U+0D09 "ഉ" Malayalam Letter U Unicode Character

U+0D09 "ഉ" Malayalam Letter U is the fifth vowel in the Malayalam abugida, representing the short vowel sound "u" as in the English word "put." It belongs to the Malayalam script block and is used in the Dravidian language of Malayalam, primarily spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. This character functions as an independent vowel when written alone, such as in the word "ഉപ്പ്" meaning salt, and it also appears as a diacritic mark called a vowel sign when attached to consonants to modify their inherent vowel sound, like in "കുട" meaning umbrella. Its history traces back to the Brahmi script through Grantha, with modern usage spanning literature, official documents, and digital communication across Malayalam speaking communities.