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Devanagari is a direct descendant of the ancient Greek alphabet.
Answer: False
Explanation: Devanagari is a descendant of the ancient Brahmi script, not the Greek alphabet.
The modern form of the Devanagari script was established around the 8th century CE.
Answer: False
Explanation: While Devanagari was in regular use by the 8th century CE, its modern form was achieved approximately by 1000 CE.
The earliest inscriptions showing variants of the Nagari script date back to the 7th century CE.
Answer: False
Explanation: Epigraphic evidence for developing Nagari script variants, such as those found in Rudradaman I's inscriptions, dates back to the 1st to 4th century CE.
Which ancient script is the direct ancestor of Devanagari?
Answer: Brahmi
Explanation: Devanagari is a direct descendant of the ancient Brahmi script, which dates back to the 3rd century BCE and evolved through the Nagari script.
Approximately when did the Devanagari script achieve its modern form?
Answer: Approximately 1000 CE
Explanation: The Devanagari script achieved its modern form by approximately 1000 CE, although it was in regular use by the 8th century CE.
Which inscription provides early epigraphic evidence for the developing Nagari script, dating between the 1st and 4th century CE?
Answer: Rudradaman I's inscriptions in Gujarat
Explanation: Inscriptions such as those of Rudradaman I in Gujarat, dating from the 1st to 4th century CE, provide early epigraphic evidence for the developing Nagari script.
Devanagari is a script primarily used in Europe and Africa.
Answer: False
Explanation: The source material indicates Devanagari is an Indic script used across the Indian subcontinent and parts of Nepal, not primarily in Europe and Africa.
Devanagari is considered the most widely adopted writing system globally.
Answer: False
Explanation: Devanagari is recognized as the fourth most widely adopted writing system globally, used for over 120 languages.
The name 'Devanagari' combines Sanskrit words meaning 'divine' and 'urban'.
Answer: True
Explanation: The name 'Devanagari' is derived from the Sanskrit words 'deva' (divine) and 'nagari' (urban), translating to 'divine urban script' or 'urban script of the gods'.
The term 'Nagari' in 'Devanagari' refers to a mountainous region.
Answer: False
Explanation: The term 'Nagari' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'nagara', meaning 'city' or 'town', indicating an 'urban' script.
The Tibetan script was developed independently of any Indian scripts.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Tibetan script, developed in the 7th century CE, was based on the Nagari script used in Kashmir at that time.
The Kawi script of Indonesia is unrelated to Devanagari or its prototypes.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Kawi script of Indonesia shows particular similarity to Devanagari and its related scripts.
What is Devanagari primarily known as?
Answer: An Indic script used across the Indian subcontinent and parts of Nepal.
Explanation: Devanagari is primarily known as an Indic script utilized across the Indian subcontinent and in Nepal, characterized by its left-to-right direction and a distinctive horizontal line connecting letter tops.
What is the literal meaning of the name 'Devanagari'?
Answer: "Urban script of the gods" or "Divine urban script"
Explanation: The name 'Devanagari' literally translates to 'urban script of the gods' or 'divine urban script', derived from the Sanskrit words 'deva' (divine) and 'nagari' (urban).
The term 'Nagari' in the script's name is derived from the Sanskrit word 'nagara', meaning:
Answer: City or Town
Explanation: The term 'Nagari' originates from the Sanskrit word 'nagara', which means 'city' or 'town', implying an 'urban' or 'urbane' script.
The Tibetan script, invented in the 7th century CE, was based on which script?
Answer: Nagari script used in Kashmir
Explanation: The Tibetan script, created in the 7th century CE, was adapted from the Nagari script that was in use in Kashmir during that period.
Which script found in Indonesia shows particular similarity to Devanagari?
Answer: Kawi
Explanation: The Kawi script, utilized in Indonesia, exhibits notable similarities to Devanagari and its related scripts.
The spread of Devanagari and related scripts to East and Southeast Asia was primarily due to:
Answer: Cultural and religious influence, particularly Buddhism and Sanskrit texts.
Explanation: The dissemination of Devanagari and associated scripts into East and Southeast Asia was predominantly facilitated by cultural and religious exchanges, notably through the spread of Buddhism and Sanskrit literature.
The Devanagari script is characterized by a vertical line connecting the tops of letters.
Answer: False
Explanation: The defining visual characteristic is a horizontal line (shirorekhā) connecting the tops of letters, not a vertical one.
Devanagari consists of approximately 50 primary characters, including vowels and consonants.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Devanagari script comprises 48 primary characters: 14 vowels and 34 consonants.
The arrangement of letters in Devanagari, known as 'varnamala', is arbitrary and not based on phonetic principles.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'varnamala' is a systematic arrangement of letters based on phonetic principles of articulation (place and manner).
In Devanagari, vowels only have independent forms, which are always attached to consonants.
Answer: False
Explanation: Devanagari has both independent forms for vowels (when they begin a word or syllable) and dependent forms (matras) attached to consonants.
The retroflex 'r' (ॠ) and 'l' (ऌ) are considered syllabic consonants in Devanagari.
Answer: True
Explanation: The retroflex 'r' (ॠ) and 'l' (ऌ) are indeed considered syllabic consonants, particularly in Sanskrit.
The 'varnamala' in Devanagari is an alphabetical list based on the order of appearance in Latin languages.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'varnamala' is arranged based on phonetic principles of articulation (place and manner), not the order found in Latin alphabets.
Devanagari, like the Latin alphabet, has distinct uppercase and lowercase letter forms.
Answer: False
Explanation: Devanagari is a unicameral script, meaning it does not have separate uppercase and lowercase letter forms like the Latin alphabet.
How many primary characters does the Devanagari script consist of?
Answer: 14 vowels and 34 consonants, totaling 48.
Explanation: The Devanagari script is composed of 48 primary characters, consisting of 14 vowels and 34 consonants.
Which of the following is a defining visual characteristic of the Devanagari script?
Answer: A horizontal line (shirorekhā) connecting the tops of letters.
Explanation: A defining visual characteristic of Devanagari is the horizontal line, or shirorekhā, that connects the tops of the letters, contributing to its symmetry and readability.
The phonetic ordering of letters in Devanagari is referred to as the:
Answer: Varnamala
Explanation: The systematic, phonetic arrangement of letters in Devanagari is known as the 'varnamala', meaning 'garland of letters'.
What are the dependent forms of vowels in Devanagari called, which are attached to consonants?
Answer: Matras
Explanation: The dependent forms of vowels in Devanagari, which are attached to consonants to modify their sound, are called 'matras'.
Which of the following are examples of syllabic consonants found in Devanagari, particularly specific to Sanskrit?
Answer: retroflex r (ॠ) and retroflex l (ऌ)
Explanation: The retroflex 'r' (ॠ) and 'l' (ऌ) are recognized as syllabic consonants in Devanagari, particularly within the context of Sanskrit.
How does the Devanagari script differ fundamentally from the Latin alphabet regarding letter forms?
Answer: Devanagari is unicameral, lacking separate upper and lower case forms.
Explanation: Devanagari is fundamentally different from the Latin alphabet in that it is unicameral, possessing only one form for each letter and lacking distinct uppercase and lowercase variants.
The 'virama' diacritic in Devanagari is used to indicate a nasal sound.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'virama' diacritic is used to cancel the inherent vowel sound of a consonant, not to indicate a nasal sound.
The 'anusvara' diacritic represents a final fricative sound.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'anusvara' diacritic typically represents a final nasal sound or vowel nasalization.
The 'chandrabindu' diacritic is primarily used to indicate aspiration in Devanagari.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'chandrabindu' diacritic primarily indicates vowel nasalization, particularly in Hindi.
The 'avagraha' diacritic is used in Devanagari to mark the beginning of a word.
Answer: False
Explanation: In Sanskrit texts, the 'avagraha' diacritic marks the elision of a vowel during sandhi (sound joining).
The 'nuqta' diacritic is used to indicate vowel nasalization in Devanagari.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'nuqta' diacritic is used to represent sounds borrowed from other languages (like Persian or Arabic), not for vowel nasalization.
Which diacritic is used in Devanagari to cancel the inherent vowel sound of a consonant, often for forming clusters?
Answer: Virama (्)
Explanation: The virama (्) diacritic is employed to cancel the inherent vowel sound of a consonant, which is essential for constructing consonant clusters.
The 'anusvara' diacritic (ं) in Devanagari typically represents:
Answer: A final nasal sound.
Explanation: The anusvara (ं) diacritic typically signifies a final nasal sound or, in some contexts, vowel nasalization.
What sound does the 'chandrabindu' (ँ) diacritic indicate, especially in Hindi?
Answer: Nasalization of the vowel.
Explanation: The chandrabindu (ँ) diacritic, frequently used in Hindi, indicates the nasalization of a vowel sound.
In Sanskrit texts written in Devanagari, what is the function of the 'avagraha' (ऽ) diacritic?
Answer: To mark the elision of a vowel during sandhi.
Explanation: In Sanskrit texts, the avagraha (ऽ) diacritic serves to indicate the elision of a vowel during the process of sandhi (the joining of sounds).
What is the function of the 'nuqta' (़) diacritic in Devanagari, particularly in Hindi?
Answer: To represent sounds borrowed from Persian, Arabic, or English.
Explanation: The nuqta (़) diacritic, placed below certain consonants in Devanagari, primarily serves to represent sounds originating from Persian, Arabic, or English that are not native to classical Indic languages.
What does the 'virama' (्) diacritic signify when placed below a consonant?
Answer: It signifies that the consonant has no following vowel sound.
Explanation: When the 'virama' (्) diacritic is placed below a consonant, it indicates that the consonant is not followed by any vowel sound, which is crucial for forming consonant clusters.
In Devanagari consonant clusters, consonants always retain their full form.
Answer: False
Explanation: In consonant clusters, consonants often lose their vertical right stroke to form 'half forms' or special conjuncts, rather than retaining their full form.
The conjunct consonants for 'ksha' and 'jna' are formed by simply combining the standard forms of their constituent letters.
Answer: False
Explanation: The conjuncts for 'ksha' (क्श) and 'jna' (ज्ञ) are unique ligatures, not simple combinations of their standard constituent letters.
When 'ra' forms the first consonant in a cluster, it is represented by a 'repha' above the following consonant.
Answer: True
Explanation: When 'ra' begins a consonant cluster, it is typically represented as a 'repha', a curved dash placed above the subsequent consonant.
The 'barakhadi' table systematically lists consonant-vowel combinations in Devanagari.
Answer: True
Explanation: The 'barakhadi' table is a fundamental learning tool that systematically displays how consonants combine with all vowel signs (matras) to form syllables.
How are consonant clusters typically formed in Devanagari when a consonant lacks a vertical right stroke?
Answer: By using a special conjunct form, often a 'half form'.
Explanation: When a consonant lacks a vertical right stroke, consonant clusters are typically formed using special conjunct forms, frequently referred to as 'half forms'.
The special conjuncts for 'ksha' and 'jna' in Devanagari are noted for being:
Answer: Unique ligatures formed from 'k'+'sha' and 'j'+'nya'.
Explanation: The conjunct consonants for 'ksha' (क्श) and 'jna' (ज्ञ) in Devanagari are distinctive ligatures, not merely simple combinations of their constituent letters.
When the consonant 'ra' (र) begins a consonant cluster, how is it typically represented?
Answer: As a 'repha', a curved dash above the following consonant.
Explanation: When 'ra' (र) initiates a consonant cluster, it is conventionally represented as a 'repha', a curved mark positioned above the subsequent consonant.
The 'barakhadi' table is important for learning Devanagari because it shows:
Answer: How consonants combine with all vowel signs (matras) to form syllables.
Explanation: The 'barakhadi' table is crucial for learners as it systematically illustrates how each consonant combines with all available vowel signs (matras) to construct the basic syllables of the script.
Devanagari uses the standard Arabic numerals (0-9) for its number system.
Answer: False
Explanation: Devanagari employs its own set of numerals (०-९), derived from the ancient Indian numeral system, not the standard Arabic numerals.
The Hunterian system is one of the primary transliteration systems used for Devanagari.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Hunterian system is mentioned as India's national standard for transliteration and is among the primary systems used for Devanagari.
The 'danda' (।) symbol traditionally marks the end of a full verse in Devanagari texts.
Answer: False
Explanation: The single 'danda' (।) traditionally marks the end of a sentence or half-verse, while a double 'danda' (॥) marks the end of a full verse.
What is the origin of the Devanagari numerals (०-९)?
Answer: They are derived from the ancient Indian numeral system.
Explanation: The Devanagari numerals (०-९) originate from the ancient Indian numeral system, which also served as the basis for the globally used Hindu-Arabic numerals.
Which transliteration system is mentioned as India's national standard?
Answer: Hunterian
Explanation: The Hunterian system is identified as India's national standard for transliteration of Devanagari and other Indic scripts.
What is the traditional punctuation mark used in Devanagari to signify the end of a sentence or half-verse?
Answer: Single danda (।)
Explanation: The single 'danda' (।) is the traditional punctuation mark employed in Devanagari to denote the conclusion of a sentence or a half-verse.
The InScript keyboard layout is designed for typing English text using Devanagari characters.
Answer: False
Explanation: The InScript keyboard layout is standardized for efficient input of Devanagari characters, not for typing English text with them.
Unicode represents Devanagari characters using a single block from U+0900 to U+097F.
Answer: False
Explanation: Unicode represents Devanagari characters across multiple blocks, including Devanagari, Devanagari Extended, Devanagari Extended-A, and Vedic Extensions.
Phonetic keyboard layouts allow users to type Devanagari using Latin letters based on pronunciation.
Answer: True
Explanation: Phonetic keyboard layouts enable users to input Devanagari characters by typing corresponding Latin letters that represent the pronunciation of the desired sounds.
What is the primary characteristic of a phonetic keyboard layout for Devanagari input?
Answer: It allows typing Devanagari characters using corresponding Latin letters based on pronunciation.
Explanation: Phonetic keyboard layouts are characterized by their ability to map Devanagari characters to Latin letters based on pronunciation, facilitating input for users familiar with Roman alphabets.
The Unicode standard represents Devanagari characters across multiple blocks, including:
Answer: Devanagari, Devanagari Extended, Devanagari Extended-A, and Vedic Extensions.
Explanation: The Unicode standard encompasses Devanagari characters within several blocks: Devanagari (U+0900–U+097F), Devanagari Extended (U+A8E0–U+A8FF), Devanagari Extended-A (U+11B00–U+11B5F), and Vedic Extensions (U+1CD0–U+1CFF).