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Unit 2 · A short script history · Read
A short script history
Separate the writing system from the languages that use it.
Brahmi inscriptions on stone, from the 3rd century BCE
History and use
Devanagari belongs to the Brahmi family and developed over centuries. One of the oldest Brahmi inscriptions in Nepal is on the Ashoka pillar at Lumbini, from the 3rd century BCE. Devanagari grew out of later northern forms; no single inventor designed it.
नेपालीहिंदीमराठी
Nepali, Hindi, Marathi: one script, different languages
One script, several languages
Nepali, Hindi, Marathi and Sanskrit share its shapes but differ in words, pronunciation and spelling conventions. A script is a writing system, not a language. That is why this course uses its own Nepali recordings and never Hindi ones.
नेपाल
Nepāl: the country’s name in Devanagari
The Nepali in this course
This course teaches Standard Nepali as it is written and spoken in Nepal. Nepali is also used in parts of India and in Bhutan. Listen to Nepal and hello.
Brahmi inscriptions on stone, from the 3rd century BCE
LernLaterne