Gujarâtî
An Indo-Aryan language spoken by about 46 million people in the Indian states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, and also in Australia, Bangladesh, Fiji, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Oman, Pakistan, Réunion, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Origin
The Gujarâtî script was adapted from the Devanâgarî script to write the Gujarâtî language. The earliest known document in the Gujarâtî script is a manuscript dating from 1592, and the script first appeared in print in a 1797 advertisement.Notable Features
- Until the 19th century it was used mainly for writing letters and keeping accounts, while the Devanâgarî script was used for literature and academic writings.
- The Gujarâtî script is also known as the úarâphi (banker's), vâ(banker's), ṇiâúâi (merchant's) or mahâjani (trader's) script.
- Gujarâtî is a syllabic alphabet in that consonants all have an inherent vowel.
- Vowels can be written as independent letters, or by using a variety of diacritical marks which are written above, below, before or after the consonant they belong to.
Learn More
Enjoy the Music
- 24hr online radio station playing Gujarati music. Various genres from satsang to popular.