Warang Citi Alphabet Table
| Capital | Small | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 𑢠 | 𑣀 | NGAA | first letter Ong, akin to Om in other Brahmic scripts |
| 𑢡 | 𑣁 | A | – |
| 𑢢 | 𑣂 | WI | – |
| 𑢣 | 𑣃 | YU | – |
| 𑢤 | 𑣄 | YA | – |
| 𑢥 | 𑣅 | YO | – |
| 𑢦 | 𑣆 | II | – |
| 𑢧 | 𑣇 | UU | – |
| 𑢨 | 𑣈 | E | – |
| 𑢩 | 𑣉 | O | – |
| 𑢪 | 𑣊 | ANG | – |
| 𑢫 | 𑣋 | GA | – |
| 𑢬 | 𑣌 | KO | – |
| 𑢭 | 𑣍 | ENY | – |
| 𑢮 | 𑣎 | YUJ | – |
| 𑢯 | 𑣏 | UC | – |
| 𑢰 | 𑣐 | ENN | – |
| 𑢱 | 𑣑 | ODD | – |
| 𑢲 | 𑣒 | TTE | – |
| 𑢳 | 𑣓 | NUNG | – |
| 𑢴 | 𑣔 | DA | – |
| 𑢵 | 𑣕 | AT | – |
| 𑢶 | 𑣖 | AM | – |
| 𑢷 | 𑣗 | BU | – |
| 𑢸 | 𑣘 | PU | – |
| 𑢹 | 𑣙 | HIYO | – |
| 𑢺 | 𑣚 | HOLO | – |
| 𑢻 | 𑣛 | HORR | – |
| 𑢼 | 𑣜 | HAR | – |
| 𑢽 | 𑣝 | SSUU | – |
| 𑢾 | 𑣞 | SII | – |
| 𑢿 | 𑣟 | VIYO | – |
| 𑣠 | – | Digit Zero | value 0 |
| 𑣡 | – | Digit One | value 1 |
| 𑣢 | – | Digit Two | value 2 |
| 𑣣 | – | Digit Three | value 3 |
| 𑣤 | – | Digit Four | value 4 |
| 𑣥 | – | Digit Five | value 5 |
| 𑣦 | – | Digit Six | value 6 |
| 𑣧 | – | Digit Seven | value 7 |
| 𑣨 | – | Digit Eight | value 8 |
| 𑣩 | – | Digit Nine | value 9 |
Warang Chiti (also written Varang Kshiti) is a writing system invented by the community leader Lako Bodra for the Ho language of East India. Wikipedia dates its use from the 1950s, and gives it a modern origin story unlike any script on this site: Bodra created it “as an alternative to the writing systems devised by Christian missionaries” - yet he also claimed the alphabet was actually invented in the 13th century by Deowan Turi, rediscovered by Bodra in a shamanistic vision, and modernized by him for present use.
The script works. It is used in primary and adult education and in various publications, and it holds genuine prestige among Ho speakers - though Wikipedia notes its acceptance is strongest among the easternmost group, while many other speakers prefer oral transmission of knowledge, Devanagari, or Latin script.
The table below lists the entire Unicode block (U+118A0–U+118FF): 32 letters in capital and small pairs, plus all ten digits. The chart opens with NGAA (Ong), the counterpart of Om in other Brahmic scripts, runs left to right in horizontal lines, and - unusually for an Indian script - follows English-style capitalization and punctuation.
How to use
- Read the chart in two bands: 32 letter rows show each capital and its small form side by side as separate codepoints (capital U+118A0–U+118BF, small U+118C0–U+118DF), then the ten digit rows ZERO through NINE. The Note column marks the first row’s special status - NGAA/Ong corresponds to Om in other Brahmic scripts.
- Use the names as pronunciation keys: NGAA, WI, YU, YA and the rest spell Ho sound values, and a few ligatures plus stacked conjunct consonants extend the inventory beyond the single letters - exactly how the script builds new sounds without adding codepoints.
- Write it like English, not like Devanagari: capitalization rules follow English, punctuation is English-style, and text runs left to right in horizontal lines - a deliberate design choice of the modernizer that sets Warang Chiti apart from the syllabic traditions around it.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented Warang Citi and when?
Lako Bodra, a Ho community leader, invented it in the 20th century (use dates from the 1950s) as an alternative to the writing systems devised by Christian missionaries. But Wikipedia preserves his own fuller account: the alphabet was, he claims, originally invented in the 13th century by Deowan Turi, and Bodra rediscovered it in a shamanistic vision before modernizing it. The scholarly framing is a 20th-century creation with a claimed medieval pedigree - a pattern documented for several community scripts of India.
What language does it write?
Ho, a Munda language spoken in East India (mainly Jharkhand and Odisha). The script is used in primary and adult education and in publications, and acceptance is strongest among the easternmost Ho speakers; many others continue to use oral transmission, Devanagari or Latin script. Wikipedia notes Warang Chiti carries real prestige among those educated in it.
Does it really have capital and small letters?
Yes - and that is one of its most distinctive features. The 32 letters come in capital and small pairs that follow English-style capitalization rules, and the script also borrows English-style punctuation. For a script of the Devanagari-using region, the Latin-style case system is a signature of its modern design rather than a medieval inheritance.
How many digits does the script have?
All ten - ZERO through NINE, with a true zero as the first digit. That is worth noting: many historically derived scripts never received a native zero, but Warang Citi’s Unicode block (U+118E0–U+118E9) encodes the complete decimal set, matching its modern educational use in arithmetic as well as literacy.
How is it different from Ol Chiki?
Both are 20th-century community scripts from eastern India created outside missionary and state channels, but they serve different languages: Warang Chiti writes Ho (a Munda language), Ol Chiki writes Santali (also Munda, but a different language and community). Warang Chiti’s signature choices are the English-style case and punctuation system and the opening letter Ong echoing Om - and its origin narrative rests on a shamanistic rediscovery claim rather than Ol Chiki’s literary program.