Editing Limbu script

{{Short description|Abugida used to write the Limbu language }}
{{Infobox Writing system
| name        = Limbu
| native_name = {{Script|Limbu|ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ ᤐᤠᤴ}}
| sample      = limbu.png
| type        = [[Abugida]]
| languages   = [[Limbu language|Limbu]]
| time        = c. 1740–present
| unicode     = [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1900.pdf U+1900–U+194F]
| iso15924    = Limb
| region      = Nepal and Northeastern India
| fam1        = [[Proto-Sinaitic alphabet]]
| fam2        = [[Phoenician alphabet]]
| fam3        = [[Aramaic alphabet]]
| footnotes   = 
| fam4        = [[Brāhmī script|Brāhmī]]
| fam5        = [[Gupta script|Gupta]]
| fam6        = [[Tibetan script|Tibetan]]
| fam7        = [[Lepcha script|Lepcha]]
}}
{{Contains special characters
| special    = uncommon [[Unicode]] characters
| fix        = Help:Multilingual support#Limbu
| image      = Replacement character.svg
| link       = Specials (Unicode block)#Replacement character
| alt        = <?>
| compact    = yes
}}
{{brahmic}}
The '''Limbu script''' (also Sirijanga script)<ref>{{cite web |title=ScriptSource: Limbu |url=https://scriptsource.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=script_detail&key=Limb |access-date=20 July 2020}}</ref> is used to write the [[Limbu language]]. It is a [[Brahmic scripts|Brahmic]] type [[abugida]].<ref name="L202055">{{cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2002/02055-n2410.pdf|title=L2/02-055: Revised proposal to encode the Limbu script in the UCS|date=2002-02-05|first1=Boyd|last1=Michailovsky|first2=Michael|last2=Everson|author-link2=Michael Everson}}</ref>

== History ==
The Limbu script was invented in the 18th century by [[Limbu people|Limbu]] monk and scholar [[Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe]], in order to give the Limbu a distinct medium to commit their oral tradition to writing. He 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. It was likely invented as an act of defiance.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gaenszle |first=Martin |date=2021-07-23 |title=The Limbu Script and the Production of Religious Books in Nepal |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/phen/6/1-2/article-p43_3.xml?Tab%20Menu=article#FN000002 |journal=Philological Encounters |volume=6 |issue=1-2 |pages=43–69 |doi=10.1163/24519197-bja10014 |issn=2451-9197|doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== Accounts with Sirijunga ===
The [[Limbu language]] is one of the few [[Sino-Tibetan languages|Sino-Tibetan]] languages of the Central [[Himalayas]] to possess their own scripts.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sprigg |first1=R. K. |date=1959 |publisher=Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft, in Kommission bei Franz Steiner Verlag |pages=590–592 |url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/16711/ |language=en |chapter=Limbu books in the Kiranti Script|title=Akten des vierundzwanzigsten Internationalen Orientalisten-Kongresses München 28}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Sprigg |first1=R. K. |title=Original and sophisticated features of the Lepcha and Limbu scripts |date=1998 |pages=1–18 |url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/17412/ |language=en}}</ref> The Limbu or Sirijunga script was devised during the period of Buddhist expansion in [[Sikkim]] in the early 18th century when [[Limbuwan]] still constituted part of Sikkimese territory. The Limbu script was probably composed at roughly the same time as the [[Lepcha script]] which was created by the third King of Sikkim, [[Chakdor Namgyal]] (ca. 1700–1717). The Limbu script is ascribed to the [[Limbu people|Limbu]] hero, [[Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe]].

== Structure ==
The Limbu script is an [[abugida]], which means that a basic letter represents both a consonant and an inherent, or default, vowel. In [[Limbu language|Limbu]], the inherent vowel is {{IPA|/ɔ/}}, as in [[Bengali–Assamese script|Bengali–Assamese]] and [[Odia script]]s. To start a syllable with a vowel, the appropriate vowel diacritic is added to the vowel-carrier
{{Script|Limbu|ᤀ}}. A vowel-carrier with no diacritic represents the sound {{IPA|/ɔ/}}.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Consonants
|-
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤁ|iso=ko|ipa=/kɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤂ|iso=kho|ipa=/kʰɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤃ|iso=go|ipa=/ɡɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤄ|iso=gho|ipa=/ɡʱɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤅ|iso=ngo|ipa=/ŋɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤆ|iso=co|ipa=/t͡ɕɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤇ|iso=cho|ipa=/t͡ɕʰɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤈ|iso=jo|ipa=/d͡ʑɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤉ|iso=jho|ipa=/d͡ʑʱɔ/|note={{noteTag|name=obs|group=consonants}}}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤊ|iso=nyo|ipa=/ɲɔ/|note={{noteTag|name=obs|group=consonants}}}}
|-
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤋ|iso=to|ipa=/tɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤌ|iso=tho|ipa=/tʰɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤍ|iso=do|ipa=/dɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤎ|iso=dho|ipa=/dʱɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤏ|iso=no|ipa=/nɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤐ|iso=po|ipa=/pɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤑ|iso=pho|ipa=/pʰɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤒ|iso=bo|ipa=/bɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤓ|iso=bho|ipa=/bʱɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤔ|iso=mo|ipa=/mɔ/}}
|-
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤕ|iso=yo|ipa=/jɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤖ|iso=ro|ipa=/rɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤗ|iso=lo|ipa=/lɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤘ|iso=wo|ipa=/wɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤙ|iso=sho|ipa=/ʃɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤚ|iso=sso|ipa=/ʂɔ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤛ|iso=so|ipa=/sɔ/|note={{noteTag|name=obs|group=consonants|The letters {{Script|Limbu|ᤊ}}, {{Script|Limbu|ᤚ}} and {{Script|Limbu|ᤉ}} are not used in modern Limbu.}}}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch=ᤜ|iso=ho|ipa=/ɦɔ/}}
|
|
|}
{{noteFoot|group=consonants}}
{| class="wikitable" 
|+ Dependent vowel signs
|-
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch= ᤠ|iso=a|ipa=/a/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch= ᤡ|iso=i|ipa=/i/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch= ᤢ|iso=u|ipa=/u/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch= ᤣ|iso=ee|ipa=/e/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch= ᤤ|iso=ai|ipa=/ai/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch= ᤥ|iso=oo|ipa=/o/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch= ᤦ|iso=au|ipa=/au/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch= ᤧ|iso=e|ipa=/ɛ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ch= ᤨ|iso=o|ipa=/ɔ/|note={{noteTag|name=rudundant|group=vowels}}}}
|-
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|tops=z + ᤠ|ch=ᤁᤠ|ipa=/ka/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|tops=z + ᤡ|ch=ᤁᤡ|ipa=/ki/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|tops=z + ᤢ|ch=ᤁᤢ|ipa=/ku/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|tops=z + ᤣ|ch=ᤁᤣ|ipa=/ke/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|tops=z + ᤤ|ch=ᤁᤤ|ipa=/kai/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|tops=z + ᤥ|ch=ᤁᤥ|ipa=/ko/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|tops=z + ᤦ|ch=ᤁᤦ|ipa=/kau/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|tops=z + ᤧ|ch=ᤁᤧ|ipa=/kɛ/}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|tops=z + ᤨ|ch=ᤁᤨ|ipa=/kɔ/|note={{noteTag|name=rudundant|group=vowels|
The diacritic {{Script|Limbu| ᤨ}} represents the vowel {{IPA|/ɔ/}}, which is the same as a consonant's inherent {{IPA|/ɔ/}} vowel. So, {{Script|Limbu|ᤁᤨ}} and {{Script|Limbu|ᤁ}} represent the same syllable, {{IPA|/kɔ/}}.
Some writers avoid this diacritic entirely, considering it redundant. }}}}
|}
{{noteFoot|group=vowels}}
Initial consonant clusters are written with small marks following the main consonant:
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Subjoined consonants and examples with {{angbr|{{Script|Limbu|ᤁ}}}}.
|-
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|iso=y|ipa=/j/|ch=ᤩ}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|iso=r|ipa=/r/|ch=ᤪ}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|iso=w|ipa=/w/|ch=ᤫ}}
|-
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ipa=/kjɔ/|tops=ᤁ + ᤩ|ch=ᤁᤩ}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ipa=/krɔ/|tops=ᤁ + ᤪ|ch=ᤁᤪ}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|l=lif|color=gold|ipa=/kwɔ/|tops=ᤁ + ᤫ|ch=ᤁᤫ}}
|}

Final consonants after short vowels are written with another set of marks, except for some final consonants occurring only in loanwords. They follow the marks for consonant clusters, if any.
{| class="wikitable" 
|+ Final consonants and examples with {{angbr|{{Script|Limbu|ᤁ}}}}.
|-
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|iso=-k|ipa=/k/|ch=ᤰ}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|iso=-ng |ipa=/ŋ/|ch= ᤱ}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|iso=-t |ipa=/t/|ch= ᤳ}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|iso=-n |ipa=/n/|ch= ᤴ}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|iso=-p |ipa=/p/|ch= ᤵ}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|iso=-m |ipa=/m/|ch= ᤶ}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|iso=-r|ipa=/r/|ch= ᤷ}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|iso=-l|ipa=/l/|ch= ᤸ}}
|-
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|ch=ᤁᤰ|ipa=/kɔk/}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|ch=ᤁᤱ|ipa=/kɔŋ/}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|ch=ᤁᤳ|ipa=/kɔt/}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|ch=ᤁᤴ|ipa=/kɔn/}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|ch=ᤁᤵ|ipa=/kɔp/}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|ch=ᤁᤶ|ipa=/kɔm/}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|ch=ᤁᤷ|ipa=/kɔr/}}
|{{letter|l=lif|s=Limbu|color=gold|ch=ᤁᤸ|ipa=/kɔl/}}
|}

Long vowels without a following final consonant are written with a diacritic called ''kemphreng'' {{angbr|{{Script|Limbu|᤺}}}}, for example, {{angbr|{{Script|Limbu|ᤁ᤺}}}}, {{IPA|/kɔː/}}.

There are two methods for writing long vowels with syllable-final consonants:
# With a ''kemphreng'' diacritic and the final consonant, such as {{angbr|{{Script|Limbu|ᤁ᤺ᤰ}}}}, {{IPA|/kɔːk/}}.
# By replacing the final consonant with the corresponding full consonant and adding an underscore-like diacritic mark {{angbr|{{Script|Limbu| ᤻}}}}.  This indicates that the consonant has no following vowel and that the preceding vowel is lengthened,  example, {{angbr|{{Script|Limbu|ᤁᤁ᤻}}}}, {{IPA|/kɔːk/}}. The same diacritic may be used to mark final consonants in loanwords that do not have final forms in Limbu, regardless of the length of the vowel.
The first method is widely used in [[Sikkim]]; the second method is advocated by certain writers in [[Nepal]].<ref name="L202055" />

[[Glottalization]] is marked by a sign called ''[[Avagraha|mukphreng]]'' {{angbr|{{Script|Limbu|᤹ {{nbsp}}}}}}, for example,  {{angbr|{{Script|Limbu|ᤁ᤹{{nbsp}}}}}}, {{IPA|/kɔʔ/}}.

== Sample text ==
<span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>'''ᤛᤧᤘᤠᤖᤥ᥄''' ᤀᤠᤍᤠᤱᤒᤠ ᤜᤠᤍᤠᤱᤔᤠᤛᤣ ᤗᤠᤶᤎᤡᤱᤃᤥ ᤗᤠᤶᤎᤰ ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱᤐᤠᤴ ᤖᤧ ᤘᤡᤁᤡᤐᤡᤍᤡᤕᤠ ᤀᤥ ॥
</span>
<span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>'''ᤛᤧᤘᤠᤖᤥ᥄''' ᤀᤠᤍᤠᤏᤠᤒᤠ ᤀᤠᤍᤠᤏᤠᤔ ᤀᤠᤛᤧ ᤗᤠᤶᤎ ᤀᤡᤏᤠᤃ ᤗᤠᤶᤎᤠᤁᤠ ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ ᤐᤠᤏᤠ ᤖᤧ ᤘᤡᤁᤡᤐᤧᤍᤤ ᤀ।
<span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>
ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢ ᤓᤠᤙᤠᤁᤥ ᤘᤡᤁᤡᤐᤡ᤺ᤍᤡᤕᤠᤔᤠ ᤛᤫᤠᤃᤋ ᤇ।</span>
<span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>
ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢ ᤓᤠᤛᤠᤁᤨ ᤘᤡᤁᤡᤐᤡᤍᤡᤕᤠ ᤀᤜᤡᤗᤧ ᤀᤡᤴᤁᤢᤒᤧᤛᤠᤏᤠ (ᤐᤠᤖᤣᤰᤙᤠᤏ ᤘᤡᤁᤡ) ᤀᤷᤌᤠᤳ ᤁᤨᤁᤨᤔᤠ ᤇᤠ।
</span>
<span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>ᤕᤛᤗᤠᤀᤡ᤺ ᤀᤃᤠᤍᤡ ᤒᤎᤠᤀᤢᤏᤠᤁᤠ ᤗᤠᤃᤡ ᤁᤠᤶᤋᤡᤔᤠ ᥈ ᤛᤠᤕᤠ ᤗᤧᤰ ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢ ᤓᤠᤙᤠᤔᤠ ᤜᤢᤏᤠ ᤈᤠᤖᤥᤖᤣ ᤇᤠ। </span>'''ᤋᤩᤛᤁᤠᤖᤏ ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢ ᤓᤠᤙᤠᤔᤠ ᤗᤧᤂᤠᤜᤠᤖᤢ ᤗᤧᤰᤏᤠ ᤛᤢᤖᤢᤃᤠᤷᤏᤠ ᤛᤠᤒᤤ ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢᤓᤠᤙᤡ ᤔᤡᤳᤖᤜᤠᤖᤢᤔᤠ ᤜᤠᤷᤍᤡᤰ ᤀᤠᤏᤢᤖᤨᤎ ᤇᤠ।'''</span>

== Obsolete characters ==
Three additional letters were used in early versions of the modern script:<ref name="L202055" />
* <span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>{{large|ᤉ}}</span> /d͡ʑʱɔ/
* <span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>{{large|ᤊ}}</span> /ɲɔ/
* <span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>{{large|ᤚ}}</span> /ʂɔ/
Two ligatures were used for Nepali consonant conjuncts:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2011/11008-limbu-gyan-and-tra.pdf|title=L2/11-008: Proposal to Encode the Letters GYAN and TRA for Limbu in the UCS|date=2011-01-14|first=Anshuman|last=Pandey}}</ref>
* <span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>{{large|ᤝ}}</span> jña (for [[Devanagari]] {{large|ज्ञ}})
* <span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>{{large|ᤞ}}</span> tra (for Devanagari {{large|त्र}})

Nineteenth-century texts used a small [[anusvara]] (<span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>{{large|ᤲ}}</span>) to mark [[nasalization]].  This was used interchangeably with <span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>{{huge|ᤱ}}</span> /ŋ/.

The sign <span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>{{large|᥀}}</span> was used for the exclamatory particle <span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>{{large|ᤗᤥ}}</span> (/lo/).<ref name="L202055" />

== Punctuation ==
The main punctuation mark used in Limbu is the Devanagari double [[danda]] (<span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>{{large|॥}}</span>).<ref name="L202055" />  It has its own exclamation mark (<span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>{{large|᥄}}</span>) and question mark (<span style="font-family: 'Noto Sans Limbu', 'Namdhinggo SIL', 'Code2000', 'Sun-ExtA', 'MPH 2B Damase';
>{{large|᥅}}</span>).

== Numerals ==
{| class=wikitable
|+Limbu has its own set of numerals 
|{{letter|s=Limbu|top=0|color=gold|ch=᥆}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|top=1|color=gold|ch=᥇}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|top=2|color=gold|ch=᥈}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|top=3|color=gold|ch=᥉}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|top=4|color=gold|ch=᥊}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|top=5|color=gold|ch=᥋}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|top=6|color=gold|ch=᥌}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|top=7|color=gold|ch=᥍}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|top=8|color=gold|ch=᥎}}
|{{letter|s=Limbu|top=9|color=gold|ch=᥏}}
|}

== Unicode ==
{{Main|Limbu (Unicode block)}}

Limbu script was added to the [[Unicode]] Standard in April, 2003 with the release of version 4.0.

The Unicode block for Limbu is U+1900–U+194F:
{{Unicode chart Limbu}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{list of writing systems}}

[[Category:Brahmic scripts]]
[[Category:Writing systems of Nepal]]