Sunuwar alphabet

Sunuwar
Jenticha script, Kõits script
Script type
Alphabet
CreatorKrishna Bahadur Jenticha
Created1942
Time period
1942 to present
DirectionLeft to right
Official scriptYes
RegionNepal, Sikkim
LanguageSunuwar language
Related scripts
Parent systems
Original invention
  • Sunuwar
ISO 15924
ISO 15924Sunu (274), ​Sunuwar
Unicode
Unicode alias
Sunuwar
U+11BC0–U+11BFF
 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.

  1. ^ a b Pandey, Anshuman (2021-12-06). "Proposal to encode the Sunuwar script in Unicode (L2/21-157R)" (PDF). Unicode. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  2. ^ "Atlas of Endangered Alphabets: Indigenous and minority writing systems, and the people who are trying to save them". Retrieved 2022-10-19.
  3. ^ "Sunuwar alphabet". omniglot.com. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
  4. ^ "ScriptSource - Sunuwar". scriptsource.org. Retrieved 2022-10-19.