| Tanchangya 𑄖𑄧𑄐𑄴𑄌𑄧𑄁𑄉𑄴𑄡 | |
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 'Tanchangya' in Tanchangya | |
| Script type | |
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| This article containsphonetic transcriptions in theInternational Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, seeHelp:IPA. For the distinction between[ ],/ / and ⟨ ⟩, seeIPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters. | |
| Brahmic scripts |
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| TheBrahmi script and its descendants |
TheTanchangya script, also known asKa-Pat, is anabugida used to write theTanchangya language. It is in the southernBrahmic family of scripts. Due to its script family, it has similarities to theBurmese alphabet, andMon alphabet.
The script seems to be derived from ancientBrahmic scripts, which inherited the vowel sound within the consonants. If not an independent derivation, it should have derived from Burmese or Mon. It is believed that they had used the Brahmic scripts in the earlier stages, which were known by the term Thek or Sakya in northern Myanmar.[citation needed]
The Tanchangya script was introduced recently in 2012 by adopting a manuscript in Rakhine State as stated by Rupak Debnath.[1]Though both Chakma and Tanchangya have been using the present Chakma script for a long time, it is still unconfirmed who the alphabet originally belonged to and who introduced it. John M. Clifton in his ‘’Dialects, Orthography and Society ‘’opined that ‘the Tanchangya community decided to base their alphabet on the Chakma to show they were related to the Chakma. However, they systematically changed the alphabet to show that they were different from the Chakma they were not simply a part of the larger Chakma community.’[2] Moreover, in order not to cause misunderstanding between the two communities, Tanchangya has introduced these alphabets which are yet to develop into Unicode font. For the time being, it is just created as True Font.
It is written from left to right, similar to Brahmi scripts, unlike the Kharosti, which were used to write from right to left.
There are five independent vowels such as A (a:), I(i), v(ʊ), E(e), and O a(oʊ). The other five vowels are dependent namely, Aa(ɔ), AA(ʌ), Ii(i:), and Uu(u:).
There are thirty-one consonants letter found in the Tanchangya script. They are classified into group consonants and miscellaneous consonants.