Malayalam character tables

This document lists the per-character shaping information needed to shape Malayalam text.

Contents

• Malayalam character table

• Vedic Extensions character table

• Miscellaneous character table

Malayalam character table

Malayalam glyphs should be classified as in the following table. Codepoints in the Malayalam block with no assigned meaning are designated as unassigned in the Unicode category column.

Assigned codepoints with a null in the Shaping class column evoke no special behavior from the shaping engine. Note that this does include some valid codepoints, such as currency marks, punctuation, and other symbols.

Note: the NUMBER and SYMBOL Shaping classes are important during syllable identification, but generally evoke no further special behavior during the rest of the shaping process.

The Mark-placement subclass column indicates mark-placement positioning for codepoints in the Mark category. Assigned, non-mark codepoints have a null in this column and evoke no special mark-placement behavior. Marks tagged with [Mn] in the Unicode category column are categorized as non-spacing; marks tagged with [Mc] are categorized as spacing-combining.

Some codepoints in the following table use a Shaping class that differs from the codepoint’s Unicode General Category. The Shaping class takes precedence during OpenType shaping, as it captures more specific, script-aware behavior.

Table 45 Malayalam character table

Codepoint	Unicode category	Shaping class	Mark-placement subclass	Glyph
U+0D00	Mark [Mn]	BINDU	TOP_POSITION	ഀ Combining Anusvara Above
U+0D01	Mark [Mn]	BINDU	TOP_POSITION	ഁ Candrabindu
U+0D02	Mark [Mc]	BINDU	RIGHT_POSITION	ം Anusvara
U+0D03	Mark [Mc]	VISARGA	RIGHT_POSITION	ഃ Visarga
U+0D04	Letter	BINDU	null	ഄ Vedic Anusvara
U+0D05	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	അ A
U+0D06	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ആ Aa
U+0D07	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ഇ I
U+0D08	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ഈ Ii
U+0D09	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ഉ U
U+0D0A	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ഊ Uu
U+0D0B	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ഋ Vocalic R
U+0D0C	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ഌ Vocalic L
U+0D0D	unassigned
U+0D0E	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	എ E
U+0D0F	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ഏ Ee
U+0D10	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ഐ Ai
U+0D11	unassigned
U+0D12	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ഒ O
U+0D13	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ഓ Oo
U+0D14	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ഔ Au
U+0D15	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ക Ka
U+0D16	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഖ Kha
U+0D17	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഗ Ga
U+0D18	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഘ Gha
U+0D19	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ങ Nga
U+0D1A	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ച Ca
U+0D1B	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഛ Cha
U+0D1C	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ജ Ja
U+0D1D	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഝ Jha
U+0D1E	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഞ Nya
U+0D1F	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ട Tta
U+0D20	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഠ Ttha
U+0D21	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഡ Dda
U+0D22	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഢ Ddha
U+0D23	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ണ Nna
U+0D24	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ത Ta
U+0D25	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഥ Tha
U+0D26	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ദ Da
U+0D27	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ധ Dha
U+0D28	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ന Na
U+0D29	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഩ Nnna
U+0D2A	Letter	CONSONANT	null	പ Pa
U+0D2B	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഫ Pha
U+0D2C	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ബ Ba
U+0D2D	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഭ Bha
U+0D2E	Letter	CONSONANT	null	മ Ma
U+0D2F	Letter	CONSONANT	null	യ Ya
U+0D30	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ര Ra
U+0D31	Letter	CONSONANT	null	റ Rra
U+0D32	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ല La
U+0D33	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ള Lla
U+0D34	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഴ Llla
U+0D35	Letter	CONSONANT	null	വ Va
U+0D36	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ശ Sha
U+0D37	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഷ Ssa
U+0D38	Letter	CONSONANT	null	സ Sa
U+0D39	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഹ Ha
U+0D3A	Letter	CONSONANT	null	ഺ Ttta
U+0D3B	Mark [Mn]	PURE_KILLER	TOP_POSITION	഻ Vertical Bar Virama
U+0D3C	Mark [Mn]	PURE_KILLER	TOP_POSITION	഼ Circular Virama
U+0D3D	Letter	AVAGRAHA	null	ഽ Avagraha
U+0D3E	Mark [Mc]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	RIGHT_POSITION	ാ Sign Aa
U+0D3F	Mark [Mc]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	RIGHT_POSITION	ി Sign I
U+0D40	Mark [Mc]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	RIGHT_POSITION	ീ Sign Ii
U+0D41	Mark [Mn]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	RIGHT_POSITION	ു Sign U
U+0D42	Mark [Mn]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	RIGHT_POSITION	ൂ Sign Uu
U+0D43	Mark [Mn]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	BOTTOM_POSITION	ൃ Sign Vocalic R
U+0D44	Mark [Mn]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	BOTTOM_POSITION	ൄ Sign Vocalic Rr
U+0D45	unassigned
U+0D46	Mark [Mc]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	LEFT_POSITION	െ Sign E
U+0D47	Mark [Mc]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	LEFT_POSITION	േ Sign Ee
U+0D48	Mark [Mc]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	LEFT_POSITION	ൈ Sign Ai
U+0D49	unassigned
U+0D4A	Mark [Mc]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	LEFT_AND_RIGHT_POSITION	ൊ Sign O
U+0D4B	Mark [Mc]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	LEFT_AND_RIGHT_POSITION	ോ Sign Oo
U+0D4C	Mark [Mc]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	LEFT_AND_RIGHT_POSITION	ൌ Sign Au
U+0D4D	Mark [Mn]	VIRAMA	TOP_POSITION	് Virama
U+0D4E	Letter	CONSONANT_PRE_REPHA	null	ൎ Dot Reph
U+0D4F	Symbol	SYMBOL	null	൏ Para
U+0D50	unassigned
U+0D51	unassigned
U+0D52	unassigned
U+0D53	unassigned
U+0D54	Letter	CONSONANT_DEAD	null	ൔ Chillu M
U+0D55	Letter	CONSONANT_DEAD	null	ൕ Chillu Y
U+0D56	Letter	CONSONANT_DEAD	null	ൖ Chillu Lll
U+0D57	Mark [Mc]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	RIGHT_POSITION	ൗ Au Length Mark
U+0D58	Number	NUMBER	null	൘ Fraction 1/160
U+0D59	Number	NUMBER	null	൙ Fraction 1/40
U+0D5A	Number	NUMBER	null	൚ Fraction 3/80
U+0D5B	Number	NUMBER	null	൛ Fraction 1/20
U+0D5C	Number	NUMBER	null	൜ Fraction 1/10
U+0D5D	Number	NUMBER	null	൝ Fraction 3/20
U+0D5E	Number	NUMBER	null	൞ Fraction 1/5
U+0D5F	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ൟ Archaic Ii
U+0D60	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ൠ Vocalic Rr
U+0D61	Letter	VOWEL_INDEPENDENT	null	ൡ Vocalic Ll
U+0D62	Mark [Mn]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	BOTTOM_POSITION	ൢ Sign Vocalic L
U+0D63	Mark [Mn]	VOWEL_DEPENDENT	BOTTOM_POSITION	ൣ Sign Vocalic Ll
U+0D64	unassigned
U+0D65	unassigned
U+0D66	Number	NUMBER	null	൦ Digit Zero
U+0D67	Number	NUMBER	null	൧ Digit One
U+0D68	Number	NUMBER	null	൨ Digit Two
U+0D69	Number	NUMBER	null	൩ Digit Three
U+0D6A	Number	NUMBER	null	൪ Digit Four
U+0D6B	Number	NUMBER	null	൫ Digit Five
U+0D6C	Number	NUMBER	null	൬ Digit Six
U+0D6D	Number	NUMBER	null	൭ Digit Seven
U+0D6E	Number	NUMBER	null	൮ Digit Eight
U+0D6F	Number	NUMBER	null	൯ Digit Nine
U+0D70	Number	NUMBER		൰ Number Ten
U+0D71	Number	NUMBER		൱ Number One Hundred
U+0D72	Number	NUMBER		൲ Number One Thousand
U+0D73	Number	NUMBER		൳ Fraction 1/4
U+0D74	Number	NUMBER		൴ Fraction 1/2
U+0D75	Number	NUMBER		൵ Fraction 3/4
U+0D76	Number	NUMBER		൶ Fraction 1/16
U+0D77	Number	NUMBER		൷ Fraction 1/8
U+0D78	Number	NUMBER	null	൸ Fraction 3/16
U+0D79	Symbol	SYMBOL	null	൹ Date Mark
U+0D7A	Letter	CONSONANT_DEAD	null	ൺ Chillu Nn
U+0D7B	Letter	CONSONANT_DEAD	null	ൻ Chillu N
U+0D7C	Letter	CONSONANT_DEAD	null	ർ Chillu Rr
U+0D7D	Letter	CONSONANT_DEAD	null	ൽ Chillu L
U+0D7E	Letter	CONSONANT_DEAD	null	ൾ Chillu Ll
U+0D7F	Letter	CONSONANT_DEAD	null	ൿ Chillu K

Vedic Extensions character table

Sanskrit runs written in the Malayalam script may also include characters from the Vedic Extensions block. These characters should be classified as follows.

Note: See the Vedic Extensions document for additional information.

Table 46 Vedic Extensions character table

Codepoint	Unicode category	Shaping class	Mark-placement subclass	Glyph
U+1CD0	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	TOP_POSITION	᳐ Tone Karshana
U+1CD1	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	TOP_POSITION	᳑ Tone Shara
U+1CD2	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	TOP_POSITION	᳒ Tone Prenkha
U+1CD3	Punctuation	null	null	᳓ Sign Nihshvasa
U+1CD4	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	OVERSTRUCK	᳔ Tone Midline Svarita
U+1CD5	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	BOTTOM_POSITION	᳕ Tone Aggravated Independent Svarita
U+1CD6	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	BOTTOM_POSITION	᳖ Tone Independent Svarita
U+1CD7	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	BOTTOM_POSITION	᳗ Tone Kathaka Independent Svarita
U+1CD8	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	BOTTOM_POSITION	᳘ Tone Candra Below
U+1CD9	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	BOTTOM_POSITION	᳙ Tone Kathaka Independent Svarita Schroeder
U+1CDA	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	TOP_POSITION	᳚ Tone Double Svarita
U+1CDB	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	TOP_POSITION	᳛ Tone Triple Svarita
U+1CDC	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	BOTTOM_POSITION	᳜ Tone Kathaka Anudatta
U+1CDD	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	BOTTOM_POSITION	᳝ Tone Dot Below
U+1CDE	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	BOTTOM_POSITION	᳞ Tone Two Dots Below
U+1CDF	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	BOTTOM_POSITION	᳟ Tone Three Dots Below
U+1CE0	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	TOP_POSITION	᳠ Tone Rigvedic Kashmiri Independent Svarita
U+1CE1	Mark [Mc]	CANTILLATION	RIGHT_POSITION	᳡ Tone Atharavedic Independent Svarita
U+1CE2	Mark [Mn]	AVAGRAHA	OVERSTRUCK	᳢ Sign Visarga Svarita
U+1CE3	Mark [Mn]	null	OVERSTRUCK	᳣ Sign Visarga Udatta
U+1CE4	Mark [Mn]	null	OVERSTRUCK	᳤ Sign Reversed Visarga Udatta
U+1CE5	Mark [Mn]	null	OVERSTRUCK	᳥ Sign Visarga Anudatta
U+1CE6	Mark [Mn]	null	OVERSTRUCK	᳦ Sign Reversed Visarga Anudatta
U+1CE7	Mark [Mn]	null	OVERSTRUCK	᳧ Sign Visarga Udatta With Tail
U+1CE8	Mark [Mn]	AVAGRAHA	OVERSTRUCK	᳨ Sign Visarga Anudatta With Tail
U+1CE9	Letter	SYMBOL	null	ᳩ Sign Anusvara Antargomukha
U+1CEA	Letter	null	null	ᳪ Sign Anusvara Bahirgomukha
U+1CEB	Letter	null	null	ᳫ Sign Anusvara Vamagomukha
U+1CEC	Letter	SYMBOL	null	ᳬ Sign Anusvara Vamagomukha With Tail
U+1CED	Mark [Mn]	AVAGRAHA	BOTTOM_POSITION	᳭ Sign Tiryak
U+1CEE	Letter	SYMBOL	null	ᳮ Sign Hexiform Long Anusvara
U+1CEF	Letter	null	null	ᳯ Sign Long Anusvara
U+1CF0	Letter	null	null	ᳰ Sign Rthang Long Anusvara
U+1CF2	Letter	CONSONANT_DEAD	null	ᳲ Sign Ardhavisarga
U+1CF3	Letter	CONSONANT_DEAD	null	ᳳ Sign Rotated Ardhavisarga
U+1CF3	Mark [Mc]	VISARGA	null	ᳳ Sign Rotated Ardhavisarga
U+1CF4	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	TOP_POSITION	᳴ Tone Candra Above
U+1CF5	Letter	CONSONANT_WITH_STACKER	null	ᳵ Sign Jihvamuliya
U+1CF6	Letter	CONSONANT_WITH_STACKER	null	ᳶ Sign Upadhmaniya
U+1CF7	Mark [Mc]	null	null	᳷ Sign Atikrama
U+1CF8	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	null	᳸ Tone Ring Above
U+1CF9	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	null	᳹ Tone Double Ring Above
U+1CFA	Letter	PLACEHOLDER	null	ᳺ Sign Double Anusvara Antargomukha
U+1CFB	unassigned
U+1CFC	unassigned
U+1CFD	unassigned
U+1CFE	unassigned
U+1CFF	unassigned

Miscellaneous character table

In addition to general punctuation, runs of Malayalam text often use the danda (U+0964) and double danda (U+0965) punctuation marks from the Devanagari block. Malayalam text can also incorporate the udatta (U+0951) and anudatta (U+0952) signs from the Devanagari block.

Table 47 Additional punctuation character table

Codepoint	Unicode category	Shaping class	Mark-placement subclass	Glyph
U+0951	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	TOP_POSITION	॑ Udatta
U+0952	Mark [Mn]	CANTILLATION	BOTTOM_POSITION	॒ Anudatta
U+0964	Punctuation	null	null	। Danda
U+0965	Punctuation	null	null	॥ Double Danda

Other important characters that may be encountered when shaping runs of Malayalam text include the dotted-circle placeholder (U+25CC), the zero-width joiner (U+200D) and zero-width non-joiner (U+200C), and the no-break space (U+00A0).

The dotted-circle placeholder is frequently used when displaying a dependent vowel (matra) or a combining mark in isolation. Real-world text syllables may also use other characters, such as hyphens or dashes, in a similar placeholder fashion; shaping engines should cope with this situation gracefully.

Table 48 Miscellaneous character table

Codepoint	Unicode category	Shaping class	Mark-placement subclass	Glyph
U+00A0	Separator	PLACEHOLDER	null	No-break space
U+200C	Other	NON_JOINER	null	‌ Zero-width non-joiner
U+200D	Other	JOINER	null	‍ Zero-width joiner
U+2010	Punctuation	PLACEHOLDER	null	‐ Hyphen
U+2011	Punctuation	PLACEHOLDER	null	‑ No-break hyphen
U+2012	Punctuation	PLACEHOLDER	null	‒ Figure dash
U+2013	Punctuation	PLACEHOLDER	null	– En dash
U+2014	Punctuation	PLACEHOLDER	null	— Em dash
U+25CC	Symbol	DOTTED_CIRCLE	null	◌ Dotted circle

The zero-width joiner (ZWJ) is primarily used to prevent the formation of a conjunct from a “Consonant,Halant,Consonant” sequence. The sequence “Consonant,Halant,ZWJ,Consonant” blocks the formation of a conjunct between the two consonants.

Note, however, that the “Consonant,Halant” subsequence in the above example may still trigger a half-forms feature. To prevent the application of the half-forms feature in addition to preventing the conjunct, the zero-width non-joiner (ZWNJ) must be used instead. The sequence “Consonant,Halant,ZWNJ,Consonant” should produce the first consonant in its standard form, followed by an explicit “Halant”.

A secondary usage of the zero-width joiner is to prevent the formation of “Reph”. An initial “Ra,Halant,ZWJ” sequence should not produce a “Reph”, where an initial “Ra,Halant” sequence without the zero-width joiner otherwise would.

The no-break space (NBSP) is primarily used to display those codepoints that are defined as non-spacing (marks, dependent vowels (matras), below-base consonant forms, and post-base consonant forms) in an isolated context, as an alternative to displaying them superimposed on the dotted-circle placeholder. These sequences will match “NBSP,ZWJ,Halant,Consonant”, “NBSP,mark”, or “NBSP,matra”.