Apple Indian Language Kit - Manual (Page 22)

Using special characters: the Halant
The Halant character has many uses. The following examples show how you
can use the Halant to create different versions of the same conjunct. (On an
Inscript keyboard, the Halant is created by typing the letter d.)
m You can create a conjunct that contains an implicit vowel (or a vowel that
is not expressed as sound in a word) by typing a Halant after the initial
character. The Halant disappears as soon as you type the next character,
resulting in a conjunct. Note: Do not type a space after the Halant.
k d l
m You can also use a Halant to keep two consonants from joining together. To
do this, type two consecutive Halants between the two consonants. The
Halant is displayed with the first consonant.
k d d l
A “soft Halant” makes the preceding consonant a half-form, but prevents it
from combining with the following consonant. For more about the soft
Halant, see “The Nukta Character and the Soft Halant” later in this chapter.
Using special characters: the Reph
The Reph is created by typing a Halant after the Ra character, as here:
j d /
An alternative version of the conjunct is this:
j ] d /
22 Chapter 3