Malayalam Language -- Part 5

Script Revision

During the 1970s and 1980s, simplifications of the Malayalam script were introduced. The reform aimed to reduce the complexity of two particular aspects of Malayalam. First, it recommended the replacement of irregular ligatures by a predictable sequence of in varying components. Second, it recommended the formation of consonant clusters out of in varying 'letter fragments' or by using the vowel suppressor on all but the final part of a concatenated sequence. While it has had some effect on daily practice, this reform has only partially changed the well-established traditional approach. By the arrival of modern word-processors, which can generate any complex shape, most of the old lipi characters again came into picture. Also, among the word processors and fonts, there is no standardization followed. Nowadays, a mixture of old and new lipi characters are used by different word-processors.

Malayalam Numeric

With the representation of ten hundred, thousand by one, and zero Malayalam numeric system, possess separate symbols. Ancient Malayalam number system did not include the digit zero. It had distinctive glyphs for numbers 10, 100, 1000. However, in modern practice, Malayalam numerals are used in the same way as decimal number, with a zero that looks similar to the digit zero in international form of Indian numerals but not as represented in the Unicode Malayalam character map. Compatibility between other Indian scripts: Malayalam numbers in the proposed form is available in all Indic script encoded in Unicode explicitly in most related language Tamil also. Malayalam old numerals is not being widely used because it belongs to the minor extinct category of character, but the adapted Indian glyph form of zero is widely used with modern Arabic numerals. However, it necessary for the digitization of old Malayalam texts.

Compound words

Compound word is a combination of two or more words used to express a concept. The combinations may be among two nouns, an adjective and a noun, a noun and a verb, etc.