Page:A Grammar of the Sanskrit Language - Lorenz Franz Kielhorn (1st edition).djvu/22

 THE LETTERS. 1. — The Devanâgarî Alphabet

§ 1. The Devanâgarî alphabet consists of the following letters : —

(a) 13 vowel-signs :— अ a, आ â, इ i, ई î, उ u, ऊ û, ऋ ṛi, ॠ ṛî , ऌ ḷi, ए e, ऐ ai, ओ o, औ au.

(b) 33 syllabic signs for the various consonants, each followed by the vowel a : —

(c) Two signs for two nasal sonnds, viz. Anusvâra, denoted by ं, i.e. a dot placed above the letter after which Anusvâra is pronounced (e.g. अंस aṁsa), and Anunâsika, denoted by ँ, i.e, a dot within a semi- circle placed above the letter after which Anunâsika is pronounced ; and. one sign for a strong spirant called Visarga, denoted by ः, i.e. two vertical dots placed after the letter after which Visarga is pronounced (e.g, गजः gajaha).

§ 2. (a) The vowel-signs in § 1 (a) denote only such vowels as are not preceded by a consonant in the same sentence or verse, i.e. they