Chakma Language Technology
Language · Script
Chakma keyboard & transliteration engine
The Institute of Policy Dynamics (IPD) built a native Chakma keyboard layout for Linux and the phonemic engine below for text that starts in Bengali Eastern Nagari. Type or paste into either side, then convert.
Key features
- System-level XKB layout — installs as a normal input source (Settings → Region & Language), no separate app to keep running.
- English-phonetic QWERTY mapping — each Latin letter types the Chakma sound it shares, e.g. k → KA, a → A, so the keys are guessable rather than memorized from scratch.
- Full script coverage — consonants, independent and dependent vowels, digits, punctuation, and the invisible conjunct stacker, reachable across Shift and AltGr layers.
- Bundles Noto Sans Chakma — ships the font directly, since Ubuntu's built-in Noto coverage is missing glyphs this layout produces.
- Clean install and removal — registers itself in GNOME's Input Source list on install and unregisters on removal.
User manual
- 1. Install. Built and tested for Debian/Ubuntu (GNOME). Download the
.debabove, then:sudo dpkg -i chakma-keyboard_1.0.0-5_all.deb
- 2. Enable it. Open Settings → Region & Language → Input Sources, select Add an Input Source, and choose Chakma. Switch to it the same way you switch any other input source.
- 3. Type. The layout is English-phonetic: press the Latin letter that shares the Chakma consonant or vowel’s sound. Shift and AltGr reach the remaining marks — see the full key map below.
- 4. Remove it.
sudo apt remove chakma-keyboard
v1.0.0 · every code point checked individually against the Unicode Character Database, but the key placements themselves haven’t yet been reviewed by a native Chakma typist — treat this as a first cut, and open an issue if a key placement should move.
▸ Show the full key map
| Key | Unshifted | Shift | AltGr |
|---|---|---|---|
| q | 𑄋 nga | — | — |
| w | 𑄤 wa | 𑄰 OI matra | — |
| e | 𑄆 E (indep.) | 𑄬 E matra | 𑅆 EI · 𑄭 AI |
| r | 𑄢 ra | 𑄳 stacker | — |
| t | 𑄖 ta | 𑄗 tha | — |
| y | 𑄡 ya | 𑄠 yya | — |
| u | 𑄅 U (indep.) | 𑄪 U matra | 𑄫 UU matra |
| i | 𑄄 I (indep.) | 𑄨 I matra | 𑄩 II matra |
| o | 𑄮 O matra | 𑄯 AU matra | — |
| p | 𑄛 pa | 𑄜 pha | — |
| a | 𑄃 A (indep.) | 𑅅 AA matra | 𑄧 vowel sign A |
| s | 𑄥 sa | — | — |
| d | 𑄘 da | 𑄙 dha | — |
| f | (unassigned) | — | — |
| g | 𑄉 ga | 𑄊 gha | — |
| h | 𑄦 ha | 𑄂 visarga | — |
| j | 𑄎 ja | 𑄏 jha | — |
| k | 𑄇 ka | 𑄈 kha | — |
| l | 𑄣 la | 𑅄 lha | — |
| z | 𑄓 dda | 𑄔 ddha | — |
| x | 𑄑 tta | 𑄒 ttha | — |
| c | 𑄌 cha | 𑄍 chha | — |
| v | 𑅇 va (Pali) | — | — |
| b | 𑄝 ba | 𑄞 bha | — |
| n | 𑄚 na | 𑄕 nna | — |
| m | 𑄟 ma | 𑄐 nya | 𑄀 candrabindu |
| ; | 𑄴 virama | 𑄁 anusvara | 𑅀 · 𑅁 punctuation |
| ' | 𑅂 punctuation | 𑅃 punctuation | — |
Digits 0–9 type their own Chakma numeral unshifted, the ASCII symbol above that key on Shift, and the plain ASCII digit on AltGr.
বাংলাBengali / Eastern Nagari0 chars
𑄌𑄋𑄴𑄟Chakma / Ojhapath0 chars
Phonemic mapping notes
- Inherent vowel: Chakma’s inherent vowel on every consonant is already /aː/, so Bengali আ-কার (া) is dropped — e.g. আমার নাম → 𑄃𑄟𑄢𑄴 𑄚𑄟𑄴.
- Maayyaa 𑄴: added automatically after word-final consonants and where Bengali has explicit hasanta ্.
- Bengali শ / ষ / স all → Chakma 𑄥; reverse defaults to শ.
- Bengali ই / ঈ both → 𑄄; উ / ঊ both → 𑄅 (length distinction not preserved).
- Chakma 𑄤 (w) → ব; Chakma 𑄡 (z) → জ.
- Bengali ৃ → 𑄢𑄨 (r+i, approx); ৎ → 𑄖𑄴.
▸ Show character mapping reference table
| Bengali | Chakma | IPA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Vowels | |||
| অ | 𑄃 | ɔ/a | অ and আ both → 𑄃 (inherent /aː/ covers it) |
| আ | 𑄃 | aː | same as অ; Chakma inherent vowel is already /aː/ |
| ই | 𑄄 | i | i |
| ঈ | 𑄄 | iː | ii (merged) |
| উ | 𑄅 | u | u |
| ঊ | 𑄅 | uː | uu (merged) |
| এ | 𑄆 | e | e |
| ঐ | 𑄆𑄭 | ɔi̯ | oi |
| ও | 𑄃𑄮 | o | o |
| ঔ | 𑄃𑄯 | ou̯ | ou |
| Consonants | |||
| ক | 𑄇 | k | ka |
| খ | 𑄈 | kʰ | kha |
| গ | 𑄉 | ɡ | ga |
| ঘ | 𑄊 | ɡʰ | gha |
| ঙ | 𑄋 | ŋ | nga |
| চ | 𑄌 | t͡ʃ | cha |
| ছ | 𑄍 | t͡ʃʰ | chha |
| জ | 𑄎 | d͡ʒ | ja |
| ঝ | 𑄏 | d͡ʒʰ | jha |
| ঞ | 𑄐 | ɲ | nya |
| ট | 𑄑 | ʈ | tta |
| ঠ | 𑄒 | ʈʰ | ttha |
| ড | 𑄓 | ɖ | dda |
| ঢ | 𑄔 | ɖʰ | ddha |
| ণ | 𑄕 | ɳ | nna |
| ত | 𑄖 | t | ta |
| থ | 𑄗 | tʰ | tha |
| দ | 𑄘 | d | da |
| ধ | 𑄙 | dʰ | dha |
| ন | 𑄚 | n | na |
| প | 𑄛 | p | pa |
| ফ | 𑄜 | pʰ | pha |
| ব | 𑄝 | b | ba |
| ভ | 𑄞 | bʰ | bha |
| ম | 𑄟 | m | ma |
| য | 𑄠 | j | ya |
| র | 𑄢 | r | ra |
| ল | 𑄣 | l | la |
| শ | 𑄥 | ʃ | sha → 𑄥 |
| ষ | 𑄥 | ʃ | Sha → 𑄥 (same) |
| স | 𑄥 | s | sa → 𑄥 (same) |
| হ | 𑄦 | h | ha |
| ড় | 𑄢 | ɽ | rra (flap) ≈ ra |
| য় | 𑄠 | j | ya (nukta) |
| ৎ | 𑄖𑄴 | t | khanda-ta |
| — | 𑄤 | w | w (no Bengali equiv → ব) |
| — | 𑄡 | z | z (no Bengali equiv → জ) |
| Dependent Vowels (Matras) | |||
| া | 𑅅 | aː | aa-kar |
| ি | 𑄨 | i | i-kar |
| ী | 𑄩 | iː | ii-kar |
| ু | 𑄪 | u | u-kar |
| ূ | 𑄫 | uː | uu-kar |
| ে | 𑄬 | e | e-kar |
| ৈ | 𑄭 | ɔi̯ | oi-kar |
| ো | 𑄮 | o | o-kar |
| ৌ | 𑄯 | ou̯ | ou-kar |
| ৃ | 𑄢𑄨 | ri | ri-kar (approx r+i) |
| — | 𑄧 | ɔ | short-a/ɔ matra (Chakma only) |
| Special Marks | |||
| ্ | 𑄴 | — | hasanta ↔ maayyaa (vowel killer) |
| ং | 𑄁 | ŋ | anusvara (final nasal) |
| ঃ | 𑄂 | h | visarga |
| ঁ | 𑄀 | — | chandrabindu ↔ nasalization |
| Numerals | |||
| ০ | 𑄶 | 0 | zero |
| ১ | 𑄷 | 1 | one |
| ২ | 𑄸 | 2 | two |
| ৩ | 𑄹 | 3 | three |
| ৪ | 𑄺 | 4 | four |
| ৫ | 𑄻 | 5 | five |
| ৬ | 𑄼 | 6 | six |
| ৭ | 𑄽 | 7 | seven |
| ৮ | 𑄾 | 8 | eight |
| ৯ | 𑄿 | 9 | nine |
| Punctuation | |||
| । | 𑅁 | — | danda / full stop |
| ॥ | 𑅂 | — | double danda |