Kannada Value in Script Unicode Property
Kannada is an abugida script used primarily for writing the Kannada language, spoken by over 40 million people in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka and neighboring regions. Originating from the southern Brahmi family, it evolved through the Kadamba and Chalukya scripts, sharing close structural ties with Telugu. The script features 49 phonemic letters, including 14 vowels and 34 consonants, with each consonant base form carrying an inherent 'a' vowel that can be modified by diacritic marks. Its distinctive rounded shapes, designed for writing on palm leaves, contrast with the angular forms of northern Indian scripts. Kannada also includes separate numerals, a set of vowel length markers, and a unique set of ligatures for consonant clusters, enabling precise phonetic representation of the Dravidian language’s sound system.