Sharada script

Śāradā
Śāradā;
	An example of early Sharada script, in the Bakhshali manuscript.
Script type	Abugida
Time period	c. 800 CE–present (almost extinct)
Direction	Left-to-right
Region	India, Pakistan, Central Asia
Languages	Sanskrit, Kashmiri
Related scripts
Parent systems	Proto-Sinaitic alphabet[a] Phoenician alphabet[a] Aramaic alphabet[a] Brāhmī Gupta Śāradā; ; ; ; ;
Child systems	Gurmukhī; Takri; Landa
Sister systems	Nāgarī; Siddhaṃ
ISO 15924
ISO 15924	Shrd (319), Sharada, Śāradā
Unicode
Unicode alias	Sharada
Unicode range	U+11180–U+111DF
	[a] The Semitic origin of the Brahmic scripts is not universally agreed upon.
	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 Śāradā, Sarada or Sharada script is an abugida writing system of the Brahmic family of scripts. The script was in use between the 8th and 12th centuries in the northwestern parts of India (in Kashmir and neighbouring areas), for writing Sanskrit and Kashmiri.^[1]^[2] The Gurmukhī script was developed from Śāradā. Originally more widespread, its use became later restricted to Kashmir, and it is now rarely used except by the Kashmiri Pandit community for ceremonial purposes.

It is a native script of Kashmir and is named after Śāradā,^[3] another name for Saraswati, the goddess of learning.

The Bakhshali manuscript uses an early stage of the Sharada script.^[1]

Letters

Independent vowel signs

Dependent vowel signs

Consonants

Numerals

Sharada script uses its own signs for the positional decimal numeral system.

Image gallery

Sharada vowels
Sharada consonant signs
Sanskrit (above; devanagari script) and Kashmiri language (below; sharada script)

Unicode

Śāradā script was added to the Unicode Standard in January, 2012 with the release of version 6.1.

The Unicode block for Śāradā script, called Sharada, is U+11180–U+111DF:

Sharada^[1] Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	A	B	C	D	E	F
U+1118x	𑆀	𑆁	𑆂	𑆃	𑆄	𑆅	𑆆	𑆇	𑆈	𑆉	𑆊	𑆋	𑆌	𑆍	𑆎	𑆏
U+1119x	𑆐	𑆑	𑆒	𑆓	𑆔	𑆕	𑆖	𑆗	𑆘	𑆙	𑆚	𑆛	𑆜	𑆝	𑆞	𑆟
U+111Ax	𑆠	𑆡	𑆢	𑆣	𑆤	𑆥	𑆦	𑆧	𑆨	𑆩	𑆪	𑆫	𑆬	𑆭	𑆮	𑆯
U+111Bx	𑆰	𑆱	𑆲	𑆳	𑆴	𑆵	𑆶	𑆷	𑆸	𑆹	𑆺	𑆻	𑆼	𑆽	𑆾	𑆿
U+111Cx	𑇀	𑇁	𑇂	𑇃	𑇄	𑇅	𑇆	𑇇	𑇈	𑇉	𑇊	𑇋	𑇌	𑇍	𑇎	𑇏
U+111Dx	𑇐	𑇑	𑇒	𑇓	𑇔	𑇕	𑇖	𑇗	𑇘	𑇙	𑇚	𑇛	𑇜	𑇝	𑇞	𑇟
Notes 1.^ As of Unicode version 15.1

References

^ ^a ^b Selin, Helaine (2008). Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Springer Science & Business Media. p. Bakhshali Manuscript entry. ISBN 9781402045592.
^ Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India. p. 43. ISBN 9788131711200.
^ "Pandits to visit Sharda temple". The Hindu. 17 May 2006. Retrieved 13 August 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

ancientscripts.com
Download Noto Sans Sharada, a Sharada font by Google.
Prevalence of the Śāradā Script in Afghanistan
Akṣara List of the Manuscript of Abhidharmadīpa , ca. the 11th Century, Collection of Sanskrit Mss. Formerly Preserved in the China Ethnic Library
Modern Kashmiri Dictionary: Android based electronic Kashmiri Dictionary

Template:Writingsystem-start

[Selin-1] Selin, Helaine (2008). Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Springer Science & Business Media. p. Bakhshali Manuscript entry. ISBN 9781402045592.

[2] Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India. p. 43. ISBN 9788131711200.

[hindu2-3] "Pandits to visit Sharda temple". The Hindu. 17 May 2006. Retrieved 13 August 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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