nThey follow the marks for consonant clusters, if any.\nLong vowels without a following final consonant are written with a diacritic called kemphreng ⟨⟩, for example, ⟨⟩,.\nThere are two methods for writing long vowels with syllable-final consonants:\nThe first method is widely used in [Sikkim](https://bliptext.com/articles/sikkim); the second method is advocated by certain writers in [Nepal](https://bliptext.com/articles/nepal).\n[Glottalization](https://bliptext.com/articles/glottalization) is marked by a sign called mukphreng ⟨⟩, for example, ⟨⟩,.\n\n# Sample text\n**ᤛᤧᤘᤠᤖᤥ᥄** ᤀᤠᤍᤠᤱᤒᤠ ᤜᤠᤍᤠᤱᤔᤠᤛᤣ ᤗᤠᤶᤎᤡᤱᤃᤥ ᤗᤠᤶᤎᤰ ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱᤐᤠᤴ ᤖᤧ ᤘᤡᤁᤡᤐᤡᤍᤡᤕᤠ ᤀᤥ ॥ **ᤛᤧᤘᤠᤖᤥ᥄** ᤀᤠᤍᤠᤏᤠᤒᤠ ᤀᤠᤍᤠᤏᤠᤔ ᤀᤠᤛᤧ ᤗᤠᤶᤎ ᤀᤡᤏᤠᤃ ᤗᤠᤶᤎᤠᤁᤠ ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ ᤐᤠᤏᤠ ᤖᤧ ᤘᤡᤁᤡᤐᤧᤍᤤ ᤀ।\n ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢ ᤓᤠᤙᤠᤁᤥ ᤘᤡᤁᤡᤐᤡ᤺ᤍᤡᤕᤠᤔᤠ ᤛᤫᤠᤃᤋ ᤇ। ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢ ᤓᤠᤛᤠᤁᤨ ᤘᤡᤁᤡᤐᤡᤍᤡᤕᤠ ᤀᤜᤡᤗᤧ ᤀᤡᤴᤁᤢᤒᤧᤛᤠᤏᤠ (ᤐᤠᤖᤣᤰᤙᤠᤏ ᤘᤡᤁᤡ) ᤀᤷᤌᤠᤳ ᤁᤨᤁᤨᤔᤠ ᤇᤠ।\nᤕᤛᤗᤠᤀᤡ᤺ ᤀᤃᤠᤍᤡ ᤒᤎᤠᤀᤢᤏᤠᤁᤠ ᤗᤠᤃᤡ ᤁᤠᤶᤋᤡᤔᤠ ᥈ ᤛᤠᤕᤠ ᤗᤧᤰ ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢ ᤓᤠᤙᤠᤔᤠ ᤜᤢᤏᤠ ᤈᤠᤖᤥᤖᤣ ᤇᤠ। **ᤋᤩᤛᤁᤠᤖᤏ ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢ ᤓᤠᤙᤠᤔᤠ ᤗᤧᤂᤠᤜᤠᤖᤢ ᤗᤧᤰᤏᤠ ᤛᤢᤖᤢᤃᤠᤷᤏᤠ ᤛᤠᤒᤤ ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢᤓᤠᤙᤡ ᤔᤡᤳᤖᤜᤠᤖᤢᤔᤠ ᤜᤠᤷᤍᤡᤰ ᤀᤠᤏᤢᤖᤨᤎ ᤇᤠ।**\n\n# Obsolete characters\nThree additional letters were used in early versions of the modern script:\n>ᤉ /d͡ʑʱɔ/\n>ᤊ /ɲɔ/\n>ᤚ /ʂɔ/\nTwo ligatures were used for Nepali consonant conjuncts:\n>ᤝ jña (for [Devanagari](https://bliptext.com/articles/devanagari) ज्ञ)\n>ᤞ tra (for Devanagari त्र)\nNineteenth-century texts used a small [anusvara](https://bliptext.com/articles/anusvara) (ᤲ ) to mark [nasalization](https://bliptext.com/articles/nasalization). This was used interchangeably with ᤱ /ŋ/.\nThe sign ᥀ was used for the exclamatory particle ᤗᤥ (/lo/).\n\n# Punctuation\nThe main punctuation mark used in Limbu is the Devanagari double [danda](https://bliptext.com/articles/danda) (॥ ). It has its own exclamation mark (᥄ ) and question mark (᥅ ).\n\n# Numerals\n\n# Unicode\nLimbu script was added to the [Unicode](https://bliptext.com/articles/unicode) Standard in April, 2003 with the release of version 4.0.\nThe Unicode block for Limbu is U+1900–U+194F:","current_revision":null,"created_by":"kACnuQmH5k9Nr5VNVEpVeg7XpvUmMctD","created_at":"2025-01-25T21:26:49.944Z","updated_at":"2025-01-25T21:26:49.944Z","search_vector":"'limbu':1 'script':2","search_content":" \n**Name:** Limbu \n**Sample:** limbu.png \n**Type:** [Abugida](https://bliptext.com/articles/abugida) \n**Languages:** [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-language) \n**Time:** c. 1740–present \n**Unicode:** [U+1900–U+194F](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined) \n**Iso 1 5 9 2 4:** Limb \n**Region:** Nepal and Northeastern India \n**Fam 1:** [Proto-Sinaitic alphabet](https://bliptext.com/articles/proto-sinaitic-alphabet) \n**Fam 2:** [Phoenician alphabet](https://bliptext.com/articles/phoenician-alphabet) \n**Fam 3:** [Aramaic alphabet](https://bliptext.com/articles/aramaic-alphabet) \n**Fam 4:** [Brāhmī](https://bliptext.com/articles/br-hm-script) \n**Fam 5:** [Gupta](https://bliptext.com/articles/gupta-script) \n**Fam 6:** [Tibetan](https://bliptext.com/articles/tibetan-script) \n**Fam 7:** [Lepcha](https://bliptext.com/articles/lepcha-script) \n \n\n# \nThe **Limbu script** (also Sirijanga script) is used to write the [Limbu language](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-language).\nIt is a [Brahmic](https://bliptext.com/articles/brahmic-scripts) type [abugida](https://bliptext.com/articles/abugida).\n\n# History\nThe [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-people) script was invented in the 18th century by [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-people) monk and scholar [Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe](https://bliptext.com/articles/te-ongsi-sirijunga-xin-thebe), in order to give the [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-people) a distinct medium to commit their oral tradition to writing.\nHe claimed that the script was used in late first millennium and that he had only rediscovered it, but no text from before the 18th century has been discovered.\nIt was likely invented as an act of defiance.\n\n## Accounts with Sirijunga\nThe [Limbu language](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-language) is one of the few [Sino-Tibetan](https://bliptext.com/articles/sino-tibetan-languages) languages of the Central [Himalayas](https://bliptext.com/articles/himalayas) to possess their own scripts.\nThe Limbu or Sirijunga script was devised during the period of Buddhist expansion in [Sikkim](https://bliptext.com/articles/sikkim) in the early 18th century when [Limbuwan](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbuwan) still constituted part of [Sikkim](https://bliptext.com/articles/sikkim)ese territory.\nThe Limbu script was probably composed at roughly the same time as the [Lepcha script](https://bliptext.com/articles/lepcha-script) which was created by the third King of Sikkim, [Chakdor Namgyal](https://bliptext.com/articles/chakdor-namgyal) (ca. 1700–1717).\nThe [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-people) script is ascribed to the [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-people) hero, [Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe](https://bliptext.com/articles/te-ongsi-sirijunga-xin-thebe).\n\n# Structure\nThe Limbu script is an [abugida](https://bliptext.com/articles/abugida), which means that a basic letter represents both a consonant and an inherent, or default, vowel.\nIn [Limbu](https://bliptext.com/articles/limbu-language), the inherent vowel is, as in [Bengali–Assamese](https://bliptext.com/articles/bengali-assamese-script) and [Odia scripts](https://bliptext.com/articles/odia-script).\nTo start a syllable with a vowel, the appropriate vowel diacritic is added to the vowel-carrier\n. A vowel-carrier with no diacritic represents the sound.\nInitial consonant clusters are written with small marks following the main consonant:\nFinal consonants after short vowels are written with another set of marks, except for some final consonants occurring only in loanwords.\nThey follow the marks for consonant clusters, if any.\nLong vowels without a following final consonant are written with a diacritic called kemphreng ⟨⟩, for example, ⟨⟩,.\nThere are two methods for writing long vowels with syllable-final consonants:\nThe first method is widely used in [Sikkim](https://bliptext.com/articles/sikkim); the second method is advocated by certain writers in [Nepal](https://bliptext.com/articles/nepal).\n[Glottalization](https://bliptext.com/articles/glottalization) is marked by a sign called mukphreng ⟨⟩, for example, ⟨⟩,.\n\n# Sample text\n **ᤛᤧᤘᤠᤖᤥ᥄** ᤀᤠᤍᤠᤱᤒᤠ ᤜᤠᤍᤠᤱᤔᤠᤛᤣ ᤗᤠᤶᤎᤡᤱᤃᤥ ᤗᤠᤶᤎᤰ ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱᤐᤠᤴ ᤖᤧ ᤘᤡᤁᤡᤐᤡᤍᤡᤕᤠ ᤀᤥ ॥ **ᤛᤧᤘᤠᤖᤥ᥄** ᤀᤠᤍᤠᤏᤠᤒᤠ ᤀᤠᤍᤠᤏᤠᤔ ᤀᤠᤛᤧ ᤗᤠᤶᤎ ᤀᤡᤏᤠᤃ ᤗᤠᤶᤎᤠᤁᤠ ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ ᤐᤠᤏᤠ ᤖᤧ ᤘᤡᤁᤡᤐᤧᤍᤤ ᤀ।\n ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢ ᤓᤠᤙᤠᤁᤥ ᤘᤡᤁᤡᤐᤡ᤺ᤍᤡᤕᤠᤔᤠ ᤛᤫᤠᤃᤋ ᤇ। ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢ ᤓᤠᤛᤠᤁᤨ ᤘᤡᤁᤡᤐᤡᤍᤡᤕᤠ ᤀᤜᤡᤗᤧ ᤀᤡᤴᤁᤢᤒᤧᤛᤠᤏᤠ (ᤐᤠᤖᤣᤰᤙᤠᤏ ᤘᤡᤁᤡ) ᤀᤷᤌᤠᤳ ᤁᤨᤁᤨᤔᤠ ᤇᤠ।\n ᤕᤛᤗᤠᤀᤡ᤺ ᤀᤃᤠᤍᤡ ᤒᤎᤠᤀᤢᤏᤠᤁᤠ ᤗᤠᤃᤡ ᤁᤠᤶᤋᤡᤔᤠ ᥈ ᤛᤠᤕᤠ ᤗᤧᤰ ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢ ᤓᤠᤙᤠᤔᤠ ᤜᤢᤏᤠ ᤈᤠᤖᤥᤖᤣ ᤇᤠ। **ᤋᤩᤛᤁᤠᤖᤏ ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢ ᤓᤠᤙᤠᤔᤠ ᤗᤧᤂᤠᤜᤠᤖᤢ ᤗᤧᤰᤏᤠ ᤛᤢᤖᤢᤃᤠᤷᤏᤠ ᤛᤠᤒᤤ ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢᤓᤠᤙᤡ ᤔᤡᤳᤖᤜᤠᤖᤢᤔᤠ ᤜᤠᤷᤍᤡᤰ ᤀᤠᤏᤢᤖᤨᤎ ᤇᤠ।**\n\n# Obsolete characters\nThree additional letters were used in early versions of the modern script:\n>ᤉ /d͡ʑʱɔ/\n>ᤊ /ɲɔ/\n>ᤚ /ʂɔ/\nTwo ligatures were used for Nepali consonant conjuncts:\n>ᤝ jña (for [Devanagari](https://bliptext.com/articles/devanagari) ज्ञ)\n>ᤞ tra (for Devanagari त्र)\nNineteenth-century texts used a small [anusvara](https://bliptext.com/articles/anusvara) ( ᤲ ) to mark [nasalization](https://bliptext.com/articles/nasalization). This was used interchangeably with ᤱ /ŋ/.\nThe sign ᥀ was used for the exclamatory particle ᤗᤥ (/lo/).\n\n# Punctuation\nThe main punctuation mark used in Limbu is the Devanagari double [danda](https://bliptext.com/articles/danda) ( ॥ ). It has its own exclamation mark ( ᥄ ) and question mark ( ᥅ ).\n\n# Numerals\n\n# Unicode\nLimbu script was added to the [Unicode](https://bliptext.com/articles/unicode) Standard in April, 2003 with the release of version 4.0.\nThe Unicode block for Limbu is U+1900–U+194F:","revisionCount":0},"hasMore":false,"nextCursor":null}