Writing Malayalam words using Baraha transliteration scheme is as easy as writing our names in English. For example, കേരള രാജ്യം മനോഹരമാണ് can be written as kEraLa rAjyaM manOharamAN. The transliteration rules are shown below with examples.
Vowel:
അ=a, ആ=A,aa, ഇ=i, ഈ=I,ee, ഉ=u, ഊ=U,oo, ഋ=Ru, ൠ=RU, എ=e, ഏ=E, ഐ=ai, ഒ=o, ഓ=O, ഔ=au,ou
ം = M
ഃ = H
Consonant:
ക്=k, ഖ്=K,kh, ഗ്=g, ഘ്=G,gh, ങ്=~g
ച്=c,ch, ഛ്=C,Ch, ജ്=j, ഝ്=J,jh, ഞ്=~j
ട്=T, ഠ്=Th, ഡ്=D, ഢ്=Dh, ണ്=N
ത്=t, ഥ്=th, ദ്=d, ധ്=dh, ന്=n
പ്=p, ഫ്=P,ph, ബ്=b, ഭ്=B,bh, മ്=m
യ്=y,Y, ര്=r, റ്=rx, ല്=l, വ്=v,w, ശ്=S,sh, ഷ്=Sh, സ്=s, ഹ്=h,~h, ള്=L, ഴ്=zh,Lx
Others:
ऽ (avagraha) = &
Zero Width Joiner = ^
Zero Width Non Joiner = ^^
Punctuation Marks:
The English symbols [ ] { } ( ) - + * / = | ; : . , " ? ! % \ ~ _ will translate into the same symbols in Malayalam 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.
|
Example: ~~ = ~ ~@ = @ ~# = # ~$ = $ ~& = & ~^ = ^ ~g = ങ് ~j = ഞ് ~h = ഹ് |
When a consonant character is used alone, it results in a dead consonant (mula vyanjana).
|
Example k, c, T, t, p - ക്, ച്, ട്, ത്, പ് N, n, r, l, L - ണ്, ന്, ര്, ല്, ള് |
When a consonant character is followed by a vowel character, it results in a live consonant.
|
ka kA ki kI ku kU kRu kRU ke kE kai ko kO kau kaM kaH ക കാ കി കീ കു കൂ കൃ കൠ കെ കേ കൈ കൊ കോ കൗ കം കഃ pashu pAl tarunnu. പശു പാല് തരുന്നു. sahAyaM ceytavare marxakkarutu^. സഹായം ചെയ്തവരെ മറക്കരുതു. |
‘ഹ’ consonant can be written in two ways; 'h' and '~h'. If you want to apply a ‘ഹ’ half consonant to consonants such as 'k', 'g', 't', 'd', etc, you have to use '~h' instead of of 'h'.
|
Example: bakkiMghAm = ബക്കിംഘാമ് bakkiMg~hAm = ബക്കിംഗ്ഹാമ് |
ZWJ, ZWNJ characters:
^ = ZWJ (zero width joiner)
^^ = ZWNJ (zero width non joiner)
If ZWJ comes after N,n,r,l,L consonants, we get the chillu forms.
|
Example: N, n, r, l, L - ണ്, ന്, ര്, ല്, ള് N^, n^, r^, l^, L^ - ണ്, ന്, ര്, ല്, ള്
janma - ജന്മ jan^ma - ജന്മ jan^^ma - ജന്മ |
When ZWJ comes after the 'u' vowel sign, a chandrakkala symbol is added on the top of the 'u' vowel sign. [Note: Malayalam linguists deny the use of chandrakkala symbol with vowel signs. But, such usage can be found even today.]
|
Example: nUr - നൂര് nUru - നൂരു nUru^ - നൂരു
vIT - വീട് vITu - വീടു vITu^ - വീടു |
If a dead consonant is required in the middle of a word, the ZWNJ character should be used after the consonant.
|
Example: satsaMgaM - സത്സംഗം sat^^saMgaM - സത്സംഗം
sAPTwEr - സാഫ്ട്വേര് sAPT^^wEr - സാഫ്ട്വേര് |
If two English characters are making one Malayalam vowel (ex: ai, ou), then, ZWNJ character can be used to separate them into different vowels.
|
Example: iMDiyainPo = ഇംഡിയൈന്ഫൊ iMDiya^^inPo = ഇംഡിയഇന്ഫൊ |