Devanagari

noun

De·​va·​na·​ga·​ri ˌdā-və-ˈnä-gə-rē How to pronounce Devanagari (audio)
: an alphabet usually employed for Sanskrit and also used as a literary hand for various modern languages of India see Alphabet Table

Examples of Devanagari in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Whereas Hindi is written in the Devanagari script, which has strong cultural associations with Hinduism, Urdu is written in the Perso-Arabic script, which has strong associations with Islam. Phillip M. Carter, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Devanagari.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Sanskrit devanāgarī, from deva divine + nāgarī (writing) of the city — more at deity

First Known Use

1781, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Devanagari was in 1781

Dictionary Entries Near Devanagari

Cite this Entry

“Devanagari.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Devanagari. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.

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