The Writing and Numeral System of the Bengali Language: A Deep Dive

Introduction

The Bengali language, known as “Bangla” (বাংলা) to its native speakers, is an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and the official language of Bangladesh. Beyond its rich literary tradition and cultural impact, Bengali is particularly interesting for its distinctive writing system and numeral conventions. This article aims to provide an in-depth examination of these two aspects of the Bengali language.

The Bengali Writing System

The Bengali Script

Bengali uses its own script, also known as Bengali or Bangla script, which is an abugida. This means that each character represents a consonant with an inherent vowel sound that can be changed with diacritics. The script is written from left to right and is recognized for its elegant, flowing curves.

Basic Characters and Diacritics

The Bengali alphabet consists of 11 vowels and 39 consonants, totaling 50 distinct phonemes. Vowel sounds are altered using diacritical marks, and complex consonant clusters can be formed by combining basic characters.

• Basic Vowels: অ, আ, ই, ঈ, উ, ঊ, ঋ, এ, ঐ, ও, ঔ
• Basic Consonants: ক, খ, গ, ঘ, …, য, ৰ, ৱ, শ, ষ, স, হ, ৎ

Complex Characters

Bengali script uses a series of compound characters (juktakkhor) to represent combined consonant sounds. These are created by merging two or more basic consonant characters.

Punctuation and Other Symbols

The script uses its own set of punctuation marks. The most commonly used are the “dainik” (।), which serves as the full stop, and “dari” (॥), which functions as a long pause or section break.

Historical Evolution

The Bengali script evolved from the Siddham script and underwent changes over the centuries. The modern script used today was standardized during the 18th and 19th centuries and further modified by the efforts of Pundra University and the Bangla Academy in Bangladesh.

The Bengali Numeral System

Basic Numerals

Like the writing system, Bengali uses its unique numeral symbols, which are:

০ (Shunno) – 0
১ (Ek) – 1
২ (Dui) – 2
৩ (Tin) – 3
৪ (Char) – 4
৫ (Pach) – 5
৬ (Chhoy) – 6
৭ (Sat) – 7
৮ (Aat) – 8
৯ (Noy) – 9

Number Structure

The numeral system is decimal-based and follows a place-value structure similar to the one used globally. However, the terms for higher numbers like lakh (1,00,000) and crore (1,00,00,000) differ from Western naming conventions.

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers in Bengali are usually formed by adding the suffix “-তম” (“-tom”) to the cardinal number, except for the first three, which are:

• প্রথম (Prothom) – First
• দ্বিতীয় (Dwitiyo) – Second
• তৃতীয় (Tritiyo) – Third

Arithmetic Operations

Arithmetic operations in Bengali are expressed as follows:

• Addition: যোগ (Jog)
• Subtraction: বিয়োগ (Biyoj)
• Multiplication: গুণ (Gun)
• Division: ভাগ (Bhaag)

Conclusion

The Bengali writing and numeral systems provide fascinating insight into the language’s history, evolution, and cultural significance. From its uniquely flowing script to its own numeral symbols, Bengali stands as a compelling study for linguists, scholars, and anyone interested in understanding the diverse linguistic landscape of the Indian subcontinent. Moreover, the script and numerals are integral to the identity of more than 230 million speakers, serving as a potent symbol of the Bengali culture and heritage.