Ra is a consonant of Indic abugidas. In modern Indic scripts, Ra is derived from the early "Ashoka" Brahmi letter after having gone through the Gupta letter . Most Indic scripts have differing forms of Ra when used in combination with other consonants, including subjoined and repha forms. Some of these are encoded in computer text as separate characters, while others are generated dynamically using conjunct shaping with a virama.
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 र are: र = 40 (४०) रि = 4,000 (४ ०००) रु = 400,000 (४ ०० ०००) रृ = 40,000,000 (४ ०० ०० ०००) रॢ = 4 (४×१०९) रे = 4 (४×१०११) रै = 4 (४×१०१३) रो = 4 (४×१०१५) रौ = 4 (४×१०१७)
Historic Ra There are three different general early historic scripts - Brahmi and its variants, Kharoṣṭhī, and Tocharian, the so-called slanting Brahmi. Ra as found in standard Brahmi, , was a simple geometric shape, with variations toward more flowing forms by the Gupta . The Tocharian Ra had an alternate Fremdzeichen form, . The third form of ra, in Kharoshthi (), was probably derived from Aramaic separately from the Brahmi letter.
Brahmi Ra The Brahmi letter , Ra, is probably derived from the Aramaic Resh , and is thus related to the modern Latin R and Greek Rho. Several identifiable styles of writing the Brahmi Ra 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 Ra historic formsAshoka(3rd-1st c. BCE) Girnar(~150 BCE) Kushana(~150-250 CE) Gujarat(~250 CE) Gupta(~350 CE)
Tocharian Ra The Tocharian letter is derived from the Brahmi , and has an alternate Fremdzeichen form used in conjuncts and as an alternate representation of Rä. The use of repha forms in modern Indic scripts is similar to the Fremdzeichen Ra in Tocharian. +Tocharian Ra with vowel marks Ra Rā Ri Rī Ru Rū Rr Rr̄ Re Rai Ro Rau Rä Fremdzeichen
Kharoṣṭhī Ra The Kharoṣṭhī letter is generally accepted as being derived from the Aramaic Resh , and is thus related to R and Rho, in addition to the Brahmi Ra.
Devanagari Ra
Ra (र) 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 ર, and the Modi letter 𑘨. Ra, along with the Latin capital letter R, is the basis of the currency symbol ₹, which represents the Indian rupee.
Devanagari-using languages In all languages, र is pronounced as or when appropriate. Like all Indic scripts, Devanagari uses vowel marks attached to the base consonant to override the inherent vowel: + Devanagari र with vowel marks Ra Rā Ri Rī Ru Rū Rr Rr̄ Rl Rl̄ Re Rai Ro Rau Rररारिरीरुरूरृरॄरॢरॣरेरैरोरौर् Several languages use the dotted form Rra for the sound instead of र. ऱ combines with vowel marks identically to र.
Conjuncts with र
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, with Marathi in particular preferring the use of half forms where texts in other languages would show ligatures and vertical stacks.
When in conjuncts with other letters, र takes on several different forms, the most important of which are Repha and Rakar. Repha is used to indicate that a conjunct begins with "R". It is crescent shape attached atop the headline of the rest of the conjunct at the right, immediately above the vertical stem, if present. The other members of the conjunct ignore Repha for shaping, combining with the other members of the conjunct to form ligatures or stacked conjuncts normally.
Rakar is used to indicate a consonant conjunct ending in "Ra". It is an upward-pointing wedge shape that is found either centered below the rest of the conjunct, or tilted to the right and integrated with the bottom of the stemline. Like with Repha, the rest of the conjunct ignores Rakar for shaping, except for minor alteration of the bottom of any stemline.
The third conjunct form of Ra is the so-called Eyelash Ra. It resembles a half-form in retaining the head line, with a shape below that connects to the following letter, but this remaining eyelash shape does not resemble either र or ऱ. The eyelash Ra is used in Nepali and Marathi texts instead of Repha for an initial "R" sound in a conjunct. Even though those languages both use the dotted Ra ऱ, eyelash Ra is the default form of Ra + Virama in Unicode for backwards compatibility, and the Repha form is mapped individually as a ligature with each other Devanagari consonant.
Devanagari Repha Repha र্ (r) + ब (ba) gives the ligature rba:
Repha र্ (r) + भ (bha) gives the ligature rbha:
Repha र্ (r) + च (ca) gives the ligature rca:
Repha र্ (r) + छ (cha) gives the ligature rcha:
Repha र্ (r) + द (da) gives the ligature rda:
Repha र্ (r) + ड (ḍa) gives the ligature rḍa:
Repha र্ (r) + ढ (ḍʱa) gives the ligature rḍʱa:
Repha र্ (r) + द্ (d) + ध (dʱa) gives the ligature rddʱa:
Repha र্ (r) + ध (dʱa) gives the ligature rdʱa:
Repha र্ (r) + द্ (d) + व (va) gives the ligature rdva:
Repha र্ (r) + ग (ga) gives the ligature rga:
Repha र্ (r) + घ (ɡʱa) gives the ligature rɡʱa:
Repha र্ (r) + ह (ha) gives the ligature rha:
Repha र্ (r) + ज (ja) gives the ligature rja:
Repha र্ (r) + झ (jha) gives the ligature rjha:
Repha र্ (r) + ज্ (j) + ञ (ña) gives the ligature rjña:
Repha र্ (r) + क (ka) gives the ligature rka:
Repha र্ (r) + ख (kha) gives the ligature rkha:
Repha र্ (r) + क্ (k) + ष (ṣa) gives the ligature rkṣa:
Repha र্ (r) + ल (la) gives the ligature rla:
Repha र্ (r) + ळ (ḷa) gives the ligature rḷa:
Repha र্ (r) + म (ma) gives the ligature rma:
Repha र্ (r) + न (na) gives the ligature rna:
Repha र্ (r) + ङ (ŋa) gives the ligature rŋa:
Repha र্ (r) + ङ্ (ŋ) + ग (ga) gives the ligature rŋga:
Repha र্ (r) + ण (ṇa) gives the ligature rṇa:
Repha र্ (r) + ञ (ña) gives the ligature rña:
Repha र্ (r) + प (pa) gives the ligature rpa:
Repha र্ (r) + फ (pha) gives the ligature rpha:
Repha र্ (r) + र (ra) gives the ligature rra:
Repha र্ (r) + स (sa) gives the ligature rsa:
Repha र্ (r) + श (ʃa) gives the ligature rʃa:
Repha र্ (r) + ष (ṣa) gives the ligature rṣa:
Repha र্ (r) + स্ (s) + व (va) gives the ligature rsva:
Repha र্ (r) + त (ta) gives the ligature rta:
Repha र্ (r) + थ (tha) gives the ligature rtha:
Repha र্ (r) + ट (ṭa) gives the ligature rṭa:
Repha र্ (r) + त্ (t) + त (ta) gives the ligature rtta:
Repha र্ (r) + ठ (ṭha) gives the ligature rṭha:
Repha र্ (r) + व (va) gives the ligature rva:
Repha र্ (r) + य (ya) gives the ligature rya:
Devanagari Rakar भ্ (bh) + र (ra) gives the ligature bhra:
ब্ (b) + र (ra) gives the ligature bra:
छ্ (ch) + र (ra) gives the ligature chra:
च্ (c) + र (ra) gives the ligature cra:
द্ (d) + ब্ (b) + र (ra) gives the ligature dbra:
ढ্ (ḍʱ) + र (ra) gives the ligature ḍʱra:
ड্ (ḍ) + र (ra) gives the ligature ḍra:
द্ (d) + द্ (d) + र (ra) gives the ligature ddra:
द্ (d) + ग্ (g) + र (ra) gives the ligature dgra:
ध্ (dʱ) + र (ra) gives the ligature dʱra:
द্ (d) + र (ra) gives the ligature dra:
घ্ (ɡʱ) + र (ra) gives the ligature ɡʱra:
ग্ (g) + र (ra) gives the ligature gra:
ग্ (g) + र্ (r) + य (ya) gives the ligature grya:
ह্ (h) + र (ra) gives the ligature hra:
झ্ (jh) + र (ra) gives the ligature jhra:
ज্ (j) + र (ra) gives the ligature jra:
क্ (k) + र (ra) gives the ligature kra:
क্ (k) + त্ (t) + र (ra) gives the ligature ktra:
ळ্ (ḷ) + र (ra) gives the ligature ḷra:
ल্ (l) + र (ra) gives the ligature lra:
म্ (m) + र (ra) gives the ligature mra:
ङ্ (ŋ) + क্ (k) + र (ra) gives the ligature ŋkra:
ङ্ (ŋ) + र (ra) gives the ligature ŋra:
ण্ (ṇ) + र (ra) gives the ligature ṇra:
न্ (n) + र (ra) gives the ligature nra:
ञ্ (ñ) + र (ra) gives the ligature ñra:
फ্ (ph) + र (ra) gives the ligature phra:
प্ (p) + र (ra) gives the ligature pra:
प্ (p) + त্ (t) + र (ra) gives the ligature ptra:
श্ (ʃ) + र (ra) gives the ligature ʃra:
स্ (s) + र (ra) gives the ligature sra:
ष্ (ṣ) + क্ (k) + र (ra) gives the ligature ṣkra:
ष্ (ṣ) + र (ra) gives the ligature ṣra:
थ্ (th) + र (ra) gives the ligature thra:
त্ (t) + र (ra) gives the ligature tra:
त্ (t) + र্ (r) + य (ya) gives the ligature trya:
ठ্ (ṭh) + र (ra) gives the ligature ṭhra:
ट্ (ṭ) + र (ra) gives the ligature ṭra:
त্ (t) + त্ (t) + र (ra) gives the ligature ttra:
व্ (v) + र (ra) gives the ligature vra:
य্ (y) + र (ra) gives the ligature yra:
Conjuncts with both Repha and Rakar forms र্ (r) + ध্ (dʱ) + र (ra) gives the ligature rdʱra:
र্ (r) + ष্ (ṣ) + ट্ (ṭ) + र (ra) gives the ligature rṣṭra:
र্ (r) + त্ (t) + र (ra) gives the ligature rtra:
र্ (r) + त্ (t) + त্ (t) + र (ra) gives the ligature rttra:
Devanagari Eyelash Ra Eyelash र্ (r) + ब (ba) gives the ligature rba:
Eyelash र্ (r) + भ (bha) gives the ligature rbha:
Eyelash र্ (r) + च (ca) gives the ligature rca:
Eyelash र্ (r) + छ (cha) gives the ligature rcha:
Eyelash र্ (r) + द (da) gives the ligature rda:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ड (ḍa) gives the ligature rḍa:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ढ (ḍʱa) gives the ligature rḍʱa:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ध (dʱa) gives the ligature rdʱa:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ग (ga) gives the ligature rga:
Eyelash र্ (r) + घ (ɡʱa) gives the ligature rɡʱa:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ह (ha) gives the ligature rha:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ज (ja) gives the ligature rja:
Eyelash र্ (r) + झ (jha) gives the ligature rjha:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ज্ (j) + ञ (ña) gives the ligature rjña:
Eyelash र্ (r) + क (ka) gives the ligature rka:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ख (kha) gives the ligature rkha:
Eyelash र্ (r) + क্ (k) + ष (ṣa) gives the ligature rkṣa:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ल (la) gives the ligature rla:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ळ (ḷa) gives the ligature rḷa:
Eyelash र্ (r) + म (ma) gives the ligature rma:
Eyelash र্ (r) + न (na) gives the ligature rna:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ङ (ŋa) gives the ligature rŋa:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ण (ṇa) gives the ligature rṇa:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ञ (ña) gives the ligature rña:
Eyelash र্ (r) + प (pa) gives the ligature rpa:
Eyelash र্ (r) + फ (pha) gives the ligature rpha:
Eyelash र্ (r) + स (sa) gives the ligature rsa:
Eyelash र্ (r) + श (ʃa) gives the ligature rʃa:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ष (ṣa) gives the ligature rṣa:
Eyelash र্ (r) + त (ta) gives the ligature rta:
Eyelash र্ (r) + थ (tha) gives the ligature rtha:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ट (ṭa) gives the ligature rṭa:
Eyelash र্ (r) + ठ (ṭha) gives the ligature rṭha:
Eyelash र্ (r) + व (va) gives the ligature rva:
Eyelash र্ (r) + य (ya) gives the ligature rya:
Bengali/Assamese Ra