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Subsections

- Nuances
- Variations

# ITRANS Usage

The identifiers `#gurmukhi` and `#endgurmukhi` can to be used to encode Gurmukh text in ITRANS.

## Nuances

Many of the conventions of the Gurmukh script have been hard-coded into the `pun.ifm` file. Some of these are illustrated below:

1. Geminate consonants in Gurmukh are not written twice or with consonant conjuncts. Rather the first letter is dropped and only the second letter is written. A diacritic called addak is placed above the preceding letter, ie. `hatth`. As can be seen from the input transliteration, nothing special needs to be done to produce the addak in ITRANS; the IFM file is coded for geminate consonants. However, an addak may be explicitly encoded as `.c`, ie. `a.cdak`. Geminate consonants of the form unaspirated-unaspirated (ie. kk) and unaspirated-aspirated (ie. kkh) are accounted for.

   When the geminate consonants are nn or mm, a sign called ipp is used instead of addak, ie. lamm `lammii`. ipp is one of the nasalization diacritics. Again the addak is automatically produced by the IFM file.

   The following is a list of geminated consonants supported in this IFM file:

2. Nasalization in Gurmukh is indicated by two diacritics called ipp and bid. I have coded these as `.n` and `.N`, respectively. In doing so I have redefined the character codes for anusvra and candrabindu in `pun.ifm`.

   ipp is used with the vowels a, i, and u, and with when it is in word-final position, ie. `mu.nDaa`. Bid is used with all other vowels, ie. `shaa.Nt`.

   A nasal and consonant when of the same class may either be encoded with the nasal class code or with ipp `.n`. For example, aga may either be encoded `aN^ga` or `a.nga`. In either case, the IFM file will automatically handle and produce the correct output.

3. Consonant conjuncts are limited in Gurmukh and are much simpler than those of Devangar. I have completed some conjuncts, but I have still researching for a comprehensive list. Once I have included these in the IFM file then the file will be complete. The list of consonant conjunctions coded in the IFM is as follows:

   There are five consonants in Old Pañjb which are actually conjunct consonants. These are the voiced aspirate (breathy voice) consonants given below. I have accounted for them in the IFM file.

4. Vowel-bearers are null characters which are modified with diacritics to form the vowels. The vowel bearers are u for back vowels, a for low vowels, and i for front vowels. I could not account for these in the IFM file so they had to be accessed directly through character codes from the `pun` font. The codes are `u`, `a`, and `i`, respectively. Perhaps Avinash Chopde could account for them if it is decided that Gurmukh will be made a part of ITRANS. Suggested input for the vowel-bearers are ``a`, ``u`, and ``i`.

## Variations

1. The mtr for `au` is sometimes not written. A word like `augaNu` may be written alternately as `a_ugaNu`.

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