The Jôyi script or Jogyig (Dzongkha: ་) commonly referred to as the Bhutanese cursive script, is a distinct calligraphic style of the Tibetan script utilised for the Dzongkha language in Bhutan.Thinley, Namgay and Dorji, Tandin. (2016). Bhutan's Jogyig. Thimphu: Dzongkha Development Commission. Just as the Tibetan script developed distinct styles for formal (Üchen) and informal (Umê) contexts, the Bhutanese developed their own styles, known as "cursive longhand" and "formal longhand". is the Bhutanese equivalent for , which is used for everyday handwriting.

Historically developed and used exclusively within Bhutan, is characterised by its fluid, rapid, and continuous stroke structure, facilitating efficient handwritten communication. Known also as (Mön script), (Southern script) or (Bhutanese script), it is believed to have been drafted by the translator Denma Tsemang in the 8th century. It is considered halfway between the () and () scripts. Because it is written quickly, it got its name or "fast script". It is a syllabic segmental abugida with 30 consonants, 5 vowels and numerous symbols used in religious texts.

Presently, there is no standalone policy specifically for the status of in Bhutan; however, it is widely used by government bodies, institutions, monastic groups and in everyday life. As most of the state's internal treasure texts, administrative documents, and correspondence were historically written in , the script is a foundational component of Bhutan’s literature and cultural heritage. The Dzongkha Development Commission considers to be the authentic script for Bhutanese.

Etymology According to traditional Bhutanese accounts, before the introduction of Buddhism, the region was sparsely populated and heavily forested. The area was historically referred to as the "Land of Snow-Clad Mountains and Ravines" (), and its inhabitants were known as .

According to the Gyalrab Lhoi Chojung () (History of Southern Buddhism), subsequent settlements were established by figures exiled from India, including Prince Sindhu Raja, who established himself in Bumthang Chokhor alongside his ministers and subjects. – via Historical woodblock print documenting the history of Bhutan. He would later be known as Chakhar Gyalpo, among the first Kings of Bhutan. During the 8th century, he invited Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) to the region, which introduced Buddhism into Bhutan. Following his arrival, the terms and emerged, with the broader region becoming known as (Land of Mön) and its local script as .

Tibetans referred to this script as (Southern script) because it originated south of the Tibetan Plateau. While the terms and remained in use until the 19th century, the script's rapid, fluid execution led to the widespread adoption of the term (literally "fast script"). Today, it is primarily known as , though it is occasionally referred to as (Bhutanese script).

History and origins

Because the Uchen and scripts used in Bhutan are similar to Tibetan scripts, the history of their forms is closely tied to the history of Tibetan writing. The origins of Tibetan writing trace back to Indian scripts. It is widely accepted that the Tibetan script was derived from the Gupta script of India. According to historical accounts, Tibetan Bonpos believe that scripts existed in Tibet even before Guru Rinpoche's arrival. During the reign of the 33rd Tibetan King, Songtsen Gampo, the minister Thonmi Sambhota was sent to India to study scripts. Among the many Indian scripts, the Tibetan and Bhutanese scripts appear most similar to the Gupta script.

The creation of is traditionally attributed to Denma Tsemang, a disciple of Guru Rinpoche. Several scholars have documented different historical perspectives on its origins:

Dasho Sangay Dorji's account: In the 8th century, King Sindhu Raja of Bumthang offered paper to the Tibetan King Trisong Detsen for the transcription of the Kangyur and Tengyur at Samye Monastery. In return, Guru Rinpoche brought Denma Tsemang to Bumthang to transcribe local Dharma teachings. Denma Tsemang is credited with inventing the (Southern Script) during this period to record these texts, which were later concealed as spiritual treasures (terma) at Kurjey Dorje Tsegpa.Dorji, Dasho Sangay. As cited in Thinley & Dorji (2016). Ugyen Dorji's account: Denma Tsemang initially developed a semi-cursive script known as Jotsum. Over generations, as scribes required greater speed, Jotsum naturally evolved into the fully cursive . Historically, up to seven distinct scripts flourished in Bhutan, including standard block lettering (Tshugyig or Uchen) and various cursive forms.Dorji, Ugyen. As cited in Thinley & Dorji (2016). Khenpo Phuntsho Tashi's account: Drawing on ancient Buddhist records citing 64 classical scripts, Tashi posits that Jogyig may have pre-existed Denma Tsemang's arrival. Under this view, Denma Tsemang, a master of these classical scripts, popularized the existing script in Bumthang rather than inventing it independently.Tashi, Khenpo Phuntsho. As cited in Thinley & Dorji (2016).

Historically, Jogyig was used exclusively within Bhutan. While Bhutanese scholars and officials used the widely understood Tibetan Umed script for religious and trade correspondence with Tibet, internal communications were predominantly written in Jogyig. This included official edicts (kashog) issued by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and successive Druk Gyalpos, as well as administrative records and private correspondence. Historical examples of the script are preserved today in Bhutanese museums, libraries, and private collections.

Letters

The script is a Brahmic abugida system where syllables are written from left to right. Syllables are separated by a tsek (་) mark, which is a short vertical mark in Joyig; Spaces are not used to divide words, due to their segmental nature. It functions similarly to the Tibetan script due to being a cursive variation of the same. However, there are distinct differences between the Tibetan and Bhutanese ways of writing. The Dzongkha Development Commission noted that since 2000, while developing the Dzongkha Uchen font for the Unicode system, they identified 42 differences compared to the Tibetan script. The tsek can function slightly differently when setting margins, spacing, and word boundaries in Dzongkha text processing.

Basic Letters

has 30 basic letters called ((), or consonants. As in other Brahmic scripts, each consonant letter assumes an inherent vowel /a/ in .

+ Alphabet Unaspiratedhigh Aspiratedmedium Voiced<br/ >low Nasallow Letter TibetanEquivalentIPA Letter TibetanEquivalentIPA Letter TibetanEquivalentIPA Letter TibetanEquivalentIPA Guttural Palatal Dental Labial Dental low medium high

Vowels

There are five vowels in , with the vowel carrier /a/ combined with diacritics to form the remaining four. Long and short vowels are not distinguished. Dzongkha is a tonal language, with tone predicted from the spelling patterns of the word's orthography instead of dedicated tone markers.

Backopen Frontclose Back<br/ >close Frontmid Backmid Letter TibetanEquivalentIPA Letter TibetanEquivalentIPA Letter TibetanEquivalentIPA Letter TibetanEquivalentIPA Letter TibetanEquivalentIPA Vowel

Policy and preservation

There is no special policy enshrining legal status for in Bhutan. However, it is implicitly understood to be a part of Dzongkha, the national language. During the reigns of the Third and Fourth Druk Gyalpos, repeated royal edicts were issued emphasising the need to learn and preserve Dzongkha in order to properly understand Bhutan's religion, culture, traditions, and Driglam namzha (etiquette). Since the establishment of the National Assembly in 1953, numerous resolutions have been passed to preserve and promote Dzongkha and, in effect, the scripts of Bhutan.

Digitization

Since 2000, a project has successfully developed and distributed a computer font for Jogyig, which is now widely used within Bhutan. Schools have also been instructed to prioritize the teaching of Jogyig. During the annual book competitions organized by the DDC, extra points are awarded to books written in Jogyig to encourage its use.

Unicode

Being a stylistic variant of Tibetan, the script is mapped to Tibetan Unicode, with suitable fonts bringing the desired glyphs.

The Unicode block for Tibetan is U+0F00–U+0FFF. It includes letters, digits and various punctuation marks and special symbols used in religious texts:

Dzongkha

The Dzongkha keyboard layout scheme is designed as a simple means for inputting Dzongkha text on computers. This keyboard layout was standardized by the Dzongkha Development Commission (DDC) and the Department of Information Technology (DIT) of the Royal Government of Bhutan in 2000.

It was updated in 2009 to accommodate additional characters added to the Unicode and ISO 10646 standards since the initial version. Since the arrangement of keys essentially follows the usual order of the Dzongka and Tibetan alphabet, the layout can be quickly learned by anyone familiar with this alphabet. Subjoined (combining) consonants are entered using the Shift key.

The Dzongka keyboard layout is included in Microsoft Windows, Android, and most distributions of Linux as part of XFree86.

Sample text The following is a sample text in Dzongkha of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

In Joyig script

In Tibetan script

Wylie transliteration & translation

See also Dzongkha Roman Dzongkha Dzongkha Braille Dzongkha numerals Dzongkha keyboard layout Languages of Bhutan Culture of Bhutan

References

External links

The History of Southern Buddism - The Buddhist Digital Archives