Home›Indo-Aryan Languages›Script Used›DevanagariScriptDevanagariday-vuh-NAH-guh-reeAlso Known As NagariAbugidasReference and ClassificationVerifiedOrigin from 100Devanagari is an abugida, a writing system in which each consonant letter carries an inherent vowel by default and other vowels are marked by modifying the consonant with an attached diacritic, descended from the Brahmi script of ancient India. It is used to write Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali and several other South Asian languages, and is recognizable for the horizontal line, the shirorekha, that runs along the top of most letters and connects them within a word. Its consonant clusters are frequently written as conjunct ligatures rather than as separate letters in sequence, a feature that makes Devanagari typesetting and digital text rendering considerably more complex than a simple alphabet.FactsDevanagariConnectionsSourcesTake a Related QuizComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsScript TypeWell-attestedAbugida 4DirectionalityWell-attestedLeft to right 4In Use Since (Year)Well-attestedfrom 100 1Approximate date Devanagari began differentiating from its Brahmi-derived precursor scripts; the script reached its familiar modern form considerably later, around the eleventh century.Directionality (class)Well-attestedLeft-to-right 1ClassificationScript StatusWell-attestedLiving (in Current Use) 1Classified 'living' per this entity's own cited source and standard scholarly consensus on the script's current use; checked 2026-09-27.CompareNumber of CharactersWell-attested48 2Browse and compareIn UnicodeWell-attestedEncoded 3DevanagariFilter Results7 entriesLanguage Family (Classification)AllIndo-Aryan (2)Indo-European (5)Indo-Iranian (2)RegionAllAfrica (1)Asia (7)East Asia (1)South Asia (1)Southeast Asia (1)Terai (1)Speaker Count BandAll0 to 400,000 (1)16,000,000 to 59,000,000 (3)5,600,000 to 15,000,000 (1)60,000,000 to 1,500,000,000 (2)Official StatusAllOfficial Language (5)Recognized Regional or Minority Language (1)StatusAllClassical (No Native Speakers) (1)Living (6)Language KindAllExtinct (1)Safe (5)TonalAllNot Tonal (3)Word OrderAllSOV (4)Period Start YearAll-1500 (1)101 (1)301 (1)701 (1)739 (1)981 (1)1501 (1)Descends FromAllAwadhi (1)Braj Bhasha (1)Haryanvi (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 7BhojpuriDevanagariHindiDevanagariKonkaniDevanagariMarathiDevanagariNepaliDevanagariSanskritDevanagariSindhiDevanagariConnectionsDescends FromBrahmi, Scripts Well-attested Source World History Encyclopediatier 2Is Of Script TypeAbugida, Scripts Well-attested Script OfAwadhi, Dialects and Varieties Well-attested Bhojpuri, Languages Well-attested Hindi, Languages Well-attested Source Omniglot: The Online Encyclopedia of Writing Systems and Languagestier 2Konkani, Languages Well-attested Konkani in India is standardly written in the Devanagari script (its official script under the Goa Official Language Act).Marathi, Languages Well-attested Nepali, Languages Well-attested Sanskrit, Languages Well-attested Source Omniglot: The Online Encyclopedia of Writing Systems and Languagestier 2Sindhi, Languages Well-attested Sindhi in India is standardly written in the Devanagari script.Sources1. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of LanguageDavid Crystal (editor), Cambridge University Press, 2010Script Status: Living (in Current Use)In Use Since (Year): from 100Directionality (class): Left-to-right2. Devanagari (Wikipedia)Lead paragraphQuote, Lead paragraphThe Devanāgarī script, composed of 48 primary characters, including 14 vowels and 34 consonants, is the fourth most widely adopted writing system in the world, being used for over 120 languages, the most popular of which is Hindi.View the Source3. Unicode Consortium: ISO 15924 Code Lists, Table 1Unicode ConsortiumTable 1, row DevaQuote, Table 1, row DevaDeva 315 Devanagari (Nagari) dévanâgarî Devanagari 1.1 2004-05-01View the Source4. Omniglot: The Online Encyclopedia of Writing Systems and Languagestier 2Script Type: AbugidaDirectionality: Left to rightView the SourceWorld History Encyclopediatier 2World History Encyclopedia (formerly Ancient History Encyclopedia)Descends From: BrahmiView the SourceTake a Related QuizWriting Systems and Scripts: BeginnerIncludes a question about Devanagari.Comments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.View At A Past YearChoose a year to see this entry's facts and connections as the atlas records them at that moment: what it held then, what it held instead, and what it had not yet adopted. Choose Present for the current record.YearPresent100Show This Year