Writing Kannada words using Baraha transliteration scheme is as easy as writing our names in English. For example, ಚೆಲುವ ಕನ್ನಡ ನಾಡು can be written as cheluva kannaDa nADu. The transliteration rules are shown below with examples.
Vowel:
ಅ=a, ಆ=A,aa, ಇ=i, ಈ=I,ee, ಉ=u, ಊ=U,oo, ಋ=Ru, ೠ=RU, ಎ=e, ಏ=E, ಐ=ai, ಒ=o, ಓ=O, ಔ=au,ou
ಂ = M
ಃ = H
Consonant:
ಕ್=k, ಖ್=K,kh, ಗ್=g, ಘ್=G,gh, ಙ್=~g
ಚ್=c,ch, ಛ್=C,Ch, ಜ್=j, ಝ್=J,jh, ಞ್=~j
ಟ್=T, ಠ್=Th, ಡ್=D, ಢ್=Dh, ಣ್=N
ತ್=t, ಥ್=th, ದ್=d, ಧ್=dh, ನ್=n
ಪ್=p, ಫ್=P,ph, ಬ್=b, ಭ್=B,bh, ಮ್=m
ಯ್=y,Y, ರ್=r,R, ಱ್=rx, ಲ್=l, ವ್=v,w, ಶ್=S,sh, ಷ್=Sh, ಸ್=s, ಹ್=h,~h, ಳ್=L, ೞ್=Lx
Others:
ಆ = ~A
ಫ಼್ = f,Px
ಜ಼್ = z,jx
ಽ (avagraha) = &
಼ (nukta) = x
Zero Width Joiner = ^
Zero Width Non Joiner = ^^
Punctuation Marks:
The English symbols [ ] { } ( ) - + * / = | ; : . , " ? ! % \ ~ _ translate into the same symbols in Kannada also.
Quotation Marks:
` ' characters are converted to single smart quotes (‘ ’) characters. We can get double smart quotes (“ ”) by using them twice.
~ Usage:
'~' character when used with other characters form a different character as shown below.
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Example: ~~ = ~ ~A = ಆ ~@ = @ ~# = # ~$ = $ ~& = & ~^ = ^ ~g = ಙ್ ~j = ಞ್ ~h = ಹ್ |
When a consonant character is used alone, it results in a dead consonant (mula vyanjana).
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Example k, c, T, t, p - ಕ್, ಚ್, ಟ್, ತ್, ಪ್ |
When a consonant character is followed by a vowel character, it results in a live consonant (gunitakshara).
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Example ka kA ki kI ku kU kRu kRU ke kE kai ko kO kau kaM kaH ಕ ಕಾ ಕಿ ಕೀ ಕು ಕೂ ಕೃ ಕೄ ಕೆ ಕೇ ಕೈ ಕೊ ಕೋ ಕೌ ಕಂ ಕಃ kUDi bALONa. sEri duDiyONa. ಕೂಡಿ ಬಾಳೋಣ. ಸೇರಿ ದುಡಿಯೋಣ. |
When two or more consecutive consonants appear in the input, they make a consonant conjunct. The first consonant takes the full form and the following consonants become half consonants.
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Example: rAjkumAr - ರಾಜ್ಕುಮಾರ್ sAfTwEr - ಸಾಫ಼್ಟ್ವೇರ್ |
`ಹ' consonant can be written in two ways; 'h' and '~h'. If you want to apply a `ಹ' half consonant to consonants such as 'k', 'g', 't', 'd', etc, you have to use '~h' instead of of 'h'.
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Example: bakkiMghAm = ಬಕ್ಕಿಂಘಾಮ್ bakkiMg~hAm = ಬಕ್ಕಿಂಗ್ಹಾಮ್ |
`ರ' consonant can be written in two ways; 'r' and 'R'. If 'r' comes in the beginning of a consonant conjunct, it forms the Arkavottu(ð). If 'R' used instead, it forms a `ರ' consonant.
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Example: karma = ಕರ್ಮ kaRma = ಕರ್ಮ ryAMk = ರ್ಯಾಂಕ್ RyAMk = ರ್ಯಾಂಕ್ |
But, if 'r' is followed by another 'r', then `ರ' half consonant is used instead of the Arkavottu
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Example: karrage = ಕರ್ರಗೆ karRage = ಕರ್ರ್ಅಗೆ |
ZWJ, ZWNJ characters:
^ = ZWJ (zero width joiner)
^^ = ZWNJ (zero width non joiner)
In Baraha Kannada transliteration, ZWJ is used only in one case. Normally, if 'r' comes in the beginning of a consonant conjunct, it forms the Arkavottu(ð). But, if ZWJ character immediately follows 'r' then it forms a `ರ' consonant. (Note that 'R' is equivalent to 'r^'.)
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Example: sUrya - ಸೂರ್ಯ sUr^ya (sURya) - ಸೂರ್ಯ |
If a dead consonant is required in the middle of a word, the ZWJ or ZWNJ character should be used after the consonant.
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Example: rAjkumAr - ರಾಜ್ಕುಮಾರ್ rAj^kumAr - ರಾಜ್ಕುಮಾರ್ rAj^^kumAr - ರಾಜ್ಕುಮಾರ್
sAPTwEr - ಸಾಫ್ಟ್ವೇರ್ sAPT^wEr - ಸಾಫ್ಟ್ವೇರ್ sAPT^^wEr - ಸಾಫ್ಟ್ವೇರ್ |
If two English characters are making one Kannada vowel (ex: ai, ou), then, ZWJ or ZWNJ character can be used to separate them into different vowels.
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Example: iMDiyainfo = ಇಂಡಿಯೈನ್ಫ಼ೊ iMDiya^info = ಇಂಡಿಯಇನ್ಫ಼ೊ |