Ya is a consonant of Indic abugidas. In modern Indic scripts, Ya is derived from the early "Ashoka" Brahmi letter after having gone through the Gupta letter .
Āryabhaṭa numeration
Aryabhata used Devanagari letters for numbers, very similar to the Greek numerals, even after the invention of Indian numerals. The values of the different forms of य are: य = 30 (३०) यि = 3,000 (३ ०००) यु = 300,000 (३ ०० ०००) यृ = 30,000,000 (३ ०० ०० ०००) यॢ = 3 (३×१०९) ये = 3 (३×१०११) यै = 3 (३×१०१३) यो = 3 (३×१०१५) यौ = 3 (३×१०१७)
Historic Ya There are three different general early historic scripts - Brahmi and its variants, Kharoṣṭhī, and Tocharian, the so-called slanting Brahmi. Ya as found in standard Brahmi, was a simple geometric shape, with variations toward more flowing forms by the Gupta . The Tocharian Ya did not have an alternate Fremdzeichen form. The third form of ya, in Kharoshthi () was probably derived from Aramaic separately from the Brahmi letter.
Brahmi Ya The Brahmi letter , Ya, is probably derived from the Aramaic Yodh , and is thus related to the modern Latin I and J and Greek Iota. Several identifiable styles of writing the Brahmi Ya can be found, most associated with a specific set of inscriptions from an artifact or diverse records from an historic period.Evolutionary chart, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol 7, 1838 As the earliest and most geometric style of Brahmi, the letters found on the Edicts of Ashoka and other records from around that time are normally the reference form for Brahmi letters, with vowel marks not attested until later forms of Brahmi back-formed to match the geometric writing style. +Brahmi Ya historic formsAshoka(3rd-1st c. BCE) Girnar(~150 BCE) Kushana(~150-250 CE) Gujarat(~250 CE) Gupta(~350 CE)
Tocharian Ya The Tocharian letter is derived from the Brahmi , but does not have an alternate Fremdzeichen form. +Tocharian Ya with vowel marks Ya Yā Yi Yī Yu Yū Yr Yr̄ Ye Yai Yo Yau Yä
Kharoṣṭhī Ya The Kharoṣṭhī letter is generally accepted as being derived from the Aramaic Yodh , and is thus related to I, J and Iota, in addition to the Brahmi Ya.
Devanagari Ya
Ya (य) is a consonant of the Devanagari abugida. It ultimately arose from the Brahmi letter , after having gone through the Gupta letter . Letters that derive from it are the Gujarati letter ય, and the Modi letter 𑘧.
Old Nepali Ya In old Nepali language texts, a specific nuqta like dot is added to this glyph in order to represent the [j], while the glyph by itself would be used to represent the [dz] sound that the modern Nepali letter ज makes. This style of the letter also continued once the letter ज was reintroducted into Nepali texts as well.
Devanagari-using Languages In all languages, य is pronounced as or when appropriate. Like all Indic scripts, Devanagari uses vowel marks attached to the base consonant to override the inherent /ə/ vowel: + Devanagari य with vowel marks Ya Yā Yi Yī Yu Yū Yr Yr̄ Yl Yl̄ Ye Yai Yo Yau Yययायियीयुयूयृयॄयॢयॣयेयैयोयौय्
Conjuncts with य
Devanagari exhibits conjunct ligatures, as is common in Indic scripts. In modern Devanagari texts, most conjuncts are formed by reducing the letter shape to fit tightly to the following letter, usually by dropping a character's vertical stem, sometimes referred to as a "half form". Some conjunct clusters are always represented by a true ligature, instead of a shape that can be broken into constituent independent letters. Vertically stacked conjuncts are ubiquitous in older texts, while only a few are still used routinely in modern Devanagari texts. The use of ligatures and vertical conjuncts may vary across languages using the Devanagari script, with Marathi in particular preferring the use of half forms where texts in other languages would show ligatures and vertical stacks.
Ligature conjuncts of य True ligatures are quite rare in Indic scripts. The most common ligated conjuncts in Devanagari are in the form of a slight mutation to fit in context or as a consistent variant form appended to the adjacent characters. Those variants include Na and the Repha and Rakar forms of Ra. Nepali and Marathi texts use the "eyelash" Ra half form for an initial "R" instead of repha. Repha र্ (r) + य (ya) gives the ligature rya:
Eyelash र্ (r) + य (ya) gives the ligature rya:
य্ (y) + न (na) gives the ligature yna:
य্ (y) + rakar र (ra) gives the ligature yra:
छ্ (ch) + य (ya) gives the ligature chya:
ढ্ (ḍʱ) + य (ya) gives the ligature ḍʱya:
ड্ (ḍ) + य (ya) gives the ligature ḍya:
द্ (d) + द্ (d) + य (ya) gives the ligature ddya:
द্ (d) + व্ (v) + य (ya) gives the ligature dvya:
द্ (d) + य (ya) gives the ligature dya:
ङ্ (ŋ) + य (ya) gives the ligature ŋya:
ष্ (ṣ) + ठ্ (ṭh) + य (ya) gives the ligature ṣṭhya:
ठ্ (ṭh) + य (ya) gives the ligature ṭhya:
Stacked conjuncts of य Vertically stacked ligatures are the most common conjunct forms found in Devanagari text. Although the constituent characters may need to be stretched and moved slightly in order to stack neatly, stacked conjuncts can be broken down into recognizable base letters, or a letter and an otherwise standard ligature. ग্ (g) + न্ (n) + य (ya) gives the ligature gnya:
ग্ (g) + र্ (r) + य (ya) gives the ligature grya:
ह্ (h) + य (ya) gives the ligature hya:
ज্ (j) + ज্ (j) + य (ya) gives the ligature jjya:
ङ্ (ŋ) + क্ (k) + ष্ (ṣ) + य (ya) gives the ligature ŋkṣya:
त্ (t) + र্ (r) + य (ya) gives the ligature trya:
ट্ (ṭ) + य (ya) gives the ligature ṭya:
य্ (y) + च (ca) gives the ligature yca:
य্ (y) + ड (ḍa) gives the ligature yḍa:
य্ (y) + ज (ja) gives the ligature yja:
य্ (y) + ज্ (j) + ञ (ña) gives the ligature yjña:
य্ (y) + ल (la) gives the ligature yla:
य্ (y) + ङ (ŋa) gives the ligature yŋa:
य্ (y) + ञ (ña) gives the ligature yña:
Bangla Ya The Bangla script য is derived from the Siddhaṃ , and is marked by a similar horizontal head line, but less geometric shape, than its Devanagari counterpart, य. Unlike most other Indic scripts and like Odia, the Bangla য is pronounced as a voiced postalveolar affricate (similar to the English "j" sound). The "y" sound is represented by the related letter য়. In addition to this, the inherent vowel of Bangla consonant letters is /ɔ/, so the bare letter য will sometimes be transliterated as "jo" instead of "ya". Adding o-kar, the "o" vowel mark, gives a reading of /dʒo/. Like all Indic consonants, য can be modified by marks to indicate another (or no) vowel than its inherent "a". + Bangla য with vowel marks ja jā ji jī ju jū jr jr̄ je jai jo jau jযযাযিযীযুযূযৃযৄযেযৈযোযৌয্
য in Bangla-using languages য is used as a basic consonant character in all of the major Bangla script orthographies, including Bangla and Assamese.
Conjuncts with য Bangla য exhibits conjunct ligatures, as is common in Indic scripts, with a tendency towards stacked ligatures.
Bangla Ya-phala
The letter য has a special form when used as the last letter of a conjunct called "Ya-phala" (or "Jô-fôla"). This reduced form of য is appended to the right of the preceding letter or conjunct, with vowel signs falling outside of the ya-phala as in most conjuncts. The use of a reduced Ya-phala is similar to the Ra-phala and Va-phala forms, which attach to the bottom of a letter or conjunct. Unlike these other reduced consonant forms, ya-phala can be appended to the independent A vowel character. In representing Bangla text on computer systems, the Zero-width joiner is used to suppress formation of ya-phala in certain contexts, as Hasant + Ya is realized as ya-phala by default. ভ্ (bh) + য (ya) gives the ligature bhya:
ব্ (b) + য (ya) gives the ligature bya:
চ্ (c) + য (ya) gives the ligature cya:
ঢ্ (ḍʱ) + য (ya) gives the ligature ḍʱya:
ড্ (ḍ) + য (ya) gives the ligature ḍya:
ধ্ (dʱ) + য (ya) gives the ligature dʱya:
দ্ (d) + র্ (r) + য (ya) gives the ligature drya, with ra phala in addition to ya phala:
দ্ (d) + য (ya) gives the ligature dya:
গ্ (g) + ধ্ (dʱ) + য (ya) gives the ligature gdʱya:
ঘ্ (ɡʱ) + য (ya) gives the ligature ɡʱya:
গ্ (g) + ন্ (n) + য (ya) gives the ligature gnya:
গ্ (g) + র্ (r) + য (ya) gives the ligature grya, with ra phala in addition to ya phala:
গ্ (g) + য (ya) gives the ligature gya:
জ্ (j) + য (ya) gives the ligature jya:
খ্ (kh) + য (ya) gives the ligature khya:
ক্ (k) + শ্ (ʃ) + ম্ (m) + য (ya) gives the ligature kʃmya:
ক্ (k) + ষ্ (ṣ) + য (ya) gives the ligature kṣya:
ক্ (k) + য (ya) gives the ligature kya:
ল্ (l) + ক্ (k) + য (ya) gives the ligature lkya:
ল্ (l) + য (ya) gives the ligature lya:
ম্ (m) + য (ya) gives the ligature mya:
ন্ (n) + ধ্ (dʱ) + য (ya) gives the ligature ndʱya:
ন্ (n) + দ্ (d) + য (ya) gives the ligature ndya:
ঙ্ (ŋ) + ঘ্ (ɡʱ) + য (ya) gives the ligature ŋɡʱya:
ঙ্ (ŋ) + গ্ (g) + য (ya) gives the ligature ŋgya:
ঙ্ (ŋ) + ক্ (k) + য (ya) gives the ligature ŋkya:
ণ্ (ṇ) + ড্ (ḍ) + য (ya) gives the ligature ṇḍya:
ণ্ (ṇ) + ঠ্ (ṭh) + য (ya) gives the ligature ṇṭhya:
ণ্ (ṇ) + য (ya) gives the ligature ṇya:
ন্ (n) + ত্ (t) + র্ (r) + য (ya) gives the ligature ntrya, with ra phala in addition to ya phala:
ন্ (n) + ত্ (t) + য (ya) gives the ligature ntya:
ন্ (n) + য (ya) gives the ligature nya:
প্ (p) + র্ (r) + য (ya) gives the ligature prya, with ra phala in addition to ya phala
প্ (p) + য (ya) gives the ligature pya:
র্ (r) + ব্ (b) + য (ya) gives the ligature rbya, with the repha prefix in addition to ya phala:
র্ (r) + চ্ (c) + য (ya) gives the ligature rcya, with repha and ya phala:
র্ (r) + ঢ্ (ḍʱ) + য (ya) gives the ligature rḍʱya, with repha and ya phala:
র্ (r) + ঘ্ (ɡʱ) + য (ya) gives the ligature rɡʱya, with repha and ya phala:
র্ (r) + গ্ (g) + য (ya) gives the ligature rɡya, with repha and ya phala:
র্ (r) + হ্ (h) + য (ya) gives the ligature rhya, with repha and ya phala:
র্ (r) + জ্ (j) + য (ya) gives the ligature rjya, with repha and ya phala:
র্ (r) + খ্ (kh) + য (ya) gives the ligature rkhya, with repha and ya phala:
র্ (r) + ক্ (k) + য (ya) gives the ligature rkya, with repha and ya phala:
র্ (r) + ম্ (m) + য (ya) gives the ligature rmya, with repha and ya phala:
র্ (r) + ণ্ (ṇ) + য (ya) gives the ligature rṇya, with repha and ya phala:
র্ (r) + শ্ (ʃ) + য (ya) gives the ligature rʃya, with repha and ya phala:
র্ (r) + ষ্ (ṣ) + য (ya) gives the ligature rṣya, with repha and ya phala:
র্ (r) + থ্ (th) + য (ya) gives the ligature rthya, with repha and ya phala:
র্ (r) + ত্ (t) + য (ya) gives the ligature rtya, with repha and ya phala:
শ্ (ʃ) + য (ya) gives the ligature ʃya:
ষ্ (ṣ) + ঠ্ (ṭh) + য (ya) gives the ligature ṣṭhya:
ষ্ (ṣ) + ট্ (ṭ) + য (ya) gives the ligature ṣṭya:
ষ্ (ṣ) + য (ya) gives the ligature ṣya:
স্ (s) + থ্ (th) + য (ya) gives the ligature sthya:
স্ (s) + ত্ (t) + য (ya) gives the ligature stya:
স্ (s) + য (ya) gives the ligature sya:
থ্ (th) + য (ya) gives the ligature thya:
ত্ (t) + ম্ (m) + য (ya) gives the ligature tmya:
ত্ (t) + র্ (r) + য (ya) gives the ligature trya, with the ra phala and ya phala suffixes
ট্ (ṭ) + য (ya) gives the ligature ṭya:
ত্ (t) + ত্ (t) + য (ya) gives the ligature ttya:
ত্ (t) + য (ya) gives the ligature tya:
য্ (y) + য (ya) gives the ligature yya:
Other conjuncts of য Ya-phala is almost universal, and its suppression generally only happens in order to express a repha on য instead. র্ (r) + য (ya) gives the ligature rya, with the repha prefix:
Gujarati Ya
Ya (ય) is the twenty-sixth consonant of the Gujarati abugida. It is derived from the Devanagari Ya with the top bar (shiro rekha) removed, and ultimately the Brahmi letter .
Gujarati-using Languages The Gujarati script is used to write the Gujarati and Kutchi languages. In both languages, ય is pronounced as or when appropriate. Like all Indic scripts, Gujarati uses vowel marks attached to the base consonant to override the inherent /ə/ vowel: