Ma (Indic)

The Brahmi letter , Ma, is probably derived from the Aramaic Mem , and is thus related to the modern Latin M and Greek Mu.[2] Several identifiable styles of writing the Brahmi Ma can be found, most associated with a specific set of inscriptions from an artifact or diverse records from an historic period.[3] As the earliest and most geometric style of Brahmi, the letters found on the Edicts of Ashoka and other records from around that time are normally the reference form for Brahmi letters, with vowel marks not attested until later forms of Brahmi back-formed to match the geometric writing style.

Brahmi Ma historic forms

Ashoka (3rd-1st c. BCE)	Girnar (~150 BCE)	Kushana (~150-250 CE)	Gujarat (~250 CE)	Gupta (~350 CE)

The Tocharian letter is derived from the Brahmi , and has an alternate Fremdzeichen form used in conjuncts and as an alternate representation of Mä.

Tocharian Ma with vowel marks

Ma	Mā	Mi	Mī	Mu	Mū	Mr	Mr̄	Me	Mai	Mo	Mau	Mä	Fremdzeichen

The Kharoṣṭhī letter is generally accepted as being derived from the Aramaic Mem , and is thus related to M and Mu, in addition to the Brahmi Ma.[2]

In all languages, म is pronounced as [mə] or [m] when appropriate. Like all Indic scripts, Devanagari uses vowel marks attached to the base consonant to override the inherent /ə/ vowel:

Half form of Ma.

Devanagari exhibits conjunct ligatures, as is common in Indic scripts. In modern Devanagari texts, most conjuncts are formed by reducing the letter shape to fit tightly to the following letter, usually by dropping a character's vertical stem, sometimes referred to as a "half form". Some conjunct clusters are always represented by a true ligature, instead of a shape that can be broken into constituent independent letters. Vertically stacked conjuncts are ubiquitous in older texts, while only a few are still used routinely in modern Devanagari texts. The use of ligatures and vertical conjuncts may vary across languages using the Devanagari script, with Marathi in particular preferring the use of half forms where texts in other languages would show ligatures and vertical stacks.[4]

True ligatures are quite rare in Indic scripts. The most common ligated conjuncts in Devanagari are in the form of a slight mutation to fit in context or as a consistent variant form appended to the adjacent characters. Those variants include Na and the Repha and Rakar forms of Ra. Nepali and Marathi texts use the "eyelash" Ra half form for an initial "R" instead of repha.

• र্ (r) + म (ma) gives us the ligature rma:

• म্ (m) + न (na) gives us the ligature mna:

• म্ (m) + र (ra) gives us the ligature mra:

Vertically stacked ligatures are the most common conjunct forms found in Devanagari text. Although the constituent characters may need to be stretched and moved slightly in order to stack neatly, stacked conjuncts can be broken down into recognizable base letters, or a letter and an otherwise standard ligature. As a trailing letter in conjuncts, Ma stretches its shape to a much greater extent than other Devanagari letters.

• छ্ (cʰ) + म (ma) gives us the ligature cʰma:

• ढ্ (ḍʱ) + म (ma) gives us the ligature ḍʱma:

• द্ (d) + ध্ (dʱ) + म (ma) gives us the ligature ddʱma:

• ड্ (ḍ) + म (ma) gives us the ligature ḍma:

• द্ (d) + म (ma) gives us the ligature dma:

• ह্ (h) + म (ma) gives us the ligature hma:

• म্ (m) + च (ca) gives us the ligature mca:

• म্ (m) + ड (ḍa) gives us the ligature mḍa:

• म্ (m) + ज (ja) gives us the ligature mja:

• म্ (m) + ज্ (j) + ञ (ña) gives us the ligature mjña:

• म্ (m) + ल (la) gives us the ligature mla:

• म্ (m) + ङ (ŋa) gives us the ligature mŋa:

• म্ (m) + ञ (ña) gives us the ligature mña:

• ङ্ (ŋ) + म (ma) gives us the ligature ŋma:

• ठ্ (ṭʰ) + म (ma) gives us the ligature ṭʰma:

• ट্ (ṭ) + म (ma) gives us the ligature ṭma:

ম is used as a basic consonant character in all of the major Bengali script orthographies, including Bengali and Assamese.

Bengali ম exhibits conjunct ligatures, as is common in Indic scripts, with a tendency towards stacked ligatures. Unlike most conjoined letters that stack, ম will retain a full vertical stem as a trailing consonant, connecting all the way to the head line to the right of leading consonants.[5]

• ধ্ (dʱ) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature dʱma:

• দ্ (d) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature dma:

• গ্ (g) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature gma:

• ক্ (k) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature kma:

• ক্ (k) + শ্ (ʃ) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature kʃma:

• ক্ (k) + শ্ (ʃ) + ম্ (m) + য (ya) gives us the ligature kʃmya, with the ya phala suffix:

• ল্ (l) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature lma:

• ম্ (m) + ভ (bʰa) gives us the ligature mbʰa:

• ম্ (m) + ভ্ (bʰ) + র (ra) gives us the ligature mbʰra, with the ra phala suffix:

• ম্ (m) + ল (la) gives us the ligature mla:

• ম্ (m) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature mma:

• ম্ (m) + ন (na) gives us the ligature mna:

• ম্ (m) + প (pa) gives us the ligature mpa:

• ম্ (m) + ফ (pʰa) gives us the ligature mpʰa:

• ম্ (m) + প্ (p) + র (ra) gives us the ligature mpra, with the ra phala suffix:

• ম্ (m) + র (ra) gives us the ligature mra, with the ra phala suffix:

• ম্ (m) + ব (va) gives us the ligature mva, with the va phala suffix:

• ম্ (m) + ব্ (v) + র (ra) gives us the ligature mvra, with the ra phala suffix:

• ম্ (m) + য (ya) gives us the ligature mya, with the ya phala suffix:

• ঙ্ (ŋ) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature ŋma:

• ন্ (n) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature nma:

• ণ্ (ṇ) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature ṇma:

• র্ (r) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature rma, with the repha prefix:

• র্ (r) + ম্ (m) + য (ya) gives us the ligature rmya, with the repha prefix and ya phala suffix:

• শ্ (ʃ) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature ʃma:

• স্ (s) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature sma:

• ষ্ (ṣ) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature ṣma:

• ত্ (t) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature tma:

• ত্ (t) + ম্ (m) + য (ya) gives us the ligature tmya, with the ya phala suffix:

• ট্ (ṭ) + ম (ma) gives us the ligature ṭma: