Sanskrit and Other Diacriticals—
Coping with Different Computers

Thursday, February 27, 2003

 

Semi-colon Semi-transliteration

Not all computers have access to the right font or operating system to provide the standard diacritical marks for Sanskrit and other languages.

 

Although many people type “mahaayaana,” for instance, to represent “Mahāyāna,” the system produces words that seem at first glance more Finnish than Sanskrit.

 

So I sometimes place “;” and “,” marks letters to represent diacriticals: “Mah;ay;ana” represents “Mahāyāna,” for instance .

 

The semi-colon alerts the reader to an accent above the letter, and a comma indicates an accent below the letter.

 

This has the advantage of allowing users to capitalize words, for instance.

 

Diacritical Converter

(JavaScript Program
Converts Characters to UTF-8)

 

Diacritical Mass

When I’m able to, I use the standard diacriticals.

 

There is a multilingual standard called Unicode (Web site) that provides characters for many languages.

 

However, this standard is not fully available on all computers. Windows 98, for instance, uses just the first 8 bits of each 16-bit Unicode character.

 

This standard is called UTF-8, and it’s the standard I follow when posting Web pages.

 

When I hand in essays, I use the full Unicode standard, but I have to use the rather ugly Arial Unicode MS font—and on a more advanced computer than my aging Win98 machine at home.

 

All in a Row

Here is a list of the transliterated characters in non-Unicode Times Roman font (where available):

 

āĀīĪōŌśŚūŪ

 

—and in Arial Unicode MS:

 

āĀīĪṁṀṅṄōŌśŚūŪ

ḍḌḥḤḷḶṃṂṇṆṛṚṣṢṭṬ

 

As you can see, the dotted characters are the ones that are unavailable in UTF-8.

 

Tables are Set

Below are two tables: one is a list of characters as transliterated in three different ways, and the other is a small word list, mainly of Sanskrit words.

 

Comments and corrections are welcome (E-mail).

 

Transliterated characters

Basic

UTF-8

Full Unicode

;a

ā

ā

;A

Ā

Ā

;i

ī

ī

;I

Ī

Ī

;m

;m

;M

;M

;n

;n

;N

;N

;o

ō

ō

;O

Ō

Ō

;s

ś

ś

;S

Ś

Ś

;u

ū

ū

;U

Ū

Ū

,d

,d

,D

,D

,h

,h

,H

,H

,l

,l

,L

,L

,m

,m

,M

,M

,n

,n

,N

,N

,r

,r

,R

,R

,s

,s

,S

,S

,t

,t

,T

,T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Word list

Basic

UTF-8

Full Unicode

Abhidhamma

Abhidhamma

Abhidhamma

Abhidharma

Abhidharma

Abhidharma

Abhidharmako;sa

Abhidharmakośa

Abhidharmakośa

Abhidharmasamuccaya

Abhidharmasamuccaya

Abhidharmasamuccaya

Abhirati

Abhirati

Abhirati

Abhisamay;ala,mk;ara

Abhisamayāla,mkāra

Abhisamayālakāra

Abhisamay;ala,mkar;alok;a

Abhisamayāla,mkarālokā

Abhisamayālakarālokā

Adhyardha;satik;a Prajñ;ap;aramit;a

Adhyardhaśatikā Prajñāpāramitā

Adhyardhaśatikā Prajñāpāramitā

;Adi Buddha

Ādi Buddha

Ādi Buddha

Advaita Ved;anta

Advaita Vedānta

Advaita Vedānta

ahi,ms;a

ahi,msā

ahisā

Aj;ata;satru

Ajātaśatru

Ajātaśatru

;ajava,mjav;ibh;ava

ājava,mjavībhāva

ājavajavībhāva

Ajitasena

Ajitasena

Ajitasena

Ajitasena S;utra

Ajitasena Sūtra

Ajitasena Sūtra

Akani,s,tha

Akani,s,tha

Akaniṣṭha

Akani,t,tha

Akani,t,tha

Akaniṭṭha

Ak,sayamati S;utra

Ak,sayamati Sūtra

Akayamati Sūtra

Ak,sayamatinirde;sa

Ak,sayamatinirdeśa

Akayamatinirdeśa

Ak,sobhya

Ak,sobhya

Akobhya

Ak,sobhyavy;uha S;utra

Ak,sobhyavyūha Sūtra

Akobhyavyūha Sūtra

;alaya-vijñ;ana

ālaya-vijñāna

ālaya-vijñāna

Ambedkar Buddhism

Ambedkar Buddhism

Ambedkar Buddhism

Amida

Amida

Amida

Amit;abha

Amitābha

Amitābha

Amit;ayurbuddh;anusm,rti S;utra

Amitāyurbuddhānusm,rti Sūtra

Amitāyurbuddhānusmti Sūtra

Amit;ayus

Amitāyus

Amitāyus

Amoghasiddhi

Amoghasiddhi

Amoghasiddhi

an;atman

anātman

anātman

anatta

anatta

anatta

Anesaki

Anesaki

Anesaki

A;ngulim;aliya S;utra

A;ngulimāliya Sūtra

Agulimāliya Sūtra

arahat

arahat

arahat

arhat

arhat

arhat

;Aryadeva

Āryadeva

Āryadeva

asa,msk,rta

asa,msk,rta

asaṃskta

Asa;nga

Asa;nga

Asaga

A;svaghosa

Aśvaghosa

Aśvaghosa

;atman

ātman

ātman

atta

atta

atta

Avalokite;svara

Avalokiteśvara

Avalokiteśvara

Avata,msaka S;utra

Avata,msaka Sūtra

Avatasaka Sūtra

Bahu;srut;iya

Bahuśrutīya

Bahuśrutīya

Bhai,sajya-guru

Bhai,sajya-guru

Bhaiajya-guru

bh;ava

bhāva

bhāva

bhava;nga

bhava;nga

bhavaga

bhikkhu

bhikkhu

bhikkhu

bhikkhun;i

bhikkhunī

bhikkhunī

bhik,su

bhik,su

bhiku

bhik,su,n;i

bhik,su,nī

bhikuṇī

Boddhisattva-y;ana

Boddhisattva-yāna

Boddhisattva-yāna

bodhi

bodhi

bodhi

bodhi-citta

bodhi-citta

bodhi-citta

bodhisatta

bodhisatta

bodhisatta

bodhisattva

bodhisattva

bodhisattva

Brahm;a (Great B.)

Brahmā (Great B.)

Brahmā (Great B.)

Brahmaj;ala

Brahmajāla

Brahmajāla

Brahman

Brahman

Brahman

Cakkavatti

Cakkavatti

Cakkavatti

cakra

cakra

cakra

Candrak;irti

Candrakīrti

Candrakīrti

catu,skoti

catu,skoti

catukoti

Ch’an

Ch’an

Chan

citta

citta

citta

d;ana

dāna

dāna

deva

deva

deva

deva

deva

deva

dhamma

dhamma

dhamma

dh;ara,n;i

dhāra,nī

dhāraṇī

dharma

dharma

dharma

Dharmadh;atu

Dharmadhātu

Dharmadhātu

Dharmap;ala

Dharmapāla

Dharmapāla

dhy;ana

dhyāna

dhyāna

dukkha

dukkha

dukkha

Durg;a

Durgā

Durgā

haiku

haiku

haiku

Haribhadra

Haribhadra

Haribhadra

Harivarman

Harivarman

Harivarman

H;inay;ana

Hīnayāna

Hīnayāna

Hua-yen

Hua-yen

Hua-yen

Indra

Indra

Indra

J;ataka

Jātaka

Jātaka

Jayanti (Buddha J.)

Jayanti (Buddha J.)

Jayanti (Buddha J.)

jh;ana

jhāna

jhāna

J;odo-shin

Jōdo-shin

Jōdo-shin

kami

kami

kami

karu,n;a

karu,nā

karuṇā

k;arya

kārya

kārya

kasi,na-ma,n,dala

kasi,na-ma,n,dala

kasia-maṇḍala

kensh;o

kenshō

kenshō

khandha

khandha

khandha

k;oan

kōan

kōan

kriy;a

kriyā

kriyā

k,satriya

k,satriya

katriya

K,sitigarbha

K,sitigarbha

Kitigarbha

Kuch;a

Kuchā

Kuchā

Kum;araj;iva

Kumārajīva

Kumārajīva

ku,n,dalin;i

ku,n,dalinī

kuṇḍalinī

kung-an

kung-an

kung-an

lak,sa,na

lak,sa,na

lakaa

lokiya

lokiya

Lokiya

Madhyamaka

Madhyamaka

Madhyamaka

M;adhyamika

Mādhyamika

Mādhyamika

Mah;adeva

Mahādeva

Mahādeva

Mah;amudra

Mahāmudra

Mahāmudra

Mah;aparinirv;a,na

Mahāparinirvā,na

Mahāparinirvāṇa

Mah;as;a,mghikas

Mahāsā,mghikas

Mahāsāghikas

Mah;asanghikas

Mahāsanghikas

Mahāsanghikas

Mah;a-siddha

Mahā-siddha

Mahā-siddha

Mah;avastu

Mahāvastu

Mahāvastu

Mah;ay;ana

Mahāyāna

Mahāyāna

Maitreya

Maitreya

Maitreya

manas (mind-organ)

manas (mind-organ)

manas (mind-organ)

ma,n,dala

ma,n,dala

maṇḍala

Ma,ni-mantra

Ma,ni-mantra

Mai-mantra

Mañju;sr;i

Mañjuśrī

Mañjuśrī

mano (Pali) ( = manas)

mano (Pali) ( = manas)

mano (Pali) ( = manas)

mantra

mantra

Mantra

mantray;ana

mantrayāna

mantrayāna

mapp;o

mappō

mappō

M;ara

Māra

Māra

M;at;aj;i

Mātājī

Mātājī

m;ay;a (illusion)

māyā (illusion)

māyā (illusion)

Metteyya

Metteyya

Metteyya

m;udra

Mūdra

mūdra

M;ulamadhyamakak;arik;a

Mūlamadhyamakakārikā

Mūlamadhyamakakārikā

N;ag;arjuna

Nāgārjuna

Nāgārjuna

nembutsu

Nembutsu

nembutsu

nibb;ana

nibbāna

nibbāna

nid;ana

nidāna

nidāna

nik;aya

nikāya

nikāya

nimitta

nimitta

nimitta

nirv;a,na

nirvā,na

nirvāṇa

Pali

Pali

Pali

parinibb;ana

parinibbāna

parinibbāna

paritta

paritta

paritta

pa,ticca-samupp;ada

pa,ticca-samuppāda

paicca-samuppāda

p;a,timokkha

pā,timokkha

pāṭimokkha

prajñ;a

prajñā

prajñā

Prajñ;a-p;aramit;a

Prajñā-pāramitā

Prajñā-pāramitā

prat;itya-samutp;ada

pratītya-samutpāda

pratītya-samutpāda

Pratyayapar;ik,s;a

Pratyayaparīk,sā

Pratyayaparīkṣā

pratyeka-buddha

pratyeka-buddha

pratyeka-buddha

Pudgalav;ada

Pudgalavāda

Pudgalavāda

Puggalav;ada

Puggalavāda

Puggalavāda

p;uj;a

pūjā

pūjā

puñña

puñña

puñña

puthujjana

puthujjana

puthujjana

Rissh;o-k;oseikai

Risshō-kōseikai

Risshō-kōseikai

Sahajay;ana

Sahajayāna

Sahajayāna

;Saivism

Śaivism

Śaivism

Sakka

Sakka

Sakka

sam;adhi

samādhi

samādhi

Saman

Saman

Saman

Sama,na

Sama,na

Samaa

samatha

samatha

samatha

Samatha-y;ana

Samatha-yāna

Samatha-yāna

sa,mjña

sa,mjña

sajña

sa,ms;ara

sa,msāra

sasāra

sa,msk,rta

sa,msk,rta

saṃskta

samurai

samurai

samurai

Sa;ngha

Sa;ngha

Sagha

Sangha (P.) / Sa;ngha

Sangha (P.) / Sa;ngha

Sangha (P.) / Sagha

sa;nkh;ara

sa;nkhāra

sakhāra

sañña

sañña

sañña

Sanskrit

Sanskrit

Sanskrit

Sarv;astiv;ada

Sarvāstivāda

Sarvāstivāda

Sarv;astiv;din

Sarvāstivādin

Sarvāstivādin

Sarvodaya ;Sramad;ana

Sarvodaya Śramadāna

Sarvodaya Śramadāna

;S;astra

Śāstra

Śāstra

;s;astra

śāstra

śāstra

sati-pa,t,th;ana

sati-pa,t,thāna

sati-paṭṭhāna

satori

satori

satori

Sautr;antika

Sautrāntika

Sautrāntika

Shint;o

Shintō

Shintō

;Siva

Śiva

Śiva

S;oka-gakkai

Sōka-gakkai

Sōka-gakkai

S/on

Sǒn

Sǒn

;Sr;avakay;ana

Śrāvakayāna

Śrāvakayāna

st;upa

stūpa

stūpa

,S;uf;i

,Sūfī

Ṣūfī

Sukh;avat;i

Sukhāvatī

Sukhāvatī

;S;unyat;a

Śūnyatā

Śūnyatā

;s;unyat;a

śūnyatā

śūnyatā

s;utras

sūtras

sūtras

sutta

sutta

sutta

svabh;ava

svabhāva

svabhāva

svalak,sa,na

svalak,sa,na

svalakaa

T’ien-t’ai

T’ien-t’ai

Tien-tai

Taish;o

Taishō

Taishō

Tantra

Tantra

Tantra

T;ar;a

Tārā

Tārā

Tath;agata-garbha

Tathāgata-garbha

Tathāgata-garbha

Tattvasiddhi

Tattvasiddhi

Tattvasiddhi

T;avati,msa

Tāvati,msa

Tāvatisa

Therav;ada

Theravāda

Theravāda

Therav;adin

Theravādin

Theravādin

Ti-ratana

Ti-ratana

Ti-ratana

t;irtha;nkara

tīrtha;nkara

tīrthakara

Tri,m;sik;a

Tri,mśikā

Triṃśikā

Tusita (P.) / Tu,sita

Tusita (P.) / Tu,sita

Tusita (P.) / Tuita

unsui

Unsui

unsui

up;ad;aya

Upādāya

upādāya

Upani,sads

Upani,sads

Upaniads

up;asaka

upāsaka

upāsaka

up;asik;a

upāsikā

upāsikā

up;aya-kau;salya

upāya-kauśalya

upāya-kauśalya

uposatha

uposatha

uposatha

Vacchagotta

Vacchagotta

Vacchagotta

v;ada

vāda

vāda

Vairocana

Vairocana

Vairocana

Vai,s,no Devī

Vai,s,no Devī

Vaiṣṇo Devī

Vajra

Vajra

Vajra

vajr;ac;ara

vajrācāra

vajrācāra

Vajrasattva

Vajrasattva

Vajrasattva

Vajray;ana

Varjayāna

Varjayāna

Vassa

Vassa

Vassa

vassa

vassa

vassa

Vasubandhu

Vasubandhu

Vasubandhu

Veda

Veda

Veda

Vedic

Vedic

Vedic

Vibhajjav;ada

Vibhajjavāda

Vibhajjavāda

Vigrahavy;avartan;i

Vigrahavyāvartanī

Vigrahavyāvartanī

vih;ara

vihāra

vihāra

Vi,m;satik;a

Vi,mśatikā

Viṁśatikā

Vinaya

Vinaya

Vinaya

Vipassan;a

Vipassanā

Vipassanā

Vipassan;a-y;ana

Vipassanā-yāna

Vipassanā-yāna

Vi,s,nu

Vi,s,nu

Viṣṇu

Won

Won

Won

yi-dam

yi-dam

yi-dam

Yog;ac;ara

Yogācāra

Yogācāra

zazen

zazen

zazen

Zen

Zen

Zen

 

 

 

 

 

© 2002 Jeff Lindstrom <jeff.lindstrom@utoronto.ca>