Desktop Keyboard layout

Quickstart

This keyboard layout was designed for ease of typing. Characters are arranged on the keyboard according to how frequently they are used. Grantha letters, which are used for typing Sanskrit, are typed using the [S*] key. Short and long vowels appear next to each other. For example, ஆ ([Sm] key) is above அ (m; key) , and ஓ ([Sx] key) is beside ஒ (x key). Characters which normally appear together are also close together on the keyboard.

Most of the characters used in Tamil are combinations of consonants and vowels, and these do not appear on the keyboard. Combined consonant-vowel characters are entered by typing the consonant, then the vowel. To enter ஙா, which is a combination of ங and ஆ, type q then h, and the combinant character will automatically be displayed. Pressing Backspace once will delete only the vowel component, so the character displayed on the screen will change back to ங, and change again if a different vowel is typed.

Examples

Language	Phrase	Meaning	Type the following keys
Tamil	தமிழ் அரிச்சுவடி	"Tamil alphabet"	jkpo; mupr;[SR]tlp

Full Documentation

This keyboard uses a consonant-vowel order for text input, so the consonant character is always typed before the vowel, regardless of where (relative to the consonant) the vowel marker symbol appears. As syllables are typed, the characters entered are automatically converted to the appropriate consonant-vowel combinant. While only the combinant characters are displayed on screen, the consonant and vowel are both stored, so that pressing Backspace once after a combinant deletes only the vowel component. This means it is necessary to press Backspace twice to delete a combinant character. However, pressing the Delete key with the cursor in front of a combinant character removes the whole character with one keystroke.

The full keyboard layout consists of the twelve vowels அ ஆ இ ஈ உ ஊ எ ஏ ஐ ஒ ஓ ஔ, the eighteen consonants க ங ச ஞ ட ண த ந ப ம ய ர ல வ ழ ள ற ன, the five Grantha consonants ஸ ஷ ஜ ஹ க்ஷ, the SRii consonant ஸ்ரீ, and the Pulli ் and Aytham ஃ marks.

Pulli Marks and Vowels

Because the consonants contain the implicit vowel அ, to produce a pure consonant it is necessary to add the Pulli mark ் by typing a lower case ; immediately after the consonant.

The first vowel அ is implicit in the consonants, so typing this vowel after a consonant will not display the vowel or change the consonant to a combinant. However, this does de-link the consonant from the next keystroke, so that typing another vowel will result in that vowel being displayed independently, rather than combining with the consonant. This also prevents the Pulli mark being entered.

In general, typing a vowel after anything other than a consonant produces an independent vowel.

Keystroke Examples

Note: for a complete table of characters and keystrokes, click here.

The following table gives specific examples of how to input characters based on the consonant க. The Grantha consonants, which are entered with [S*] key combinations, use the same input method. Examples of these with the consonant ஜ are also given below.

Tamil Consonants					Grantha Consonants
Consonant	Vowel/Pulli	Combinant	Keystrokes		Consonant	Vowel/Pulli	Combinant	Keystrokes
க	்	க்	f;		ஜ	்	ஜ்	[[;
	அ	க‍	f			அ	ஜ‍	[
	ஆ	கா	fh			ஆ	ஜா	[[h
	இ	கி	fp			இ	ஜி	[[p
	ஈ	கீ	f[SP]			ஈ	ஜீ	[[[SP]
	உ	கு	[SF]			உ	ஜு	[[-
	ஊ	கூ	[S$]			ஊ	ஜூ	[[--
	எ	கெ	nf			எ	ஜெ	n[[
	ஏ	கே	[SN]f			ஏ	ஜே	[SN][[
	ஐ	கை	if			ஐ	ஜை	;[[
	ஒ	கொ	nfh			ஒ	ஜொ	n[[h
	ஓ	கோ	[SN]fh			ஓ	ஜோ	[SN][[h
	ஔ	கௌ	nfs			ஔ	ஜௌ	n[[s

Authorship

This keyboard was created by Mugunth ([email protected]), Umar ([email protected]) and K. Sethu ([email protected]). For more information about keyboards produced by these developers, see http://thamiza.com. Tavultesoft gratefully acknowledges the contribution made by the authors in developing this keyboard and making it freely available for use with Keyman Desktop and KeymanWeb. Their effort assists in enabling people to communicate in their own language.

Keyboard Reference Chart

The following chart lists all the characters available with this keyboard. Below each character are the keystrokes required to type it.

\     Vowels  Consonants\

் ;

அ m

ஆ [SM]

இ ,

ஈ [S,]

உ c

ஊ [SC]

எ v

ஏ [SV]

ஐ [SI]

ஒ x

ஓ [SX]

ஔ xs

க f

க் f;

க‍ f

கா fh

கி fp

கீ f[SP]

கு [SF]

கூ [S$]

கெ nf

கே [SN]f

கை if

கொ nfh

கோ [SN]fh

கௌ nfs

ங q

ங் q;

ங‍ q

ஙா qh

ஙி qp

ஙீ q[SP]

ஙு q-

ஙூ q--

ஙெ nq

ஙே [SN]q

ஙை iq

ஙொ nqh

ஙோ [SN]qh

ஙௌ nqs

ச r

ச் r;

ச‍ r

சா rh

சி rp

சீ r[SP]

சு [SR]

சூ [S#]

செ nr

சே [SN]r

சை ir

சொ nrh

சோ [SN]rh

சௌ nrs

ஞ [SQ]

ஞ் [SQ];

ஞ‍ [SQ]

ஞா [SQ]h

ஞி [SQ]p

ஞீ [SQ][SP]

ஞு [SQ][-]

ஞூ [SQ][-][-]

ஞெ n[SQ]

ஞே [SN][SQ]

ஞை i[SQ]

ஞொ n[SQ]h

ஞோ [SN][SQ]h

ஞௌ n[SQ]s

ட l

ட் l;

ட‍ l

டா lh

டி lp

டீ l[SP]

டு [SL]

டூ [S^]

டெ nl

டே [SN]l

டை il

டொ nlh

டோ [SN]lh

டௌ nls

ண z

ண் z;

ண‍ z

ணா zh

ணி zp

ணீ z[SP]

ணு [SZ]

ணூ [SZ]h

ணெ nz

ணே [SN]z

ணை iz

ணொ nzh

ணோ [SN]zh

ணௌ nzs

த j

த் j;

த‍ j

தா jh

தி jp

தீ j[SP]

து [SJ]

தூ [SJ]h

தெ nj

தே [SN]j

தை ij

தொ njh

தோ [SN]jh

தௌ njs

ந e

ந் e;

ந‍ e

நா eh

நி ep

நீ e[SP]

நு [SE]

நூ [SE]h

நெ ne

நே [SN]e

நை ie

நொ neh

நோ [SN]eh

நௌ nes

ப g

ப் g;

ப‍ g

பா gh

பி gp

பீ g[SP]

பு [SG]

பூ [SG]h

பெ ng

பே [SN]g

பை ig

பொ ngh

போ [SN]gh

பௌ ngs

ம k

ம் k;

மா k

மா kh

மி kp

ம்மீ k[SP]

மு [SK]

மூ [SK]h

மெ nk

மே [SN]k

மை ik

மொ nkh

மோ [SN]kh

மௌ nks

ய a

ய் a;

ய‍ a

யா ah

யி ap

யீ a[SP]

யு [SA]

யூ [SA]h

யெ na

யே [SN]a

யை ia

யொ nah

யோ [SN]ah

யௌ nas

ர u

ர் u;

ர‍ u

ரா uh

ரி up

ரீ u[SP]

ரு [SU]

ரூ [SU]h

ரெ nu

ரே [SN]u

ரை iu

ரொ nuh

ரோ [SN]uh

ரௌ nus

ல y

ல் y;

ல‍ y

லா yh

லி yp

லீ y[SP]

லு [SY]

லூ [SY]h

லெ ny

லே [SN]y

லை iy

லொ nyh

லோ [SN]yh

லௌ nys

வ t

வ் t;

வ‍ t

வா th

வி tp

வீ t[SP]

வு [ST]

வூ [ST]h

வெ nt

வே [SN]t

வை it

வொ nth

வோ [SN]th

வௌ nts

ழ o

ழ் o;

ழ‍ o

ழா oh

ழி op

ழீ o[SP]

ழு [SO]

ழூ [SO]h

ழெ no

ழே [SN]o

ழை io

ழொ noh

ழோ [SN]oh

ழௌ nos

ள s

ள் s;

ள‍ s

ளா sh

ளி sp

ளீ s[SP]

ளு [SS]

ளூ [SS]h

ளெ ns

ளே [SN]s

ளை is

ளொ nsh

ளோ [SN]sh

ளௌ nss

ற w

ற் w;

ற‍ w

றா wh

றி wp

றீ w[SP]

று [SW]

றூ [SW]h

றெ nw

றே [SN]w

றை iw

றொ nwh

றோ [SN]wh

றௌ nws

ன d

ன் d;

ன‍ d

னா dh

னி dp

னீ d[SP]

னு [SD]

னூ [SD]h

னெ nd

னே [SN]d

னை id

னொ ndh

னோ [SN]dh

னௌ nds

Grantha Consonants

ஜ [[

ஜ் [[;

ஜ‍ [[

ஜா [[h

ஜி [[p

ஜீ [[[SP]

ஜு [[[-]

ஜூ [[[-][-]

ஜெ n[[

ஜே [SN][[

ஜை i[[

ஜொ n[[h

ஜோ [SN][[h

ஜௌ n[[s

ஷ \

ஷ் \;

ஷ‍ \

ஷா \h

ஷி \p

ஷீ \[SP]

ஷு \[-]

ஷூ \[-][-]

ஷெ n\

ஷே [SN]\

ஷை i\

ஷொ n\h

ஷோ [SN]\h

ஷௌ n\s

ஸ ]

ஸ் ];

ஸ‍ ]

ஸா ]h

ஸி ]p

ஸீ ][SP]

ஸு ][-]

ஸூ ][-][-]

ஸெ n]

ஸே [SN]]

ஸை i]

ஸொ n]h

ஸோ [SN]]h

ஸௌ n]s

ஹ `

ஹ் `;

ஹ‍ `

ஹா `h

ஹி `p

ஹீ `[SP]

ஹு `[-]

ஹூ `[-][-]

ஹெ n`

ஹே [SN]`

ஹை i`

ஹொ n`h

ஹோ [SN]`h

ஹௌ n`s

க்ஷ f;\

க்ஷ் f;\;

க்ஷ‍ f;\

க்ஷா f;\h

க்ஷி f;\p

க்ஷீ f;\[SP]

க்ஷு f;\-

க்ஷூ f;\--

க்ஷெ f;n\

க்ஷே f;[SN]\

க்ஷை f;i\

க்ஷொ f;n\h

க்ஷோ f;[SN]\h

க்ஷௌ f;n\s

Other Characters

ஃ /

. .

- -

! [S!]

; [S2]

( [S(]

) [S)]

' [S|]

' '

: [S:]

, [S>]

? [S/]

= =

~ [S~]

* [S*]

_ [S_]

+ [S+]

{ [S{}]

} [S}]