Visarga
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Template:Infobox Indic letter In Sanskrit phonology, visarga (Script error: No such module "IPA".) is the name of the voiceless glottal fricative, written in Devanagari as ⟨Script error: No such module "Lang".⟩ /h/. It was also called, equivalently, Script error: No such module "lang". by earlier grammarians. The word visarga (Template:Langx) literally means "sending forth, discharge".
Visarga is an allophone of Script error: No such module "IPA". and Script error: No such module "IPA". in pausa (at the end of an utterance). Since Script error: No such module "IPA". is a common inflectional suffix (of nominative singular, second person singular, etc.), visarga appears frequently in Sanskrit texts. In the traditional order of Sanskrit sounds, visarga and anusvāra appear between vowels and stop consonants.
The precise pronunciation of visarga in Vedic texts may vary between Śākhās. Some pronounce a slight echo of the preceding vowel after the aspiration: Script error: No such module "lang". will be pronounced Script error: No such module "IPA"., and Script error: No such module "lang". will be pronounced Script error: No such module "IPA".. Visarga is not to be confused with colon.
| Transliteration | Symbol |
|---|---|
| ISO 15919 / IAST | ⟨Script error: No such module "lang".⟩ |
| Harvard-Kyoto | ⟨H⟩ |
Types
The visarga is commonly found in writing, resembling the punctuation mark of colon or as two tiny circles one above the other. This form is retained by most Indic scripts.
According to Sanskrit phonologists, the visarga has two optional allophones: the Script error: No such module "lang". (Script error: No such module "Lang"., the velar visarga) and the Script error: No such module "lang". (Script error: No such module "Lang"., the labial visarga). The former may be pronounced before ⟨Script error: No such module "Lang".⟩ and ⟨Script error: No such module "Lang".⟩, while the latter may be pronounced before ⟨Script error: No such module "Lang".⟩ and ⟨Script error: No such module "Lang".⟩. Generally, Script error: No such module "lang". and Script error: No such module "lang". are not rendered distinctively from the visarga, though the glyphs ⟨Script error: No such module "Lang".⟩ and ⟨Script error: No such module "Lang".⟩ have occasionally been used in Devanagari for that purpose; sometimes, the Script error: No such module "lang". (Script error: No such module "Lang"., 'half-visarga') ⟨Script error: No such module "Lang".⟩ is used for both. Similar glyphs are found in Brahmi, Kannada, Tibetan, Sharada, and Lantsa. Examples:[1]
- Script error: No such module "Lang". or Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "lang".; 'who is your grandfather?')
- Script error: No such module "Lang". or Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "lang".; 'birds fly in the sky')
- Script error: No such module "Lang". or Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "lang".; 'sir, save me')
- Script error: No such module "Lang". or Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "lang".; 'result of penances')
Other Brahmic scripts
Bengali
In the Bengali script, the visarga is written as Script error: No such module "Lang". and is known as bisarga (বিসর্গ). In Bengali it represents a weak post-vocalic release rather than a clearly articulated /h/ sound. Although it originates from Sanskrit final r- and s-sounds, modern Bengali preserves it primarily as an orthographic element, with its phonetic value varying according to position and environment.
Phonetic behaviour
When occurring medially within a word, the bisarga no longer produces a distinct aspiration; instead it tends to reinforce or lengthen the following consonant. Examples include Script error: No such module "Lang". or Script error: No such module "Lang"., where the bisarga historically reflects Sanskrit Script error: No such module "Lang"., but in Bengali the release is replaced by consonant strengthening or an increased sibilant effect.
When occurring finally at the end of a word, the bisarga marks an etymological aspiration inherited from Sanskrit, but in contemporary Bengali it is realised only as a very faint breath or is silent. Forms such as Script error: No such module "Lang". or Script error: No such module "Lang". illustrate this weakened contrast. Overall, Bengali pronunciation treats the visarga not as an independent consonant but as a modifier whose audible effect ranges from minimal to null.
Visarga Sandhi
In sandhi environments, the bisarga undergoes several regular transformations that depend on the nature of the following sound. These changes reflect its Sanskritic origins and are largely systematic in Bengali spelling, even when their phonetic effect is weak.
Before vowels, the bisarga commonly yields Script error: No such module "Lang". or produces an Script error: No such module "Lang".-glide, preserving the historical continuity of r-final forms (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".). Before sibilants and coronal or palatal stops, it assimilates to the following consonant as the appropriate sibilant—Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., or Script error: No such module "Lang".—a process that accounts for forms such as Script error: No such module "Lang"..
When followed by voiced consonants or semivowels, r-jāt bisarga typically appears as Script error: No such module "Lang"., while s-jāt bisarga may produce an Script error: No such module "Lang".-transition; thus Script error: No such module "Lang". surfaces as Script error: No such module "Lang".. If the following consonant is Script error: No such module "Lang"., the bisarga disappears entirely and the preceding vowel lengthens, as seen in Script error: No such module "Lang".. After the vowels ই or উ and before velar or labial stops, the bisarga may appear as Script error: No such module "Lang"., producing forms such as Script error: No such module "Lang"..
Some compounds retain the written bisarga without any phonological modification, as in Script error: No such module "Lang".. In other cases, the bisarga may be lost without affecting adjacent sounds, as in Script error: No such module "Lang". from Script error: No such module "Lang".. As a whole, visarga sandhi in Bengali reflects historical Sanskritic patterns that are preserved orthographically even though their phonetic realisation is limited in modern speech.
Burmese
In the Burmese script, the visarga (variously called Script error: No such module "Lang". shay ga pauk, Script error: No such module "Lang". wizza nalone pauk, or Script error: No such module "Lang". shay zi and represented with two dots to the right of the letter as Script error: No such module "Lang".), when joined to a letter, creates the high tone.
Japanese
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote".
Motoori Norinaga invented a mark for visarga which he used in a book about Indian orthography.
Javanese
In the Javanese script, the visarga, known as the wignyan (Script error: No such module "Lang".), is represented by two curls to the right of a syllable as ꦃ: the first curl is short and circular, and the second curl is long. It adds a /-h/ after a vowel.
Kannada
In the Kannada script, the visarga (which is called visarga) is represented with two small circles to the right of a letter ಃ. It adds an aḥ sound to the end of the letter.
This script also has separate symbols for ardhavisarga absent in most other scripts, jihvamuliya, Script error: No such module "Lang"., and upadhmaniya, Script error: No such module "Lang"..
Khmer
In the Khmer script, the visarga (known as the reăhmŭkh (Script error: No such module "Lang".; "shining face")) indicates an aspirated Script error: No such module "IPA". sound added after a syllable. It is represented with two small circles at the right of a letter as Script error: No such module "Lang"., and it should not be confused with the similar-looking yŭkôlpĭntŭ (Script error: No such module "Lang".; "pair of dots"), which indicates a short vowel followed by a glottal stop like their equivalent visarga marks in the Thai and Lao scripts.
Lao
In the Lao script, the visarga is represented with two small curled circles to the right of a letter as Script error: No such module "Lang".. As in the neighboring related Thai script, it indicates a glottal stop after the vowel.
Malayalam
In the Malayalam script, the visarga or visargam is represented with two small circles to the right of a letter (Script error: No such module "Lang".). It indicates an /h/ sound after a letter. The visarga is considered as a vowel in Malayalam, where its independent form is written as അഃ. Unlike other languages, the visarga in Malayalam need not necessarily occur at the end of a word. Examples of visargas in the middle of words include ദുഃഖം, മനഃപ്രയാസം, പുനഃസൃഷ്ടി.
Odia
In the Odia script, the Bisarga is represented with a vertical infinity sign to the right of a letter as Script error: No such module "Lang".. It indicates the post-vocalic voiceless glottal fricative aḥ [h] sound after the letter, Unlike other languages, the bisarga can appear in middle of words, such as ନିଃଶ୍ବାସ, ନିଃସ୍ବ, ନିଃସନ୍ଦେହ, ନିଃଶେଷ etc. All words with Bisarga aren't borrowed from Sanskrit.
Sinhala
In the Sinhala script, visarga is represented with two small circle to the right of a letter as ඃ.
Tamil
In the Tamil script, similar to visarga (which is called āyuta eḻuttu (Script error: No such module "Lang".), āytam (Script error: No such module "Lang".), muppāl puḷḷi, taṉinilai, aḵkēṉam, ak), transliterated as ḵ, is represented with three small circles to the right of a letter as Script error: No such module "Lang".. Its used to transcribe an archaic Script error: No such module "IPA". sound inherited from the proto Dravidian *H that has either become silent or geminates the next letter in unlearnt speech, or pronounced as Script error: No such module "IPA". or Script error: No such module "IPA". in careful speech. Like Sanskrit, it cannot add on to any letter and add aspiration to them. It should be always placed between a single short vowel and a hard consonant (Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang".) for example Script error: No such module "Lang". (aḵtu), Script error: No such module "Lang". (eḵku). The āytam in modern Tamil is used to transcribe foreign phones like ஃப் (ஃp) for [f], ஃஜ (ஃj) for [z], ஃஸ (ஃs) for [z, ʒ] and ஃக (ஃk) for [x], similar to a nuqta.
Telugu
In the Telugu script, there are two visargas. One is represented with two small circles to the right of a letter Script error: No such module "Lang".. It brings an "ah" sound to the end of the letter.
Thai
In the Thai script, the visarga (known as the visanchani (Script error: No such module "Lang".) or nom nang thangkhu (Script error: No such module "Lang".)) is represented with two small curled circles to the right of a letter as Script error: No such module "Lang".. It represents a glottal stop that follows the affected vowel.
Glyph comparison
Unicode
Template:Contains special characters Unicode encodes visarga and visarga-like characters for a variety of scripts:
Visarga
|
|
Jihvamuliya and Upadhmaniya
| Script | Jihvamuliya | Upadhmaniya | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign | Unicode | Sign | Unicode | |
| Brahmi | 𑀃 | U+11003 | 𑀄 | U+11004 |
| Kannada | ೱ | U+0CF1 | ೲ | U+0CF2 |
| Newa | 𑑠 | U+11460 | 𑑡 | U+11461 |
| Sharada | 𑇂 | U+111C2 | 𑇃 | U+111C3 |
| Soyombo | 𑪄 | U+11A84 | 𑪅 | U+11A85 |
| Vedic | ᳵ | U+1CF5 | ᳶ | U+1CF6 |
References
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