Karbi Mek'lek

The Karbi Mek'lek alphabet was invented by Ripu Rahang (Ronghang) as a way to write Karbi, a a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh in northern India. There are ways to write Karbi with the Latin and Assamese alphabets, however there are rarely used and Karbi does not have its own script.

Notable features

Type of writing system: alphabet
Direction of writing: top to bottom in vertical columns running from left to right, or left to right in horizontal lines
Used to write: Karbi
Karbi Mek'lek has separate letters for each sound of the Karbi language (Karbi alam).

Karbi Mek'lek alphabet

Download an alphabet chart for Karbi Mek'lek (Excel)

Notes

The small vowels are used after consonants and are written above them. The large vowels are used before consonants
Syllables ending a consonant have the final consonant written under the initial consonant
In closed syllables, such as yok, y [j] is pronounced, while in open syllables, such as ya [a], [j] is not pronounced.

Sample text (vertical)

Sample text in Karbi Mek'lek (vertical)

Sample text (horizontal)

Sample text in Karbi Mek'lek (horizontal)

Transliteration

Monit hijan angbong kibi kethe kangtui kangdai pu ave. Arnam monit aphan kamathathek ajakong kipi. Lasi ning isivet pen dorapsi kachinghon chijinso pen donang ji.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Information about Karbi | Arleng / Karbi alphabet | Karbi Mek'lek alphabet | Numbers | Tower of Babel

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