Conjunct consonant

Conjunct consonants are a type of letters, used for example in <a href="/facts/Brahmi_script/Bflxwzu6">Brahmi</a> or Brahmi derived modern scripts such as <a href="/facts/Balinese_script/GFaM7dph">Balinese</a>, <a href="/facts/Bengali_alphabet/kdlW4eGK">Bengali</a>, <a href="/facts/Devanagari/dQvQ3Ufs">Devanagari</a>, <a href="/facts/Gujarati_alphabet/zbJCS2Rm">Gujarati</a>, <a href="/facts/Tibetan_script/d6SoCnze">Tibetan</a>, <a href="/facts/Dzongkha/WUEVgmHT">Dzongkha</a> etc to write <a href="/facts/Consonant_cluster/CxFhVk8X">consonant clusters</a> such as /pr/ or /rv/. Although most of the time, letters are formed by using a simple consonant with the inherent value vowel "a" (as with "k" , pronounced "ka" in Brahmi), or by combining a consonant with an vowel in the form of a <a href="/facts/Diacritic/Rw6lMzQW">diacritic</a> (as with "ki" in Brahmi), the usage of conjunct consonant permits the creation of more sophisticated sounds (as with "kya" , formed with the consonants k and y assembled vertically). Conjuncts are often used with loan words. Native words typically use the basic consonant and native speakers know to suppress the vowel.
In modern Devanagari the components of a conjunct are written left to right when possible (when the first consonant has a vertical stem that can be removed at the right), whereas in Brahmi characters are joined vertically downwards.
Some simple examples of conjunct consonants in Devanagari are: त + व = त्व (tva), ण + ढ = ण्ढ (ṇḍha), स + थ = स्थ (stha), where the vertical stroke of the first letter is simply lost in the combination. Sometimes, conjunct consonants are not clearly derived from the letters making up their components: the conjunct for kṣ is क्ष (क् + ष) and for jñ it is ज्ञ (ज् + ञ).
Some examples of conjunct consonants in Gujarati are: પ + ઝ = પ્ઝ (pjha) (where a stroke of the first letter is lost in the combination), હ + ળ = હ્ળ (hḷa), જ + ભ = જ્ભ (jbha). Sometimes, conjunct consonants are not clearly derived from the letters making up their components: the conjunct for śc is શ્ચ (શ્ + ચ) and for ñj it is ઞ્જ (ઞ્ + જ).
Conjunct consonants are used in many other scripts as well, usually derived from the Brahmi script. In <a href="/facts/Balinese_script/GFaM7dph">Balinese</a>, conjunct consonants are called Haksara Wrehastra.

Conjunct consonant open-in-new

Conjunct consonant