For the Unicode block, see Tai Tham (Unicode block).
Tai Tham
ᨲ᩠ᩅᩫᨵᩢᨾ᩠ᨾ᩼, Tua Tham
Script type
Abugida
Time period
c. 1300–present
Direction
Left-to-right
Languages
Northern Thai, Tai Lü, Khün, Isan and Lao
Related scripts
Parent systems
Proto-Sinaitic alphabet[a]
Phoenician alphabet[a]
Aramaic alphabet[a]
Brāhmī
Tamil-Brahmi
Pallava alphabet[1]
Old Mon script[1][2][3]
Tai Tham
Child systems
New Tai Lue, Tham Lao
ISO 15924
ISO 15924
Lana(351), Tai Tham (Lanna)
Unicode
Unicode alias
Tai Tham
Unicode range
U+1A20–U+1AAF
[a] The Semitic origin of the Brahmic scripts is not universally agreed upon.
This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.
Tai Tham script (Tham meaning "scripture") is an abugida writing system used mainly for a group of Southwestern Tai languages i.e., Northern Thai, Tai Lü, Khün and Lao; as well as the liturgical languages of Buddhism i.e., Pali and Sanskrit. It is historically known as Tua Tham (ᨲ᩠ᩅᩫᨵᨾ᩠ᨾ᩼ or ᨲ᩠ᩅᩫᨵᩢᨾ᩠ᨾ᩼). In Thailand and Myanmar, the script is often referred to as Lanna script (Thai: อักษรธรรมล้านนา RTGS: Akson Tham Lan Na; Burmese: လန်နအက္ခရာ RTGS: Lanna Akara) in relation to the historical kingdom of Lan Na situating in the Northern region of modern day Thailand and a part of Shan state in Myanmar.[4] Local people in Northern Thailand also call the script as Tua Mueang (ᨲ᩠ᩅᩫᨾᩮᩥᩬᨦ, Northern Thai pronunciation:[tǔa̯.mɯ̄a̯ŋ]listenⓘ) in parallel to Kam Mueang, a local name for Northern Thai language.[4] In Laos and Isan region of Thailand, a variation of Tai Tham script, often dubbed Lao Tham, is also known by the locals as To Tham Lao (Northeastern Thai: โตธรรมลาว/toː˩.tʰam˧˥.laːw˧/, cf. Lao: ໂຕທຳ/ໂຕທັມ BGN/PCGN to tham) or Yuan script.[5] Tai Tham script is traditionally written on a dried palm leaf as a palm-leaf manuscript.[4]
The Northern Thai language is a close relative of (standard) Thai. It is spoken by nearly 6 million people in Northern Thailand and several thousand in Laos of whom few are literate in Lanna script. The script is still read by older monks. Northern Thai has six linguistic tones and Thai only five, making transcription into the Thai alphabet problematic. There is some resurgent interest in the script among younger people, but an added complication is that the modern spoken form, called Kam Muang, differs in pronunciation from the older form.[6]
There are 670,000 speakers of Tai Lü, some of those born before 1950 are literate in Tham, also known as Old Tai Lue.[citation needed] The script has also continued to be taught in the monasteries. The New Tai Lue script is derived from Tham. There are 120,000 speakers of Khün for which Lanna is the only script.
This article contains Lanna text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Tai Tham script.
^ abDiringer, David (1948). Alphabet a key to the history of mankind. p. 411.
^Hartmann, John F. (1986). "The spread of South Indic scripts in Southeast Asia". Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 3 (1): 6–20. JSTOR 40860228.
^Penth, Hans (1986). "On the History of Thai scripts" (PDF). Siam Society Newsletter. Vol. 2, no. 3.
^ abcCite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Everson, Michael, Hosken, Martin, & Constable, Peter. (2007). Revised proposal for encoding the Lanna script in the BMP of the UCS.
^Natnapang Burutphakdee (October 2004). Khon Muang Neu Kap Phasa Muang [Attitudes of Northern Thai Youth towards Kammuang and the Lanna Script] (PDF) (M.A. Thesis). Presented at 4th National Symposium on Graduate Research, Chiang Mai, Thailand, August 10–11, 2004. Asst. Prof. Dr. Kirk R. Person, adviser. Chiang Mai: Payap University. P. 7, digital image 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-05-05. Retrieved June 8, 2013. The reason why they called this language 'Kammuang' is because they used this language in the towns where they lived together, which were surrounded by mountainous areas where there were many hill tribe people.
TaiThamscript (Tham meaning "scripture") is an abugida writing system used mainly for a group of Southwestern Tai languages i.e., Northern Thai, Tai...
correctly. The Tai Le script (ᥖᥭᥰ ᥘᥫᥴ, [tai˦.lə˧˥]), or Dehong Dai script, is a Brahmic script used to write the Tai Nüa language spoken by the Tai Nua people...
Burma, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam still use the TaiTham alphabet. Similar to the Thai and Lao scripts, consonants come in pairs to denote two tonal registers...
article correctly. Tai Lue (New Tai Lü: ᦅᧄᦺᦑᦟᦹᧉ, TaiTham: ᨣᩴᩣᨴᩱ᩠ᨿᩃᩨ᩶, kam tai lue, [kâm.tâj.lɯ̀]) or Xishuangbanna Dai is a Tai language of the Lu people...
The Lik scripts have a limited inventory of 16 to 18 consonant symbols compared to the TaiThamscript, which possibly indicates that the scripts were not...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Kam Mueang (Northern Thai: ᨣᩴᩤᨾᩮᩬᩥᨦ, กำเมือง ) or Northern Thai language...
question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. The Northern Thai people or Tai Yuan (Thai: ไทยวน, [tʰaj˧ juan˧]), self-designation...
the Fakkham script as their secular script used for official inscriptions, important letters and other documents, while the TaiThamscript was used for...
written in TaiTham, a Mon-based script that is still used for the Tai Khün, Tai Lü, and formerly for Kham Mueang. The Lao style of this script is known...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Lampang (Thai: ลำปาง, pronounced [lām.pāːŋ]; Northern Thai: ᩃᩣᩴᨻᩣ᩠ᨦ)...
or other symbols instead of Lao script. The Tai Noi (also spelled Thai Noi) or Lao Buhan script is a Brahmic script that has historically been used in...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Phayao (Thai: พะเยา, pronounced [pʰā.jāw]; Northern Thai: ᩕᨻᨿᩣ᩠ᩅ)...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Chiang Rai (Thai: เชียงราย, pronounced [t͡ɕʰīa̯ŋ.rāːj]; Northern Thai:...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Chiang Rai (Thai: เชียงราย, pronounced [t͡ɕʰīa̯ŋ rāːj]; Northern Thai:...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Chiang Mai is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Mangrai (Northern Thai: ᨾᩢ᩠ᨦᩁᩣ᩠ᨿ; Thai: มังราย; 1238–1311), also known...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. The Lan Na Kingdom or The Kingdom of Lanna (Northern Thai: ᩋᩣᨱᩣᨧᩢᨠ᩠ᨠ᩼ᩃ᩶ᩣ᩠ᨶᨶᩣ...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Phrae (Thai: แพร่; pronounced [pʰrɛ̂ː]; Northern Thai: ᨻᩯᩖ᩵) is one...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Lamphun (Thai: ลำพูน, pronounced [lām.pʰūːn]; Northern Thai: ᩃᨻᩪᩁ...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Mae Hong Son (Thai: แม่ฮ่องสอน, pronounced [mɛ̂ː hɔ̂ŋ sɔ̌ːn]) is a...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Uttaradit (Thai: อุตรดิตถ์, pronounced [ʔùt.tā.rā.dìt]; Northern Thai:ᩏᨲ᩠ᨲᩁᨯᩥᨲ᩠ᨳ᩺)...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Chiang Mai is the second largest Province (changwat) of Thailand....
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Mae Hong Son province (Burmese: မဲဟောင်ဆောင်; Thai: แม่ฮ่องสอน, pronounced...
support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of TaiThamscript. Phayao (Thai pronunciation: [pʰā.jāw]) is a city (thesaban mueang)...
Lik-Taiscripts Ahom Khamti Tai Le TaiTham New Tai Lue Pyu Vatteluttu Kolezhuthu Malayanma As of Unicode version 15.1, the following Brahmic scripts have...