Karani script
{{Short description|Writing system for the Odia language of India}}
{{Infobox Writing system
|name=Karani script
|altname=Karaṇī akṣara
{{lang|as|କରଣି ଅକ୍ଷର}}
|type=Abugida
|languages=Odia language
|fam1=Odia script (cursive style)
|unicode=
|iso15924=
|sample=Koroni or Chata script sample.jpg
|imagesize=300px
|caption=Karani script sample from
Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha
|footnotes=
}}
{{Contains special characters
| special = Odia text
| fix = Help:Multilingual support#Odia
| characters = Odia script
}}
Karani or Chhata was a handwritten cursive writing system historically used to write the Odia language{{cite book |last=Tripāṭhī |first=Kunjabihari |title=The Evolution of Oriya Language and Script |publisher=Utkal University |page=33 |year=1962 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b8MKAQAAIAAJ |access-date=21 March 2021 }}{{cite web|url=http://14.139.116.20:8080/jspui/bitstream/10603/282609/9/09_chapter%204.pdf|date=2012|title=ପ୍ରାଚୀନ ସାହିତ୍ୟଗ୍ରନ୍ଥ ସଂପାଦନା-୧ |publisher=Utkal University |author=Chitararijan Behera |website=Shodhganga |page=56 |access-date=25 December 2020 }}{{cite book |last1=Diringer |first1=David |title=Alphabet a key to the history of mankind |date=1948 |pages=366}} primarily for court, land, temple and accounting records, and other administrative purposes.{{Cite journal |last=Pattanayak |first=D. P. |date=1991 |title=Linguistic and Religious Identity in India |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23002249 |journal=India International Centre Quarterly |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=101–106 |jstor=23002249 |issn=0376-9771}} Karani was quite different from{{cite book | last=Young | first=A.H. | title=First Lessons in Oriya | publisher=Orissa Mission Press | year=1912 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oxc3AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1 | language=fr | access-date=2024-11-19 | page=1}} the printed form, the Odia script, which replaced it. Karani gradually became unintelligible to the readers of the latter.{{cite book |title=Jnanamandal |date=1 December 1960 |publisher=Jnanamandal Publications |location=Cuttack |pages=17, 18 |access-date=}} The writers historically belonged to the Karan caste group who were designated to use Karani. The script was used in the Odia-speaking regions during British Raj including the Orissa Tributary States. Both the names "karani" and "karana" are derived from "karani", a metal stylus used for writing on palm leaf.{{cite journal |last1=Rath |first1=Saraju |title=The Oriya Script: Origin, Development and Sources |journal=International Institute for Asian Studies |date=2012 |url=https://www.academia.edu/9999923}}{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/Purnachandra.Odia.Bhashakosha.Complete/Purnachandra.Odia.Bhashakosha-Volume.3-Consonants-Cha.to.Tha#page/n1161/mode/2up|website=archive.org|title=Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha by Gopal Chandra Praharaj (Preface + All 7 Volumes)|access-date=3 September 2020}} Historical records from mid-eighteenth century were written in this script.{{cite journal |last1=Tanabe |first1=Akio |title=The system of entitlements in eighteenth-century khurda, Orissa: Reconsidering 'caste' and 'community' in late pre-colonial India |journal=South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies |date=December 2005 |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=345–385 |doi=10.1080/00856400500337768 |access-date=}} Karani was written both on palm leaves and paper. Bhoimuls (Accountants) of Khurda Kingdom primarily used Karani script for writing and preparing documents for administrative purposes.{{Cite journal |last=Tanabe |first=Akio |date=2021 |title=Local society and kingship |url=https://www.academia.edu/77798552/Local_society_and_kingship_Reconsidering_caste_community_and_state_ |journal=Caste and Equality in India |pages=44}}
History
Karani is often explained as "karaninabaja" or "chhata", a "running" script with mistakes introduced by the Karanas, making it less standard. The script also did not use spaces between words and lacked punctuations, both allowing the writers to write fast, but making it hard to decipher later.{{cite journal | vauthors=((Shankar, B.)), ((Mishra, P.)), ((Sagnika, S.)), ((Pattanaik, A.)) | journal=International Journal of Computer Applications | title=Engaging with an Indian Epic: A Digital Approach | volume=975 | pages=8887}}
Influence on modern Odia script
| class="wikitable"
|+ Karani diacritic remnant in Odia script ! Vowel Letter ! Diacritic forms |
| For the vowel {{lang|or|ଇ}} (short i), the standard Odia diacritic form is {{lang|or|ି}}. Eg- For consonant {{lang|or|କ}} (ka) - {{lang|or|କି}} (ki) But for these consonants - {{lang|or|ଖ}} (kha), {{lang|or|ଥ}} (tha), {{lang|or|ଧ}} (dha), the equivalent {{lang|or|ଇ}} diacritic from Karani script is also used. | {{lang|or|ଖି}} (khi) |
Gallery
File:Karani script sample pt 1 - Jnanamandala.jpg|Karani script sample from Jnanamandala
File:Karani script sample pt 2 - Jnanamandala.png|Karani script sample from Jnanamandala
File:Karani script letters 1.jpg|Karani script letters
File:Karani script letters 2.png.jpg|Karani script letters
File:Karani writing.png|Karani writing
References
{{reflist|1}}
{{Odia language}}
{{list of writing systems}}