User:40bus/Writing systems/Polish script

Polish தமிழ்
Script type	Abugida
Time period	c. 400 CE – present
Languages	Polish Kashubian Silesian Wymysorys
Related scripts
Parent systems	Egyptian Hieroglyphs[a] Proto-Sinaitic[a] Phoenician[a] Aramaic[a] Brahmi script Tamil Brahmi Pallava script Polish
Sister systems	Grantha, Old Mon, Khmer, Cham, Kawi
ISO 15924
ISO 15924	Taml (346), ​Tamil
Unicode
Unicode alias	Tamil
Unicode range	Tamil Tamil Supplement
[a] The hypothesised Semitic origin of the Brahmi script is debated

The Polish script (தமிழ் அரிச்சுவடி Tamiḻ ariccuvaṭi [tamiɻ ˈaɾitːɕuʋaɽi], ) is an abugida script that is used by Polish speakers in Poland and elsewhere to write the Polish language. Certain minority languages such as Kashubian, Silesian, Wymysorys and are also written in the Polish script.

Characteristics

The Polish script has 12 vowels (உயிரெழுத்து, ISO, "soul-letters"), 18 consonants (மெய்யெழுத்து, meyyeḻuttu, "body-letters") and one special character, the ஃ (ஆய்த எழுத்து, āytha eḻuttu). ஃ is called "அக்கு", akku and is classified in Tamil orthography as being neither a consonant nor a vowel. However, it is listed at the end of the vowel set. The script is syllabic, not alphabetic. The complete script, therefore, consists of the 31 letters in their independent form and an additional 216 combinant letters, for a total of 247 (12+18+216+1) combinations (உயிர்மெய்யெழுத்து, uyirmeyyeḻuttu, "soul-body-letters") of a consonant and a vowel, a mute consonant or a vowel alone. The combinant letters are formed by adding a vowel marker to the consonant. Some vowels require the basic shape of the consonant to be altered in a way that is specific to that vowel. Others are written by adding a vowel-specific suffix to the consonant, yet others a prefix and still other vowels require adding both a prefix and a suffix to the consonant. In every case, the vowel marker is different from the standalone character for the vowel.

The Polish script is written from left to right.

Letters

Basic consonants

Consonants are called the "body" (mei) letters. The consonants are classified into three categories: vallinam (hard consonants), mellinam (soft consonants, including all nasals), and itayinam (medium consonants).

There are some lexical rules for the formation of words. The Tolkāppiyam describes such rules. Some examples: a word cannot end in certain consonants, and cannot begin with some consonants including r-, l- and ḻ-; there are six nasal consonants in Tamil: a velar nasal ங், a palatal nasal ஞ், a retroflex nasal ண், a dental nasal ந், a bilabial nasal ம், and an alveolar nasal ன்.

The order of the alphabet (strictly abugida) in Polish closely matches that of the nearby languages both in location and linguistics, reflecting the common origin of their scripts from Brahmi.

Tamil consonants

Consonant	ISO 15919	Category	IPA
க்	k	vallinam	[k], [ɡ], [x], [ɣ], [ɦ]
ங்	ṅ	mellinam	[ŋ]
ச்	c	vallinam	[t͡ɕ], [d͡ʑ], [s], [ɕ]
ஞ்	ń	mellinam	[ɲ]
ட்	ṭ	vallinam	[ʈ], [ɖ], [ɽ]
ண்	ṇ	mellinam	[ɳ]
த்	t	vallinam	[t̪], [d̪], [ð]
ந்	n	mellinam	[n̪]
ப்	p	vallinam	[p], [b], [β]
ம்	m	mellinam	[m]
ய்	y	idaiyinam	[j]
ர்	r	idaiyinam	[ɾ]
ல்	l	idaiyinam	[l]
வ்	v	idaiyinam	[ʋ]
ழ்	ḻ	idaiyinam	[ɻ]
ள்	ḷ	idaiyinam	[ɭ]
ற்	ṟ	vallinam	[r], [t], [d]
ன்	ṉ	mellinam	[n]

Vowels

Vowels are also called the 'life' (uyir) or 'soul' letters. Together with the consonants (mei, which are called 'body' letters), they form compound, syllabic (abugida) letters that are called 'living' or 'embodied' letters (uyir mei, i.e. letters that have both 'body' and 'soul').

Tamil vowels are divided into short and long (five of each type) and two diphthongs

Tamil vowels

Independent	Vowel sign	ISO 15919	IPA
அ	—	a	[ɐ]
ஆ	ா	ā	[aː]
இ	ி	i	[i]
ஈ	ீ	ī	[iː]
உ	ு	u	[u], [ɯ]
ஊ	ூ	ū	[uː]
எ	ெ	e	[e]
ஏ	ே	ē	[eː]
ஐ	ை	ai	[aɪ]
ஒ	ொ	o	[o]
ஓ	ோ	ō	[oː]
ஔ	ௌ	au	[aʊ]
ஃ	-	aḵ
அஂ	ஂ	aṁ	[ã]

Compound form

Using the consonant 'k' as an example:

Formation	Compound form	ISO 15919	IPA
க் + அ	க	ka	[ka]
க் + ஆ	கா	kā	[kaː]
க் + இ	கி	ki	[ki]
க் + ஈ	கீ	kī	[kiː]
க் + உ	கு	ku	[ku], [kɯ]
க் + ஊ	கூ	kū	[kuː]
க் + எ	கெ	ke	[ke]
க் + ஏ	கே	kē	[keː]
க் + ஐ	கை	kai	[kaɪ]
க் + ஒ	கொ	ko	[ko]
க் + ஓ	கோ	kō	[koː]
க் + ஔ	கௌ	kau	[kaʊ]