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The Devanagari script offers several advantages for the Santali language:

1. Phonemic Representation: The Santali language has a rich phonetic inventory, and
Devanagari provides an effective way to represent its phonemes. Devanagari offers distinct
characters for all the vowel and consonant sounds in Santali, allowing for accurate and
consistent representation of the language's phonetics.

2. Script Familiarity: Devanagari is widely used as the writing system for many Indian
languages, including Hindi, Marathi, and Nepali. As a result, many Santali speakers are
already familiar with Devanagari due to their exposure to these languages. Using
Devanagari for Santali facilitates greater literacy and ease of learning for Santali speakers.

3. Standardization and Uniformity: Adopting Devanagari for the Santali language promotes
standardization and uniformity in writing practices. With a consistent script, it becomes
easier to develop dictionaries, educational materials, and other resources for Santali
learners. It also facilitates communication and exchange of written materials between Santali
speakers across different regions.

4. Digital Accessibility: Devanagari has excellent digital support, including Unicode encoding,
which ensures the compatibility of Santali text across different devices, platforms, and
software. The availability of Santali in Devanagari script enhances the accessibility and
usability of digital resources, such as websites, mobile applications, and electronic
documents, for Santali speakers.

5. Literary Tradition: Devanagari is associated with a strong literary tradition in India, with
numerous literary works, including religious texts, poetry, and prose, written in this script. By
adopting Devanagari, Santali language gains access to this rich heritage and can develop its
own literary tradition, preserving and promoting Santali literature.

6. Linguistic Resources: Devanagari being widely used in India, there are abundant linguistic
resources available in this script, including dictionaries, grammars, and language learning
materials. Utilizing Devanagari for Santali facilitates access to these resources, enabling
language learners, researchers, and educators to benefit from existing materials and build
upon them.

Overall, adopting the Devanagari script for the Santali language brings phonemic accuracy,
script familiarity, standardization, digital accessibility, literary traditions, and linguistic
resources, contributing to the development, preservation, and promotion of Santali as a
written language.

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