Introduction

This page records the glyphs for Tai Tham characters in the font Da Lekh, and any other glyphs that may resonably be expected to appear in text. Punctuation of European origin is currently excluded.

The final row of each cell shows the Unicode encoding, and may also show the Pali transliteration (or Sanskrit transliteration in parentheses if the letter is not used for Pali) and the Northern Thai pronunciation. For consonants, the Northern Thai pronunciation is that of the consonant as an initial consonant. A dash indicates that the letter is not used for the corresponding language.

Consonants and Independent Vowels

Coverage

This section records the glyphs used for the consonants and independent vowels - code points U+1A20 to U+1A5E and also U+1A62, U+1A74 and U+1A7A, for the latter three may also function as consonants.

Basic forms

The overwhelming majority of Indic consonants could be organised into a table of 5 places of articulation and 7 different manners. However, the table was only complete for the oral and nasal stops. The original order was stops first, order by place of articulation and then manner of production, followed by the semivowels, and then the fricatives. This originally left U+1A49 TAI THAM LETTER HIGH HA as the exception. The letter was added for a distinctive allophone of in Pali and Vedic Sanskrit.

For Thai, additional letters were needed for fricatives that did not occur in Pali or Sanskrit. They were created by modifying existing letters. They were placed in the alphabet after the letters of which they were modifications. The Tai Tham script adopted most of these modifications.

The code point order of the consonants is based on that of Thai.

The table below has consolidated the columns for fricatives and the row for the Indic sibilants. It has similarly incorporated the semivowel row in the table. The 'column numbers' correspond to the traditional 5 Indic columns.

Indic Point
of Articulation
Column 1 Column 2 High
fricative
Column 3 Low
fricative
Column 4 Column 5 Semivowel
Velar
1A20kk
1A21kh
1A22-
1A23gk
1A24-
1A25gh
1A26ŋ
Palatal
1A27c
1A28chs
1A46(ś)s
1A29j
1A2A-s
1A2Bjhs
1A2Cñɲ
ᨿ
1A3Fyɲ
Retroflex 1
1A2Dt
1A2Eṭh
1A47(ṣ)s
1A2Fd
1A30ḍh
1A31n
2
1A41r*
Dental
1A32tt
1A33th
1A48ss
1A34dt
1A35dh
1A36nn
1A43ll
Labial
1A37pb
1A39ph
1A3A-f
1A3Bbp
1A3C-f
1A3Dbh
1A3Emm
1A45vw
Extras (not in vargas)
Added for Sanskrit
1A42(ṛ)lɤː
1A44(ḷ)lɤː
Original
1A49hh
1A4Al
Independent
Vowels
3
1A4Baʔa
ᩋᩣ 4
1A4B
1A63
āʔaː
1A4Diʔi
1A4Eīʔiː
1A4Fuʔu
1A50ūʔuː
1A51eʔeː
5
1A52oʔoː
Added for Tai languages
1A38-p
1A40-j
3
1A4Baʔ
1A4C-h
1A53-lɛː
  1. The Tai languages do not distinguish the retroflex and dental orders. However, some distinction is made between RA and LA. The inclusion of RA in the retroflex order is hard to justify phonetically, but is traditional.
  2. In initial position in Northern Thai, this consonant is pronounced /h/ in native words but /l/ in loanwords. It aspirates an immediately preceding unaspirated oral stop.
  3. Continental South East Asian Indic scripts reinterpreted the independent vowel as a consonant for the glottal stop followed by the implicit vowel. Consequently, U+1A4B TAI THAM LETTER A appears in the table twice, once in each rôle.
  4. As with most Indic scripts, the independent vowel ᩋᩣ is indistinguishable from the sequence of independent vowel plus dependent vowel  ‍ᩣ (originally the vowel length mark). To avoid confusion, it is not encoded separately, but is included in this table for completeness.
  5. Actually, ᩒ is not used in Northern Thai. The sequence ᩋᩰ is used instead.

Principal Subscript Forms

The following tables gives the coresponding principal subscript forms. Where there are contrasting subscript forms, this table gives the form used as the sakot consonant, i.e. to represent the phonetically final consonant of a syllable. The subscript forms are shown placed on the consonant LOW KA.

For several subscripts, there are wider forms for use under wide base consonants. These are not shown here.

Eight consonants traditionally do not occur in subscript form - U+1A22 HIGH KXA, U+1A24 LOW KXA, U+1A22 LOW SA, U+1A3A HIGH FA, U+1A3C LOW FA, U+1A38 HIGH PA, U+1A40 HIGH YA and U+1A4C LOW HA. For four of these I have, following the list of signs in the Maefahluang dictionary, interpreted the fricativisation mark as a combining mark. I have followed the same principle for U+1A60 LETTER UU. For U+1A3A, I have followed the analogies of U+1A39 and U+1A53 LAE. Other fonts try to squeeze that ascending flourish beneath the base consonant, which I feel is contrary to the aesthetic of the script.

Indic Point of Articulation Varga 1 Varga 2 High
fricative
Varga 3 Low
fricative
Varga 4 Varga 5 Semivowel
Velar
ᨣ᩠ᨠ
1A60 1A20
ᨣ᩠ᨡ
1A60 1A21
ᨣ᩠ᨢ
1A60 1A22
ᨣ᩠ᨣ
1A60 1A23
ᨣ᩠ᨤ
1A60 1A24
ᨣ᩠ᨥ
1A60 1A25
ᨣ᩠ᨦ
1A60 1A26
Palatal
ᨣ᩠ᨧ
1A60 1A27
ᨣ᩠ᨨ
1A60 1A28
ᨣ᩠ᩆ
1A60 1A46
ᨣ᩠ᨩ
1A60 1A29
ᨣ᩠ᨪ
1A60 1A2A
ᨣ᩠ᨫ
1A60 1A2B
ᨣ᩠ᨬ
1A60 1A2C
ᨣ᩠ᨿ
1A60 1A3F
Retroflex
ᨣ᩠ᨭ
1A60 1A2D
ᨣ᩠ᨮ
1A60 1A2E
ᨣ᩠ᩇ
1A60 1A47
ᨣ᩠ᨯ
1A60 1A2F
ᨣ᩠ᨰ
1A60 1A30
ᨣ᩠ᨱ
1A60 1A31
ᨣ᩠ᩁ
1A60 1A41
Dental
ᨣ᩠ᨲ
1A60 1A32
ᨣ᩠ᨳ
1A60 1A33
ᨣ᩠ᩈ
1A60 1A48
ᨣ᩠ᨴ
1A60 1A34
ᨣ᩠ᨵ
1A60 1A35
ᨣ᩠ᨶ
1A60 1A36
ᨣ᩠ᩃ
1A60 1A43
Labial
ᨣ᩠ᨷ
1A60 1A37
ᨣ᩠ᨹ
1A60 1A39
ᨣ᩠ᨺ
1A60 1A3A
ᨣ᩠ᨻ
1A60 1A3B
ᨣ᩠ᨼ
1A60 1A3C
ᨣ᩠ᨽ
1A60 1A3D
ᨣ᩠ᨾ
1A60 1A3E
ᨣ᩠ᩅ
1A60 1A45
Extras (not in vargas)
Added for Sanskrit
ᨣ᩠ᩂ
1A60 1A42
ᨣ᩠ᩄ
1A60 1A44
Original
ᨣ᩠ᩉ
1A60 1A49
ᨣ᩠ᩊ
1A60 1A4A
Independent
Vowels
ᨣ᩠ᩋ
1A60 1A4B
Unencoded
ᨣ᩠ᩍ
1A60 1A4D
ᨣ᩠ᩎ
1A60 1A4E
ᨣ᩠ᩏ
1A60 1A4F
ᨣ᩠ᩐ
1A60 1A50
ᨣ᩠ᩑ
1A60 1A51
ᨣ᩠ᩒ
1A60 1A52
Added for Tai
ᨣ᩠ᨸ
1A60 1A38
ᨣ᩠ᩀ
1A60 1A40
ᨣ᩠ᩋ
1A60 1A4B
ᨣ᩠ᩌ
1A60 1A4C
ᨣ᩠ᩓ
1A60 1A53
Control forms
ᨣ᩠
1A60Consonant stacker
ᨣ᩻
1A7BMark of two
ᨣ᩿
1A7FConsonant chanɡer

Compound Letters

The following compounds are commonly treated as letters in their own right:

ᩉ᩠ᨾ
1A49 1A60 1A3E-m
ᩉ᩠ᨶ
1A49 1A60 1A36-n
ᩉ᩠ᨿ
1A49 1A60 1A3F-ɲ
ᩉᩖ 1
1A49 1A56-l
ᩉ᩠ᩃ 1
1A49 1A60 1A43-l
ᩉ᩠ᩅ
1A49 1A60 1A45-w
ᩉ᩠ᨦ
1A49 1A60 1A26-ŋ
  1. These are competing forms.

Other forms

The subscript and superscript forms are shown written on ᨣ U+1A23 TAI THAM LETTER LOW KA, which is not shown in the encoding. Note that the 'geminate' of an aspirated consonant is a cluster of the corresponding unaspirated consonant followed by the aspirated consonant.

Base Coda subscript Other subscript Coda superscript Anomalous superscript Geminate Subscript geminate
1A20
ᨣ᩠ᨠ
1A60 1A20
ᨣᩢ
1A62
1A26
ᨣ᩠ᨦ
1A60 1A26
ᨣᩙ
1A59
ᨣᩘᨣ 1
1A58
1A2C
ᨣ᩠ᨬ
1A60 1A2C
ᨬ᩠ᨬ
1A2C 1A60 1A2C
1A2E
ᨣ᩠ᨮ
1A60 1A2E
ᨣᩛ
1A5B
ᨭᩛ
1A2D 1A5B
ᨣ᩠ᨭᩛ
1A60 1A2D 1A5B
2
1A2E
ᨣ᩠ᨮ 2
1A60 1A2E
ᨣᩛ
1A5B
ᨭᩛ
1A2D 1A5B
ᨣ᩠ᨭᩛ
1A60 1A2D 1A5B
1A37
ᨣ᩠ᨷ
1A60 1A37
ᨣᩝ
1A5D
1A3B
ᨣ᩠ᨻ
1A60 1A3B
ᨣᩛ
1A5B
ᨣᩚ
1A5A
ᨻᩛ
1A3B 1A5B
1A3E
ᨣ᩠ᨾ
1A60 1A3E
ᨣᩜ
1A5C
ᨣᩴ
1A74 3
ᨾᩜ
1A3E 1A5C
1A41
ᨣ᩠ᩁ
1A60 1A41
ᨣᩕ
1A55
ᨣ᩺
1A7A
1A43
ᨣ᩠ᩃ
1A60 1A43
ᨣᩖ
1A56
1A48
ᨣ᩠ᩈ
1A60 1A48
ᨣᩞ
1A5E 4
1A54
ᨣ᩠ᩔ
1A60 1A54
1A4C 5
ᨣ᩠ᩌ
1A60 1A4C 5
  1. U+1A58 TAI THAM SIGN MAI KANG LAI has two basic modes of behaviour. It can behave as a simple mark above, or behave like Burmese kinzi or a Devanagari repha and appear above the logically and phoneticially following consonant. The latter is the default mode in the Da Lekh font. It is therefore depicted in association with two instances of , the first as the logical base consonant, and the second as the consonant on which it appears.

    There is considerable variation in the shape of this character.

  2. Khün-Lü-style glyphs are used in this row - if your browser heeds the page's imprecations to use them.
  3. The association of this sign, U+1A74 TAI THAM SIGN MAI KANG, known as niggahita in Pali but as anusvāra in Sanskrit, and transliterated as for Pali, with /m/ as opposed to /ŋ/ is historical but weak. The sign also serves as a vowel, as in Lao.
  4. Anomalously, this sign, U+1A5E TAI THAM CONSONANT SIGN SA, is commonly used for the coda consonant.
  5. Lao-style glyphs are used in this row. This table is used as a convenient place to put them - they would not appear in this table if only Lao forms were shown on this page. There is a very good argument that the Lao glyph should be disunified, or alternatively that the Lao glyph should not be used for U+1A4C.

Consonant Ligatures

The following ligatures are supported or are under active consideration. Those of subscripts only are written on U+1A23 TAI THAM LETTER LOW KA, which is not shown in the encoding.

With base consonant
ᨶᩣ
1A36 1A63
ᨬ᩠ᨬ
1A2C 1A60 1A2C
ᨭᩛ
1A2D 1A5B
ᨱᩛ
1A31 1A5B
ᨻᩛ
1A3B 1A5B
ᨾᩛ
1A3E 1A5B
ᨾᩜ
1A3E 1A5C
ᩊ᩠ᩉ
1A4A 1A60 1A49
Again, Lao style
ᨶᩣ
1A36 1A63
ᨬ᩠ᨬ
1A2C 1A60 1A2C
ᨭᩛ
1A2D 1A5B
ᨱᩛ
1A31 1A5B
ᨻᩛ
1A3B 1A5B
ᨾᩛ
1A3E 1A5B
ᨾᩜ
1A3E 1A5C
ᩊ᩠ᩉ
1A4A 1A60 1A49
Base consonant not involved
ᨣ᩠ᨭᩛ
1A60 1A2D 1A5B
ᨣᩗ
1A57 1
ᨣ᩠ᨶ᩠ᩅ
1A60 1A36 1A60 1A45
ᨣ᩠ᨶᩬ
1A60 1A36 1A6C
ᨣ᩠ᨾ᩠ᩅ
1A60 1A3E 1A60 1A45
ᨣ᩠ᨾᩬ
1A60 1A3E 1A6C
ᨣ᩠ᩃ᩠ᨿ
1A60 1A43 1A60 1A3F
ᨣ᩠ᩃ᩠ᩅ
1A60 1A43 1A60 1A45
ᨣᩖ᩠ᩅ
1A56 1A60 1A45
ᨣ᩠ᩅ᩠ᨿ
1A60 1A45 1A60 1A3F
ᨣᩬ᩠ᨶ
1A6C 1A60 1A36
ᨣᩬ᩠ᨾ
1A6C 1A60 1A3E
ᨣᩬ᩠ᨿ
1A6C 1A60 1A3F
  1. U+1A57 TAI THAM CONSONANT SIGN LA TANG LAI is included here because it has been argued that it is a ligature of the subscript form of NGA and the subscript form of LA, as occur naturally in the spelling of 'tang lai' as a single, chained syllable.

Vowels and Tones

The vowels and tones are shown written on either U+1A20 TAI THAM LETTER HIGH KA or U+1A23 TAI THAM LETTER LOW KA, which is not shown in the encoding.

ᨣᩡ
1A61(ḥ)(a)ʔ
ᨣᩢ
1A62-a
ᨣᩣ
1A63ā
ᨣᩤ
1A64ā
ᨣᩥ
1A65ii
ᨣᩦ
1A66ī
ᨣᩧ
1A67-ɯ
ᨣᩨ
1A68-ɯː
ᨣᩩ
1A69uu
ᨣᩪ
1A6Aū
ᨣᩫ
1A6B-o
ᨣᩬ
1A6C-ɔː
ᨣᩭ 1
1A6D--
ᨣᩮ
1A6Ee
ᨣᩯ
1A6F-ɛː
ᨣᩰ
1A70-
ᨣᩱ
1A71(ai)ai
ᨣᩲ
1A72-ai
ᨣᩳ
1A73-au
ᨣᩴ
1A74ɔː
ᨣ᩵
1A75-*
ᨣ᩶
1A76-*
ᨣ᩷
1A77-*
ᨣ᩸ 2
1A78-*
ᨣ᩹
1A79-*
ᨣ᩺
1A7A (∅)
ᨣ᩼
1A7C(∅)
ᨣᩢ᩵
1A62 1A75-a
ᨣᩢ᩵᩶
1A62 1A75 1A76-a
ᨣᩢ᩶
1A62 1A76-a
ᨣᩢᩢ᩶
1A62 1A62 1A76-a
ᨠᩬ
1A6C-ɔː
ᨣ๊
0E4A-*
ᨣ๋
0E4B-*

* Tone contours are not shown.

  1. Phonetically, the vowel is equivalent to a ligature of <U+1A6C, U+1A60, U+1A3F>.
  2. During preparation of the proposals for the encoding of the script, it was decided that the functionally equivalent and rare tone mark glyphs known as ᨾᩱ᩶ᨡᩣᨸᩮ and ᨾᩱ᩶ᩈᩬᨦᩉ᩠ᨶᩮᩬᩦ should be treated as glyph variants of the same character. Da Lekh uses the former glyph; the Unicode Standard displays the latter.

Digits

Type 1  2   3  4  5   6  7   8  9  0 
Hora
1A81
1A82
1A83
1A84
1A85
1A86
1A87
1A88
1A89
1A80
Tham
1A91
1A92
1A93
1A94
1A95
1A96
1A97
1A98
1A99
1A90
Tham (Lao)
1A91
1A92
1A93
1A94
1A95
1A96
1A97
1A98
1A99
1A90

Punctuation and Symbols

This section records the non-European characters used in the Lanna writing systems. In Thailand, European punctuation has been borrowed from Thai, and it is likely that in China it will have been borrowed from Chinese, as in New Tai Lue.

1AA0
1AA1
1AA2
1AA3
1AA4
1AA5
1AA6
1AA7
1AA8
1AA9
1AAA
1AAB
1AAC
1AAD
0E4F
0E5B