Institute of the Estonian Language

KNAB: Place Names Database

2012-09-09

Hindi / Hind
romanization: UN 1972/77 + KNAB modifications

I. Independent vowel characters

1 a 5 u 9 l 13 au

2 6 10 e

3 i 7 11 ai
4 8 12 o

II. Consonant characters

1 kaA 10 a 19 dha 28 la

2 khaA 11 a 20 na 29 va
3 gaA 12 ha 21 pa 30 sha

4 gha 13 aA 22 phaA 31 ha
5 a 14 haA 23 ba 32 sa
6 cha 15 a 24 bha 33 ha

7 chha 16 ta 25 ma

8 jaA 17 tha 26 ya

9 jha 18 da 27 ra

A
Dotted variants of the characters: qa; ha; ga;
za; a; ha; fa.

III. Abbreviated vowel characters and other symbols ( stands for any consonant
character, in lines 12-14 stands for any vowel character)

1 a 5 u B 9 ai 13 m E
2 A 6 B 10 o 14
3 i 7 B 11 au 15 (C)

4 8 e 12 , D

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A
With an additional mark: k.
B
Variations: ru; r; h.
C
Pronunciation without a vowel (virma): k.
D
Before ch, d, , g, j, k, n, , s, , t, and y.
E
Nasal sound: mm , mlem .

IV. Ligatures

Adscript form:
Examples
r- rta, rdva

Other ligatures (the list is not complete; availability depends on the fonts used)

kka kkha kta ktva kya kra kla kva kha kha khma khya khva

ksa khya hsha gda gdha gna gbha gma gya gra gla ghna ghya

ghra ka kha ga gha chcha chchha chchhra chya chra jja jjha ja

jya jra jva cha chha ja a ha hha a ha hha a

ha a ya tka tta ttya ttva ttha tna tpa tma tmya tya

tra trya tva tsa tsna tsya thya thra dga dda ddha dbha dma

dya dra dva dhna dhma dhya dhra dhva nta ntya ntra ntha nda

ndra ndha ndhya ndhra nna nma nya nra nva nsa nha pta ptya

pna pya pra pla psa phya phla bda bna bya bra bhya bhra

mna mba mbha mma mya mra mla mva mha yya yra lka lpa

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lma lya lla lva lsa vya vra shcha shchya shchha shna shya shra

shla shva hka hkra ha hra hha ha hpa hpra hma hya hva

ska skha sta stra stha sna spa spha sma smya sya sra sva

hna hma hya hra hla hva

Notes
1. In order to maintain reversibility middle dot ( ) is added:
a. if a consonant character is followed by an independent vowel character;
b. if a consonant character without an inherent vowel is followed by another
independent consonant character (not part of a ligature).
2. Although the UN romanization recommends to romanize always the inherent a, except
word-finally (e.g. Knapur), in KNAB the actual pronunciationshould reflected,
e.g. Knpur. If a name ends with a virma, the UN romanization recommends to use a
sub-macron at the end of the word (e.g. Jaga), in KNAB it should be Jagat".
3. In the UN romanization , middle dot and " are omitted.

Pronunciation

ai [ai]~[ae], au [au]~[ao], bh [b], ch [t], chh [t], dh [d], [], h [], g [g]~[], gh [g],
j [d], jh [d], kh [k], h [k]~[], [], [], ph [p], q [q]~[k], th [t], [], h [], v
[w]/[v]A/[o]B, y [j].

A
After a consonant.
B
After a vowel.

A. Other languages using Devanagari script

Bihari / Bihr
Incl.: Bhojpuri / Bhojpur, Magahi / Magah, Maithili / Maithil.

Konkani / Konk

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Marathi / Marh

Differences to Hindi:
1. Additional characters (absent in Hindi): a, ( k).
2. Differing character glyphs (in Hindi rather kha, la, in Marathi rather , *).
3. Differing ligature glyphs (in Hindi rather  kta,  kka, in Marathi rather , ).
4. The character r forms ligatures: rya, rha (in Unicode the code of the 1st character
is U+0931; KNAB uses a preceding middle dot for distinction).
5. Ligatures ending with h are typical: nha, mha, lha, vha (e.g.
Vhiktoriy).
6. Pronunciation: [], e [a] (word-finally), [].

Nepali / Nepl

Differences to Hindi:
1. In standard spelling and h are usually not distinguished, instead dotless characters are
used: a, ha.
2. The character r forms ligatures: rha.

Sanskrit / Sasktam

B. Conversion into other systems

Hunterian system (used in India)

UN Hunterian = n, m h = sh
= , aA = ng =t
=d =n h = th
h = dh = ny v = w, vB
= , iA sh = s, sh

A
Word-finally.
B
Exceptionally, e.g. before i.

Transliteration standard for Indian languages ISO 15919:2001

UN ISO = =

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ch =c l = l = r
chh = ch l = l sh =
e = , eA l =B h =
E
=e m = m , , n =D
g = o = , oA y = CF
= , B =o = yF
j = yC =
h = kh = r

A
Non-uniform vowels option: if the only scripts in view are without short e, o, then long e, o
may be transliterated e, o, respectively..
B
Used in Tamil.
C
Used in Bengali.
D
Used in Malayalam.
E
Used in Telugu.
F
Used in Oriya.

Transliteration by National Library at Kolkata 1988

a = a, (0)A g = gh =o
= j = B h = d h
= h = kh = r
ch =c l = = r
chh = ch l = l sh =
e = l , = C h =
=e o = = D

A
Usually word-finally.
B
In Bengali.
C
In Tamil, Malayalam.
D
In Oriya.

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