ࡀ
a or aː vowel. 085A can be used below this letter in educational materials to clarify that the sound should be a, rather than ɔ, eg.
ࡀࡌࡀࡉ
ࡑࡅࡁࡀࡄ
ࡑࡅࡁࡀ࡚ࡄ
ɔ or ɔː vowel, eg.
ࡀࡄࡀ
ࡀࡋࡐࡀ
Standalone vowel
When word-initial this letter does not need a carrier, eg.
ࡀࡐࡀࡉࡍ
`, '\u{0841}': `ࡁ
b consonant.
ࡁࡀࡁࡉࡋ
v consonant, generally between or following vowels such as e or i.h,52
ࡒࡀࡁࡉࡃ
w consonant, typically in the vicinity of u, o, or ɔ.
ࡁoࡁo
`, '\u{0842}': `ࡂ
ɡ consonant.
ࡂࡀࡐࡀ
ʁ consonant. ࡂ࡙ can be used in educational materials to indicate this pronunciation, eg.
ࡂࡀࡑࡍࡀ
ࡂ࡙ࡀࡑࡍࡀ
`, '\u{0843}': `ࡃ
d consonant.
ࡍࡅࡃࡀ
ð non-native consonant (not common). ࡃ࡙ can be used in educational materials to indicate this pronunciation.
`, '\u{0844}': `
ࡄ
h consonant.
ࡄࡀࡁࡔࡀࡁࡀ
ħ in loan words from Arabic and Persian. ࡄ࡙ can be used in educational materials to indicate this pronunciation, eg.
ࡄࡀࡔࡉࡔ
ࡄ࡙ࡀࡔࡉࡔ
`, '\u{0845}': `ࡅ
u or uː vowel, eg.
ࡏࡉࡄࡋࡅ
o or oː vowel. 085A can be used in educational materials to indicate this pronunciation, eg.
ࡉࡅࡌࡀ
ࡉࡅ࡚ࡌࡀ
ࡍࡅࡃࡀ
w consonant (not common) or semi-vowel, eg.
ࡊࡀࡅࡊࡀ
ࡊࡀࡊࡅࡀ
Standalone vowel
When used at the start of a word this letter is preceded by a silent ࡏ, eg.
ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡀ
ࡏࡅࡓࡅࡐࡕࡀ
`, '\u{0846}': `ࡆ
z consonant, eg.
ࡆࡀࡓࡅࡀࡍ
ࡂࡉࡍࡆࡀ
ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ
`, '\u{0847}': `ࡇ
iːw or ħuu Only appears at the end of personal names or at the end of words to indicate the third person singular suffix.
`, '\u{0848}': `ࡈ
tˤ consonant.
ࡈࡀࡁ
ðˤ non-native consonant. ࡈ࡙ can be used in educational materials to indicate this pronunciation.
`, '\u{0849}': `
ࡉ
i or ɪ or iː vowel.
ࡄࡀࡔࡉࡔ
ࡌࡉࡑࡓࡀ
ࡔࡉࡕࡀ
e or ɛ vowel. ࡉ࡚ can be used in educational materials to indicate this pronunciation, eg.
ࡐࡉࡓࡔࡀ
ࡔࡉࡃࡕࡀ
ࡔࡉ࡚ࡃࡕࡀ
j consonant.
ࡉࡀࡄࡓࡀ
When the consonant follows a vowel at the end of a syllable the two may form a diphthongh,56, eg.
ࡀࡌࡀࡉ
ࡎࡉࡍࡀࡉ
Standalone vowel
At the beginning of a word, this letter is written ࡏࡉ, eg.
ࡏࡉࡍࡀ
ࡏࡉࡍࡂࡋࡉࡆࡉࡀ
ࡏࡉࡄࡋࡅ
Combinations
iː is ࡉࡀ at the end of a word. Word-finally, this sound may also be written ࡏ.
ࡔࡀࡐࡋࡉࡀ
ࡔࡀࡉࡉࡀ
Inside a word, if two of these characters would appear together, they can be replaced by ࡏ [U+084F MANDAIC LETTER IN]. That character is also preferred to represent e when it follows a consonant with a point below the baseline, ie. ࡊ ࡍ ࡐ ࡑ `, '\u{084A}': `
ࡊ
k consonant.
ࡌࡀࡋࡊࡀ
ࡀࡊࡀ
χ consonant. ࡄ࡙ can be used in educational materials to indicate this pronunciation, eg.
ࡊࡉࡌࡀ ࡀࡊࡕࡉࡊ
ࡊࡀࡊࡅࡀ
ࡊࡀࡊ࡙ࡅࡀ
`, '\u{084B}': `ࡋ
l consonant (may be devoiced after a voiceless consonant).
ࡋࡀࡄࡌࡀࡋ
ࡊࡋࡀࡕࡀ
`, '\u{084C}': `
ࡌ
m consonant.
ࡌࡉࡑࡓࡀ
ࡀࡌࡀࡉ
`, '\u{084D}': `
ࡍ
n consonant.
ࡍࡅࡃࡀ
ŋ before a velar consonant.h,54
ࡏࡉࡍࡂࡋࡉࡆࡉࡀ
`, '\u{084E}': `
ࡎ
s consonant.
ࡎࡀࡒࡀࡕ
ࡌࡅࡒࡃࡀࡎ
ࡍࡉࡎࡓࡀࡕ
`, '\u{084F}': `ࡏ
e when used alone at the start of a word.
It is also used with vowel characters or on its own to form vowels, in ways that are sometimes similar to the use of AIN in other writing systems, including the following situations:
silently before ࡉ [U+0849 MANDAIC LETTER AKSA] and ࡅ [U+0845 MANDAIC LETTER USHENNA] for word-initial i and u, respectively.
ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡀ
ࡏࡉࡍࡀ
ࡐ
p consonant.
ࡐࡉࡓࡔࡀ
ࡂࡀࡐࡀ
f consonant. ࡃ࡙ can be used in educational materials to indicate this pronunciation.
ࡀࡋࡐࡀ
ࡔࡀࡐࡕࡀ
ࡔࡀࡐ࡙ࡕࡀ
`, '\u{0851}': `
ࡑ
sˤ consonant (sometimes reduced to s).
ࡑࡅࡁࡀࡄ
ࡂࡀࡑࡍࡀ
ʒ in some non-native words. ࡃ࡙ can be used in educational materials to indicate this pronunciation.
`, '\u{0852}': `
ࡒ
q consonant.
ࡒࡀࡌࡉࡕ
ࡎࡀࡒࡀࡕ
ࡖࡍࡐࡀࡒࡕ
`, '\u{0853}': `ࡓ
r consonant.
ࡓࡀࡁࡀ
ࡏࡅࡓࡅࡐࡕࡀ
ࡐࡉࡓࡔࡀ
ɹ in word-internal and syllable-final positions.h,55
ࡊࡀࡓࡎࡉࡀ
`, '\u{0854}': `
ࡔ
ʃ consonant.
ࡔࡀࡐࡕࡀ
ࡐࡉࡓࡔࡀ
ࡄࡀࡔࡉࡔ
t͡ʃ consonant (not common in native words). ࡔ࡙ can be used in educational materials to indicate this pronunciation.
ࡔࡉࡍ
ࡔ࡙ࡉࡍ
d͡ʒ in some loan words.
ࡔࡉࡄࡉࡋ
`, '\u{0855}': `
ࡕ
t consonant.
ࡕࡉࡁࡉࡋ
ࡔࡉࡃࡕࡀ
ࡎࡀࡒࡀࡕ
θ consonant. ࡕ࡙ can be used in educational materials to indicate this pronunciation.
ࡔࡉࡕࡀ
ࡔࡉࡕ࡙ࡀ
`, '\u{0856}': `ࡖ
di Ligature with a morphemic function, being used to write the relative pronoun and genitive exponent ḏ-. It is counted as a letter of the alphabet, and is usually written at the beginning of a word or alone.e,2
ࡖࡍࡐࡀࡒࡕ
ࡖࡎࡉࡍࡀ
It was derived from a digraph of ࡃ+ࡉ [U+0843 MANDAIC LETTER AD + U+0849 MANDAIC LETTER AKSA].
`, '\u{0857}': `ࡗ
kḏi Ligature, written alone,e to represent the word
ࡗ
It was derived from a digraph of ࡊ+ࡖ [U+084A MANDAIC LETTER AK + U+0856 MANDAIC LETTER DUSHENNA]e,2.
Unicode 13 changed the joining properties. Previously it didn't join on either side. Now it joins to the right. It is actually possible to find examples of the former that do join, and other examples (sometimes in the same paragraph) that do not join. To prevent joining, 200C should be used.aas
`, '\u{0858}': `ࡘ
ʕ Borrowed from ع [U+0639 ARABIC LETTER AIN] to represent the Arabic sound.e,3
Unicode 13 changed the joining properties. Previously it didn't join on either side. Now it joins to the right. It is actually possible to find examples of the former that do join, and other examples (sometimes in the same paragraph) that do not join. To prevent joining, 200C should be used.aas
`, '\u{0859}': `࡙
Used in teaching materials to disambiguate the sound of a consonant. Uses include the following:u
| Indicated sound | Sequence | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| f | ࡐ࡙ | ࡐ p f |
| θ | ࡕ࡙ | ࡕ t θ |
| ð | ࡃ࡙ | ࡃ d ð |
| ðˤ | ࡈ࡙ | ࡈ tˤ ðˤ |
| t͡ʃ | ࡔ࡙ | ࡔ ʃ t͡ʃ |
| ʒ | ࡑ࡙ | ࡑ sˤ ʒ |
| χ | ࡊ࡙ | ࡊ k χ |
| ʁ | ࡂ࡙ | ࡂ ɡ ʁ |
| ħ | ࡄ࡙ | ࡄ h ħ |
࡚
Used in teaching materials to disambiguate the sound of a vowel:
o is indicated when used with ࡅ [U+0845 MANDAIC LETTER USHENNA], eg. compare ࡁࡅ bu ࡁࡅ࡚ bo
e when used with ࡉ [U+0849 MANDAIC LETTER AKSA], eg. compare ࡁࡉ bi ࡁࡉ࡚ be
a when used with ࡀ [U+0840 MANDAIC LETTER HALQA], eg. compare ࡁࡀ bɔ ࡁࡀ࡚ ba
`, '\u{085B}': `࡛
Indicates gemination of a consonant (referred to by native writers as 'hard' pronunciation), eg.
ࡋࡉࡁ࡛ࡀ
ࡔࡉࡍ࡛ࡀ
`, '\u{085E}': `࡞
Used to start and end text sections.
Also used in colophons (historical lay text added to religious text) where it is typically displayed in a smaller size.
`, // Arabic '\u{060C}': `،
Comma.
`, '\u{061B}': `؛
Semi-colon.
`, '\u{061F}': `؟
Question mark.
`, '\u{FD3E}': `﴾
Ornate parentheses. For example:
ࡓࡄࡑ ࡀࡊࡅࡀࡕ ࡐࡀࡑࡀࡒࡀ ࡖ ࡊࡍࡉࡔࡅࡕࡀ ࡂࡀࡅࡀࡍࡀࡕࡀ ﴿217﴾ ࡀ ﴿ࡃ-3﴾ ࡌࡀࡊࡅࡕࡅࡁࡅࡀࡍࡀ 10 ࡌࡍ ࡊࡀࡍࡅࡍ 1.`, '\u{FD3F}': `
﴿
Ornate parentheses. For example:
ࡓࡄࡑ ࡀࡊࡅࡀࡕ ࡐࡀࡑࡀࡒࡀ ࡖ ࡊࡍࡉࡔࡅࡕࡀ ࡂࡀࡅࡀࡍࡀࡕࡀ ﴿217﴾ ࡀ ﴿ࡃ-3﴾ ࡌࡀࡊࡅࡕࡅࡁࡅࡀࡍࡀ 10 ࡌࡍ ࡊࡀࡍࡅࡍ 1.`, '\u{002E}': `
.
Sentence terminator.
`, '\u{00AB}': `«
for the keyboard
`, '\u{00BB}': `»
for the keyboard
`, '\u{0640}': `ـ
Punctuation.
Used to extend baselines when justifying text in fixed layouts. In web pages or other contexts where line width may change or edits may be made to paragraphs, this character is not helpful, since the locations where it is used will all need to be recalibrated after any change.
`, // zwnj '\u{200C}': `
Zero-width non-joiner (ZWNJ).
An invisible character, that prevents two adjacent letters forming a visual connection with each other when rendered. Especially useful for educational illustrations, but also has real-world applications.
It is used to interrupt the shaping of joining glyphs in cursive scripts, and also used to manage the visual interactions of glyphs in other scripts, eg. to prevent the formation of conjuncts, position diacritics, etc.
More details:
`, }