View source for Ḹ

{{short description|Letter "Ḹ" in Indic scripts}}

{{Infobox Indic letter |letname = Ḹ 
 |bengcp = 09E1 
 |tibtcp = 0F68;ླ&#x0F81 
 |mlymcp = 0D61 
 |sinhcp = 0D90 
 |brahcp = 1100E |ashokaimg = Brahmi lii.svg
 |devacp = 0961 |devaimg = Devanagari ॡ.svg
 | hbchar = ל
 | grchar = Λ
 | lachar = L, Ł, Ɬ
 | cychar = Л, Љ, Ԓ, Ӆ
 |ipa = l̩ː |iast = Ḹ 
}}

'''Ḹ''' is a vowel of Indic abugidas. In modern Indic scripts, Ḹ is derived from the early "[[Ashoka]]" Brahmi letter [[Image:Brahmi lii.svg|13px|ng]]. As an Indic vowel, Ḹ comes in two normally distinct forms: 1) as an independent letter, and 2) as a vowel sign for modifying a base consonant. Bare consonants without a modifying vowel sign have the inherent "A" vowel.

==Āryabhaṭa numeration==
{{further|Āryabhaṭa numeration}}
[[Aryabhata]] used Devanagari letters for numbers, very similar to the [[Greek numerals]], even after the invention of [[Indian numerals]]. The "Ḹ" sign was used to modify a consonant's value {{e|8}}, but the vowel letter did not have an inherent value by itself.<ref name="Ifrah">{{cite book|last=Ifrah|first=Georges|title=The Universal History of Numbers. From Prehistory to the Invention of the Computer|year=2000|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|location=New York|isbn=0-471-39340-1|pages=447–450}}</ref>

==Historic Ḹ==
There are three different general early historic scripts - [[Brahmi script|Brahmi]] and its variants, [[Kharosthi|Kharoṣṭhī]], and [[Tocharian alphabet|Tocharian]], the so-called ''slanting Brahmi''. Ḹ as found in [[Brahmi]] was missing in earlier geometric styles, but emerged during more flowing styles of Brahmi, such as the Kushana and Gupta. In both Tocharian and Kharoṣṭhī, Ḹ is not currently known from any source materials.

===Brahmi Ḹ===
The Brahmi letter Ḹ is only found as a vowel mark, and is derived from the [[La (Indic)#Brahmi La|consonant La]], and therefore is [[Brahmi script#origin|probably]] from the Aramaic [[Lamed]] [[File:Lamed.svg|13px]]. This would make it related to the modern Latin [[L]] and Greek [[Lambda]].<ref name="Buhler">{{cite web |last1=Bühler |first1=Georg |title=On the Origin of the Indian Brahmi Alphabet |url=https://archive.org/details/onoriginofindian00bhuoft/page/n3/mode/2up |website=archive.org |year=1898 |publisher=Karl J. Trübner |accessdate=10 June 2020}}</ref> Several identifiable styles of writing the Brahmi Ḹ can be found, most associated with a specific set of inscriptions from an artifact or diverse records from an historic period.<ref>[[:File:Brahmi script consonants according to James Prinsep March 1838.jpg|Evolutionary chart]], Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol 7, 1838 [https://archive.org/stream/journalofasiatic775asia#page/n101]</ref> As the earliest and most geometric style of Brahmi, the letters found on the [[Edicts of Ashoka]] and other records from around that time are normally the reference form for Brahmi letters, but Ḹ must be back-formed from later forms to match the reference geometric writing style, and the reference image for the independent letter [[File:Brahmi lii.svg|13px]] is just the vowel mark enlarged to the size of a full letter.

==Devanagari Ḹ==
{{main|Devanagari Ḹ}}
<!--{{Devanagari abugida sidebar}}-->
{{multiple image
| width = 100px
| image1 = Devanagari ॡ.svg
| alt1 = Ḹ vowel
| image2 = Devanagari ॣ.svg
| alt2 = Ḹ vowel sign
| footer = Devanagari independent Ḹ and Ḹ vowel sign.
}}
'''Ḹ''' ('''ॡ''') is a vowel of the [[Devanagari]] [[abugida]]. It ultimately arose from the [[Brahmi]] letter [[Image:Brahmi lii.svg|13px|Ḹ]]. Letters that derive from it are the [[Gujarati script|Gujarati]] letter '''ૡ''', and the [[Modi alphabet|Modi]] letter 𑘉.

===Devanagari Using Languages===
The Devanagari script is used to write the [[Hindi language]], [[Sanskrit]] and the majority of  [[Indo-Aryan languages]]. In most of these languages, ॡ is pronounced as {{IPA|hi|ḹ|}}. Like all Indic scripts, Devanagari vowels come in two forms: an independent vowel form for syllables that begin with a vowel sound, and a vowel sign attached to base consonant to override the inherent /ə/ vowel. <!-- In addition to the standard vowel sign, X forms a unique ligature when combined with the consonant X:
*  () +  () gives the ligature :
[[File: Devanagari letter X.svg|100px]]-->

==Bengali Ḹ==
{{main|Ḹ (Bengali)}}
{{multiple image
| width = 100px
| image1 = Bengali Letter Vocalic Ll.svg
| alt1 = Ḹ vowel
| image2 = Bengali Ll vowel sign.svg
| alt2 = Ḹ vowel sign
| footer = Bengali independent Ḹ and Ḹ vowel sign.
}}
'''Ḹ''' ('''ৡ''') is a vowel of the [[Bengali script|Bengali]] [[abugida]]. It is derived from the [[Siddhaṃ]] letter [[Image:Siddham ll.svg|13px|Ḹ]], and is marked a lack of horizontal head line and less geometric shape than its Devanagari counterpart, ॡ.

===Bengali Script Using Languages===
The Bengali script is used to write several languages of eastern India, notably the [[Bengali language]] and [[Assamese language|Assamese]]. In most languages, ৡ is pronounced as {{IPA|bn|ḹ|}}. Like all Indic scripts, Bengali vowels come in two forms: an independent vowel form for syllables that begin with a vowel sound, and a vowel sign attached to base consonant to override the inherent /ɔ/ vowel. <!-- In addition to the standard vowel sign, X forms a unique ligature when combined with the consonant X:
*  () +  () gives the ligature :
[[File: Bengali letter X.svg|100px]]-->

==Gujarati Ḹ==
{{multiple image
| width = 100px
| image1 = Gujarati ૡ.svg
| alt1 = Ḹ vowel
| image2 = Gujarati ૣ.svg
| alt2 = Ḹ vowel sign
| footer = Gujarati independent Ḹ and Ḹ vowel sign.
}}
'''Ḹ''' ('''ૡ''') is a vowel of the [[Gujarati script|Gujarati]] [[abugida]]. It is derived from the Devanagari Ḹ [[Image:Devanagari lii.svg|13px|ll]], and ultimately the [[Brahmi]] letter [[Image:Brahmi lii.svg|13px|ll]].

===Gujarati-using Languages===
The Gujarati script is used to write the [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] and [[Kutchi language|Kutchi]] languages. In both languages, ૡ is pronounced as {{IPA|gu|ḹ|}}. Like all Indic scripts, Gujarati vowels come in two forms: an independent vowel form for syllables that begin with a vowel sound, and a vowel sign attached to base consonant to override the inherent /ə/ vowel.

==Javanese Ḹ==
{{main|Ḹ (Javanese)}}

==Telugu Ḹ==
{{multiple image
| width = 100px
| image1 = Telugu vowel Ll.svg
| alt1 = Telugu independent vowel Ḹ
| image2 = Telugu Ll vowel sign.svg
| alt2 = Telugu vowel sign Ḹ
| footer = Telugu independent vowel and vowel sign Ḹ.
}}
'''Ḹ''' ('''ౡ''') is a vowel of the [[Telugu script|Telugu]] [[abugida]]. It ultimately arose from the [[Brahmi]] letter [[Image:Brahmi lii.svg|13px|Ḹ]] Ḹ. It is closely related to the [[Kannada script|Kannada]] letter '''ೡ'''. Like in other Indic scripts, Telugu vowels have two forms: and independent letter for word and syllable-initial vowel sounds, and a vowel sign for changing the inherent "a" of Telugu consonant letters. Ḹ is a non-attaching vowel sign, and does not alter the underlying consonant or contextually shape itself in any way.
[[File:Telugu Ll matra.svg|thumb|center|550px|Telugu Ḹ vowel sign on క, ఖ, గ, ఘ & ఙ: Kḹ, Khḹ, Gḹ, Ghḹ and Ngḹ.]]

==Malayalam Ḹ==
{{multiple image
| width = 100px
| image1 = Malayalam vowel Ll.svg
| alt1 = Malayalam independent vowel Ḹ
| image2 = Malayalam vowel sign Ll.svg
| alt2 = Malayalam vowel sign Ḹ
| footer = Malayalam independent vowel and vowel sign Ḹ.
}}
'''Ḹ''' ('''ൡ''') is a vowel of the [[Malayalam script|Malayalam]] [[abugida]]. It ultimately arose from the [[Brahmi]] letter [[Image:Brahmi lii.svg|13px|Ḹ]], via the [[Grantha script|Grantha]] letter [[Image:Grantha vowel Ll.svg|x15px|Ḹ]] ''ḹ''. Like in other Indic scripts, Malayalam vowels have two forms: an independent letter for word and syllable-initial vowel sounds, and a vowel sign for changing the inherent "a" of consonant letters. Vowel signs in Malayalam usually sit adjacent to its base consonant - below, to the left, right, or both left and right, but are always pronounced after the consonant sound.

==Odia Ḹ==
{{multiple image
| width = 100px
| image1 = Odia vowel ll.svg
| alt1 = Odia independent vowel Ḹ
| image2 = Odia vowel sign ll.svg
| alt2 = Odia vowel sign Ḹ
| footer = Odia independent vowel and vowel sign Ḹ.
}}
'''Ḹ''' ('''ୡ''') is a vowel of the [[Odia script|Odia]] [[abugida]]. It ultimately arose from the [[Brahmi]] letter [[Image:Brahmi lii.svg|13px|Ḹ]], via the [[Siddhaṃ script|Siddhaṃ]] letter [[Image:Siddham lii.svg|x15px|Ḹ]] ''ḹ''. Like in other Indic scripts, Odia vowels have two forms: an independent letter for word and syllable-initial vowel sounds, and a vowel sign for changing the inherent "a" of consonant letters. Vowel signs in Odia usually sit adjacent to its base consonant - below, to the left, right, or both left and right, but are always pronounced after the consonant sound. No base consonants are altered in form when adding a vowel sign, and there are no consonant+vowel ligatures in Odia.
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{{clear}}

==Comparison of Ḹ==
The various Indic scripts are generally related to each other through adaptation and borrowing, and as such the glyphs for cognate letters, including Ḹ, are related as well.
{{Indic glyph |letname = Ḹ
 |devacp = 0961 |devaimg = Devanagari lii.svg
 |bengcp = 09E1 
 |telucp = 0C61 
 |oryacp = 0B61 
 |kndacp = 0CE1 
 |mlymcp = 0D61 
 |gujrcp = 0AE1 
 
 |brahcp = 1100E |ashokaimg = Brahmi lii.svg
 |siddcp = 11589 |siddimg = Siddham ll.svg
 |grancp = 11361 
 |tibtcp = 0F68;ླ&#x0F81 
 |newacp = 11409 
 |shrdcp = 1118C 
 |mymrcp = 1055 
 |sinhcp = 0D90 
 |saurcp = A88B 
 |modicp = 11609 
 |tirhcp = 1148A 
 |balicp = 1B0E 
 |javacp = A98B 
 | armiimg = Lamed.svg
 | ranjimg = Ranjana lii.svg
}}

==Character encodings of Ḹ==
Most Indic scripts are encoded in the [[Unicode Standard]], and as such the letter Ḹ in those scripts can be represented in plain text with unique codepoint. Ḹ from several modern-use scripts can also be found in legacy encodings, such as [[ISCII]].
{{Indic encoding |= Ḹ
 |devacp = 0961 |devaimg = Devanagari ॡ.svg
 |bengcp = 09E1 
 |telucp = 0C61 
 |oryacp = 0B61 
 |kndacp = 0CE1 
 |mlymcp = 0D61 
 |gujrcp = 0AE1 
 
 |brahcp = 1100E |ashokaimg = Brahmi lii.svg
 |siddcp = 11589 |siddimg = Siddham ll.svg
 |grancp = 11361 
<!-- |tibtcp = 0FB3;&#x0F81 -- vowel mark -->
 |newacp = 11409 
 |shrdcp = 1118C 
 |mymrcp = 1055 
 |khmrcp = 17AE
 |sinhcp = 0D90 
 |saurcp = A88B 
 |modicp = 11609 
 |tirhcp = 1148A 
 |balicp = 1B0E 
 |javacp = A98B 
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Devanagari_abugida}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ll (Indic)}}
[[Category:Indic letters]]