devanagari: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Academic/Technical
Quick answer
What does “devanagari” mean?
An abugida script used for writing several Indian languages, including Hindi, Sanskrit, and Marathi.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An abugida script used for writing several Indian languages, including Hindi, Sanskrit, and Marathi.
The specific writing system characterized by its distinctive horizontal top line and left-to-right flow, historically used for sacred texts and now the standard script for many modern Indian languages.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
None; identical usage in both varieties. Spelling is consistent.
Connotations
Neutral technical term in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency, specialized term in both varieties, appearing mainly in academic, linguistic, or cultural contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “devanagari” in a Sentence
The [LANGUAGE] is written in Devanagari.The word is transliterated into Devanagari.Students must learn the Devanagari [SCRIPT/SYSTEM].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “devanagari” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- [No standard verb form]
American English
- [No standard verb form]
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverb form]
American English
- [No standard adverb form]
adjective
British English
- The devanagari manuscript is carefully preserved.
- She specialises in devanagari epigraphy.
American English
- He downloaded a Devanagari font pack.
- The devanagari inscriptions date back centuries.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Common in linguistics, Indology, religious studies, and history departments when discussing Indian texts.
Everyday
Extremely rare; only used by learners of Indian languages or those with specific cultural interests.
Technical
Used in computing (font encoding, text rendering), philology, and library sciences for cataloguing.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “devanagari”
- Using 'Devanagari' to refer to the Hindi language itself (e.g., 'She speaks Devanagari').
- Capitalizing every letter (DEVENAGARI) or not capitalizing the initial 'D'.
- Misspelling as 'Devenagari', 'Devangari', or 'Devanagri'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Devanagari is not a language; it is a script used to write several languages, most notably Hindi, Sanskrit, and Marathi.
Modern Standard Hindi is the most widely used language written in the Devanagari script, with hundreds of millions of speakers.
The basic Devanagari syllabary consists of 13 vowels and 33 consonants, but the full set with conjuncts and modifiers is larger.
It presents a significant challenge as it is an abugida (where characters represent consonant-vowel combinations) with a different phonetic inventory and writing direction, requiring dedicated study.
An abugida script used for writing several Indian languages, including Hindi, Sanskrit, and Marathi.
Devanagari is usually academic/technical in register.
Devanagari: in British English it is pronounced /ˌdeɪvəˈnɑːɡəri/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌdeɪvəˈnɑːɡəri/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None specific to this term]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
DEVA (like divine beings) + NAGARI (like a city) – think of it as the 'divine city script' for sacred languages.
Conceptual Metaphor
SCRIPT IS A TOOL FOR CIVILIZATION; WRITING SYSTEM IS A KEY TO CULTURE.
Practice
Quiz
What is Devanagari primarily?