Zanabazar square script
Zanabazar's square script is a horizontal Mongolian square script (Mongolian: Хэвтээ Дөрвөлжин бичиг, Khevtee Dörvöljin bichig or Mongolian: Хэвтээ Дөрвөлжин Үсэг, Khevtee Dörvöljin Üseg),[1] an abugida developed by the monk and scholar Zanabazar based on the Tibetan alphabet to write Mongolian. It can also be used to write Tibetan language and Sanskrit as a geometric typeface.[2][3]
| Zanabazar's square script 𑨢𑨆𑨏𑨳𑨋𑨆𑨬𑨳 | |
|---|---|
![]() | |
| Script type | |
| Creator | Zanabazar |
Time period | unknown |
| Direction | Left-to-right |
| Languages | Mongolian, Tibetan, Sanskrit |
| Related scripts | |
Parent systems | |
| ISO 15924 | |
| ISO 15924 | Zanb (339), Zanabazar Square (Zanabazarin Dörböljin Useg, Xewtee Dörböljin Bicig, Horizontal Square Script) |
| Unicode | |
Unicode alias | Zanabazar Square |
| |
The theorised Semitic origins of the Brahmi script are not universally agreed upon. | |
| Brahmic scripts |
|---|
| The Brahmi script and its descendants |
It was re-discovered in 1801 and the script's applications during its using period are not known, read left to right, and employed vowel diacritics above and below the consonant letters.[1]
Letters
Vowels

| Type | Letter | Name | XML entity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vowel | 𑨀 | A | 𑨀 | |
| Vowel sign | 𑨁 | I | 𑨁 | |
| 𑨂 | UE | 𑨂 | ||
| 𑨃 | U | 𑨃 | ||
| 𑨄 | E | 𑨄 | ||
| 𑨅 | OE | 𑨅 | ||
| 𑨆 | O | 𑨆 | ||
| 𑨇 | AI | 𑨇 | or '-I' | |
| 𑨈 | AU | 𑨈 | or '-U' | |
| 𑨉 | REVERSED I | 𑨉 | for Sanskrit | |
| Vowel length mark | 𑨊 | VOWEL LENGTH MARK | 𑨊 |
Consonants

| Letter | Name | XML entity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 𑨋 | KA | 𑨋 | |
| 𑨌 | KHA | 𑨌 | |
| 𑨍 | GA | 𑨍 | |
| 𑨎 | GHA | 𑨎 | |
| 𑨏 | NGA | 𑨏 | |
| 𑨐 | CA | 𑨐 | |
| 𑨑 | CHA | 𑨑 | |
| 𑨒 | JA | 𑨒 | |
| 𑨓 | NYA | 𑨓 | |
| 𑨔 | TTA | 𑨔 | |
| 𑨕 | TTHA | 𑨕 | |
| 𑨖 | DDA | 𑨖 | |
| 𑨗 | DDHA | 𑨗 | |
| 𑨘 | NNA | 𑨘 | |
| 𑨙 | TA | 𑨙 | |
| 𑨚 | THA | 𑨚 | |
| 𑨛 | DA | 𑨛 | |
| 𑨜 | DHA | 𑨜 | |
| 𑨝 | NA | 𑨝 | |
| 𑨞 | PA | 𑨞 | |
| 𑨟 | PHA | 𑨟 | |
| 𑨠 | BA | 𑨠 | or instead of non-initial 𑨭 VA |
| 𑨡 | BHA | 𑨡 | |
| 𑨢 | MA | 𑨢 | |
| 𑨣 | TSA | 𑨣 | |
| 𑨤 | TSHA | 𑨤 | |
| 𑨥 | DZA | 𑨥 | |
| 𑨦 | DZHA | 𑨦 | |
| 𑨧 | ZHA | 𑨧 | |
| 𑨨 | ZA | 𑨨 | |
| 𑨩 | -A | 𑨩 | Mongolian AANG, Tibetan A-CHUNG |
| 𑨪 | YA | 𑨪 | |
| 𑨫 | RA | 𑨫 | |
| 𑨬 | LA | 𑨬 | |
| 𑨭 | VA | 𑨭 | |
| 𑨮 | SHA | 𑨮 | |
| 𑨯 | SSA | 𑨯 | |
| 𑨰 | SA | 𑨰 | |
| 𑨱 | HA | 𑨱 | |
| 𑨲 | KSSA | 𑨲 |
Others

| Type | Letter | Name | XML entity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final consonant mark | 𑨳 | FINAL CONSONANT MARK | 𑨳 | |
| Virama | 𑨴 | VIRAMA | 𑨴 | for Sanskrit and Tibetan |
| Candrabindu | 𑨵 | CANDRABINDU | 𑨵 | |
| 𑨶 | CANDRABINDU WITH ORNAMENT | 𑨶 | often with 𑨿 | |
| 𑨷 | CANDRA WITH ORNAMENT | 𑨷 | often with 𑨿 | |
| Anusvara | 𑨸 | ANUSVARA | 𑨸 | for Sanskrit |
| Visarga | 𑨹 | VISARGA | 𑨹 | for Sanskrit |
| Cluster Letters | 𑨺 | CLUSTER-INITIAL LETTER RA | 𑨺 | for Tibetan, initial form of 𑨫 |
| 𑨻 | CLUSTER-FINAL LETTER YA | 𑨻 | for Tibetan, final form of 𑨪 | |
| 𑨼 | CLUSTER-FINAL LETTER RA | 𑨼 | for Tibetan, final form of 𑨫 | |
| 𑨽 | CLUSTER-FINAL LETTER LA | 𑨽 | for Tibetan, final form of 𑨬 | |
| 𑨾 | CLUSTER-FINAL LETTER VA | 𑨾 | for Tibetan, final form of 𑨭 | |
| Head Mark | 𑨿 | INITIAL HEAD MARK | 𑨿 | |
| 𑩀 | CLOSING HEAD MARK | 𑩀 | ||
| Punctuation | 𑩁 | MARK TSHEG | 𑩁 | |
| 𑩂 | MARK SHAD | 𑩂 | ||
| 𑩃 | MARK DOUBLE SHAD | 𑩃 | ||
| 𑩄 | MARK LONG TSHEG | 𑩄 | ||
| Head Mark | 𑩅 | INITIAL DOUBLE-LINED HEAD MARK | 𑩅 | |
| 𑩆 | DOUBLE-LINED HEAD MARK | 𑩆 | ||
| Subjoiner | 𑩇 | SUBJOINER | 𑩇 | for producing consonant conjuncts |
Unicode
"Zanabazar Square" has been included in the Unicode Standard since the release of Unicode version 10.0 in June 2017. The Zanabazar Square block contains 72 characters.[4]
The Unicode block for Zanabazar Square is U+11A00–U+11A4F:
| Zanabazar Square[1][2] Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF) | ||||||||||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | |
| U+11A0x | 𑨀 | 𑨁 | 𑨂 | 𑨃 | 𑨄 | 𑨅 | 𑨆 | 𑨇 | 𑨈 | 𑨉 | 𑨊 | 𑨋 | 𑨌 | 𑨍 | 𑨎 | 𑨏 |
| U+11A1x | 𑨐 | 𑨑 | 𑨒 | 𑨓 | 𑨔 | 𑨕 | 𑨖 | 𑨗 | 𑨘 | 𑨙 | 𑨚 | 𑨛 | 𑨜 | 𑨝 | 𑨞 | 𑨟 |
| U+11A2x | 𑨠 | 𑨡 | 𑨢 | 𑨣 | 𑨤 | 𑨥 | 𑨦 | 𑨧 | 𑨨 | 𑨩 | 𑨪 | 𑨫 | 𑨬 | 𑨭 | 𑨮 | 𑨯 |
| U+11A3x | 𑨰 | 𑨱 | 𑨲 | 𑨳 | 𑨴 | 𑨵 | 𑨶 | 𑨷 | 𑨸 | 𑨹 | 𑨺 | 𑨻 | 𑨼 | 𑨽 | 𑨾 | 𑨿 |
| U+11A4x | 𑩀 | 𑩁 | 𑩂 | 𑩃 | 𑩄 | 𑩅 | 𑩆 | 𑩇 | ||||||||
| Notes | ||||||||||||||||
References
- Pandey, Anshuman (2015-12-03). "L2/15-337: Proposal to Encode the Zanabazar Square Script in ISO/IEC 10646" (PDF). ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2.
- Shagdarsürüng, Tseveliin (2001). ""Study of Mongolian Scripts (Graphic Study or Grammatology). Enl."". Bibliotheca Mongolica: Monograph 1.
- Bareja-Starzyńska, Agata; Byambaa Ragchaa (2012). ""Notes on the Pre-existences of the First Khalkha Jetsundampa Zanabazar according to His Biography Written in the Horizontal Square Script."". Rocznik Orientalistyczny 1.
- "Unicode 10.0.0". Unicode Consortium. June 20, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
