Gondi has typically been written in Devanagari script or Telugu script, but native scripts are in existence. A Gond by the name of Munshi Mangal Singh Masaram designed a Brahmi-based script in 1918, and in 2006, a native script that dates up to 1750 has been discovered by a group of researchers from the University of Hyderabad.
Nonetheless, most Gonds are unaware of their well developed language and do not use any script now. The Gunjala Gondi Lipi has witnessed a surge in prominence, and well-supported efforts are being undertaken in villages of northern Andhra Pradesh to widen its usage.
Masaram Gondi 𑴤𑴫𑴦𑴱𑴤 𑴎𑴽𑵀𑴘𑴳 | |
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Script type | |
Time period | 1918–present |
Direction | Left-to-right |
Languages | Gondi |
ISO 15924 | |
ISO 15924 | Gonm(313),Masaram Gondi |
Unicode | |
Unicode alias | Masaram Gondi |
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In 1918, Munshi Mangal Singh Masaram, a Gond from Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, designed a script for Gondi based on Brahmi characters found in other descendant Indian scripts. [1] However, this script is not widely used, even though a few publications have been made available by his followers and supporters.
Masaram Gondi script was added to the Unicode Standard in June, 2017 with the release of version 10.0.
The Unicode block for Masaram Gondi is U+11D00–U+11D5F:
Masaram Gondi [1] [2] Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF) | ||||||||||||||||
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | |
U+11D0x | 𑴀 | 𑴁 | 𑴂 | 𑴃 | 𑴄 | 𑴅 | 𑴆 | 𑴈 | 𑴉 | 𑴋 | 𑴌 | 𑴍 | 𑴎 | 𑴏 | ||
U+11D1x | 𑴐 | 𑴑 | 𑴒 | 𑴓 | 𑴔 | 𑴕 | 𑴖 | 𑴗 | 𑴘 | 𑴙 | 𑴚 | 𑴛 | 𑴜 | 𑴝 | 𑴞 | 𑴟 |
U+11D2x | 𑴠 | 𑴡 | 𑴢 | 𑴣 | 𑴤 | 𑴥 | 𑴦 | 𑴧 | 𑴨 | 𑴩 | 𑴪 | 𑴫 | 𑴬 | 𑴭 | 𑴮 | 𑴯 |
U+11D3x | 𑴰 | 𑴱 | 𑴲 | 𑴳 | 𑴴 | 𑴵 | 𑴶 | 𑴺 | 𑴼 | 𑴽 | 𑴿 | |||||
U+11D4x | 𑵀 | 𑵁 | 𑵂 | 𑵃 | 𑵄 | 𑵅 | 𑵆 | 𑵇 | ||||||||
U+11D5x | 𑵐 | 𑵑 | 𑵒 | 𑵓 | 𑵔 | 𑵕 | 𑵖 | 𑵗 | 𑵘 | 𑵙 | ||||||
Notes |
Gunjala Gondi Lipi | |
---|---|
Script type | |
Time period | c. 1750–present |
Direction | Left-to-right |
Languages | Gondi |
Related scripts | |
Parent systems | |
ISO 15924 | |
ISO 15924 | Gong(312),Gunjala Gondi |
Unicode | |
Unicode alias | Gunjala Gondi |
This script is the subject of ongoing linguistic and historical research. Discovered manuscripts have been dated up to 1750, and discuss information from as early as the 6th–7th centuries. Much of the information reveals independence initiatives by the Gond Rajas and encounters with the British. Also, the names of the days of the week, the months, the Gond festivals have been discovered in this Gondi script. [2]
Gunjala Gondi lipi was added to the Unicode Standard in June, 2018 with the release of version 11.0. [3]
The Unicode block for Gunjala Gondi is U+11D60–U+11DAF:
Gunjala Gondi [1] [2] Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF) | ||||||||||||||||
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | |
U+11D6x | 𑵠 | 𑵡 | 𑵢 | 𑵣 | 𑵤 | 𑵥 | 𑵧 | 𑵨 | 𑵪 | 𑵫 | 𑵬 | 𑵭 | 𑵮 | 𑵯 | ||
U+11D7x | 𑵰 | 𑵱 | 𑵲 | 𑵳 | 𑵴 | 𑵵 | 𑵶 | 𑵷 | 𑵸 | 𑵹 | 𑵺 | 𑵻 | 𑵼 | 𑵽 | 𑵾 | 𑵿 |
U+11D8x | 𑶀 | 𑶁 | 𑶂 | 𑶃 | 𑶄 | 𑶅 | 𑶆 | 𑶇 | 𑶈 | 𑶉 | 𑶊 | 𑶋 | 𑶌 | 𑶍 | 𑶎 | |
U+11D9x | 𑶐 | 𑶑 | 𑶓 | 𑶔 | 𑶕 | 𑶖 | 𑶗 | 𑶘 | ||||||||
U+11DAx | 𑶠 | 𑶡 | 𑶢 | 𑶣 | 𑶤 | 𑶥 | 𑶦 | 𑶧 | 𑶨 | 𑶩 | ||||||
Notes |
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Gunjala is a village in the Adilabad district of Telangana, India.
The Gunjala Gondi lipi or Gunjala Gondi script is a script used to write the Gondi language, a Dravidian language spoken by the Gond people of northern Telangana, eastern Maharashtra, southeastern Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. Approximately a dozen manuscripts in the script were recovered from Gunjala, a Gond village in Adilabad district of Telangana, by a team of researchers from the University of Hyderabad, led by Professor Jayadheer Tirumala Rao. The script and preliminary font were unveiled in early 2014.
Masaram Gondi is a Unicode block containing characters from the Masaram Gondi script, which was designed for writing Gondi in 1918 by Munshi Mangal Singh Masaram, a Gond from Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, India.
Gunjala Gondi is a Unicode block containing characters of Gunjala Gondi script used for writing the Adilabad dialect of the Gondi language.
Motiravan Kangali was an Indian linguist and author from the Gond community. He is known for his work on the origins and development of the Gondi language, and particularly for his creation of a script for it. Kangali authored Gondi dictionaries in English, Hindi and Marathi. He also aided efforts for the standardization and preservation of Gondi grammar while authoring several books on Gond society, culture and religion.