In a cursory look, the Devanāgarī script appears different from other Indic scripts, such as Bengali-Assamese or Gurmukhi, but a closer examination reveals they are very similar except for angles and structural emphasis. It is written from left to right, has a strong preference for symmetrical rounded shapes within squared outlines, and is recognisable by a horizontal line, known as a शिरोरेखा śirorekhā, that runs along the top of full letters. Unlike the Latin alphabet, the script has no concept of letter case. The orthography of this script reflects the pronunciation of the language.
The Devanāgarī script, composed of 48 primary characters, including 14 vowels and 34 consonants, is the fourth most widely adopted writing system in the world, being used for over 120 languages. It was developed and in regular use by the 7th century CE and achieved its modern form by 1000 CE. It is one of the official scripts of the Republic of India and Nepal. Devanāgarī or Devanagari ( / ˌ d eɪ v ə ˈ n ɑː ɡ ər i/ DAY-və- NAH-gər-ee देवनागरी, IAST: Devanāgarī, Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nāgarī ( Sanskrit: नागरी, Nāgarī), is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the ancient Brāhmī script, used in the northern Indian subcontinent.
