U+0A3C "਼" Gurmukhi Sign Nukta Unicode Character

U+0A3C "਼" Gurmukhi Sign Nukta is a combining diacritical mark used in the Gurmukhi script, primarily to represent sounds borrowed from other languages, such as Persian or Arabic, that do not naturally occur in standard Punjabi phonology. When placed beneath a Gurmukhi consonant, it modifies the consonant's inherent sound, enabling the accurate transcription of foreign loanwords by creating additional characters not found in the basic script. For example, it changes the letter for "ga" into a sound closer to "za" in words like "zindagi." The nukta is essential for maintaining the orthographic integrity of Punjabi when writing words from languages like Urdu or English, ensuring that loanwords are represented with precision.