Gurmukhi auxiliary subscript symbols are identical to those of the Punjabi alphabet. Unless otherwise indicated, all Gurmukhi consonants are separated by the unwritten short sounding vowel Mukta. Two adjacent consonants, with no vowel sound between the two, are referred to as conjunct consonants.
Paireen - Adjacent Consonants
The proper name for subscript, or subjoined, consonants is pair-een, from the Punjabi root word pair, or foot. Paireen refers to the Gurmukhi subscript consonant attached to the foot of the consonant preceding it. The miniature subscript, or subjoined, symbols are adjacent, or conjunct, consonants and may be referred to as half characters because they lack the joining line of the parent consonant. Pronunciation of subscript symbols is identical to Gurmukhi consonants they represent.
Paireen consonants appear in Gurbani:
- Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism's holy scripture.
- Dasam bani, the compositions of Tenth Guru Gobind Singh.
- Nitnem daily prayers.
- Amrit Kirtan hymnal.
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