த99-விரிவு | ta99 Extended Keyboard Help
This keyboard is designed for the Tamil language, and is an extension of the Tamil 99 standard which has been officially approved by the regional government of Tamil Nadu. It includes more characters on the keyboard than the standard Tamil99 keyboard. Typing follows a consonant-vowel pattern, and the Tamil characters are arranged to make typing simple and fast for users who are familiar with the script. It is designed for use with a normal QWERTY (English) keyboard.
Using this Keyboard
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 (q key) is above அ (a key) , and ஓ (x key) is beside ஒ (c 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 b then q, 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" | lks/f ams[[[[vos |
Keyboard Details
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 Tamil99 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. This Extended keyboard also includes keys for the characters ஶ and ்ரீ.
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 f immediately after the consonant. Typing the same consonant twice in a row will also convert the first consonant to a consonant-Pulli combinant. This automatic conversion is then disabled, so that typing the same consonant a third time will not produce a Pulli mark on the second consonant. Thus typing the same consonant repeatedly results in Pulli marks on the first, third, fifth and so on: க்கக்கக்கக்க
Similarly, tying a soft consonant followed by the corresponding hard consonant automatically produces a Pulli mark on the first consonant: ங்க
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.
The SRii Character 
This character is entered by typing T. Currently, some browsers do not display this character correctly.
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 | hf | ஜ | ் | ஜ் | Ef | |
| அ | க | ha | அ | ஜ | Ea | |||
| ஆ | கா | hq | ஆ | ஜா | Eq | |||
| இ | கி | hs | இ | ஜி | Es | |||
| ஈ | கீ | hw | ஈ | ஜீ | Ew | |||
| உ | கு | hd | உ | ஜு | Ed | |||
| ஊ | கூ | he | ஊ | ஜூ | Ee | |||
| எ | கெ | hg | எ | ஜெ | Eg | |||
| ஏ | கே | ht | ஏ | ஜே | Et | |||
| ஐ | கை | hr | ஐ | ஜை | Er | |||
| ஒ | கொ | hc | ஒ | ஜொ | Ec | |||
| ஓ | கோ | hx | ஓ | ஜோ | Ex | |||
| ஔ | கௌ | hz | ஔ | ஜௌ | Ez | |||
Other Characters
Apart from the Grantha consonants, several other characters are also typed using the [S*] key. These include:
| Character | Keystrokes |
| ௳ (day) | Z |
| ௴ (month) | X |
| ௵ (year) | C |
| ௶ (debit) | V |
| ௷ (credit) | B |
| ௸ (etc.) | D |
| ௹ (Rupee) | A |
| ௺ (numeral) | S |
The caret mark ([S6]) is used to produce various other characters, such as the glyphs used as vowel modifiers. These can be produced by typing the caret mark ^ and then the corresponding vowel. Other characters typed in combination with ^ are given in the table:
| Character | Keystrokes |
| ‘ | ^7 |
| ’ | ^8 |
| “ | ^9 |
| ” | ^0 |
| © | ^[SC] |
| • | ^. |
| ^ | ^^ |
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\ |
் f |
அ a |
ஆ q |
இ s |
ஈ w |
உ d |
ஊ e |
எ g |
ஏ t |
ஐ r |
ஒ c |
ஓ x |
ஔ z |
| க h |
க் hf |
க ha |
கா hq |
கி hs |
கீ hw |
கு hd |
கூ he |
கெ hg |
கே ht |
கை hr |
கொ hc |
கோ hx |
கௌ hz |
| ங b |
ங் bf |
ங ba |
ஙா bq |
ஙி bs |
ஙீ bw |
ஙு bd |
ஙூ be |
ஙெ bg |
ஙே bt |
ஙை br |
ஙொ bc |
ஙோ bx |
ஙௌ bz |
| ச [ |
ச் [[f |
ச [[a |
சா [[q |
சி [[s |
சீ [[w |
சு [[d |
சூ [[e |
செ [[g |
சே [[t |
சை [[r |
சொ [[c |
சோ [[x |
சௌ [[z |
| ஞ ] |
ஞ் ]f |
ஞ ]a |
ஞா ]q |
ஞி ]s |
ஞீ ]w |
ஞு ]d |
ஞூ ]e |
ஞெ ]g |
ஞை ]t |
ஞை ]r |
ஞொ ]c |
ஞோ ]x |
ஞௌ ]z |
| ட o |
ட் of |
ட oa |
டா oq |
டி os |
டீ ow |
டு od |
டூ oe |
டெ og |
டே ot |
டை or |
டொ oc |
டோ ox |
டௌ oz |
| ண p |
ண் pf |
ண pa |
ணா pq |
ணி ps |
ணீ pw |
ணு pd |
ணூ pe |
ணெ pg |
ணே pt |
ணை pr |
ணொ pc |
ணோ px |
ணௌ pz |
| த l |
த் lf |
த la |
தா lq |
தி ls |
தீ lw |
து ld |
தூ le |
தெ lg |
தே lt |
தை lr |
தொ lc |
தோ lx |
தௌ lz |
| ந ; |
ந் ;f |
ந ;a |
நா ;q |
நி ;s |
நீ ;w |
நு ;d |
நூ ;e |
நெ ;g |
நே ;t |
நை ;r |
நொ ;c |
நோ ;x |
நௌ ;z |
| ப j |
ப் jf |
ப ja |
பா jq |
பி js |
பீ jw |
பு jd |
பூ je |
பெ jg |
பே jt |
பை jr |
பொ jc |
போ jx |
பௌ jz |
| ம k |
ம் kf |
மா ka |
மா kq |
மி ks |
ம்மீ kw |
மு kd |
மூ ke |
மெ kg |
மே kt |
மை kr |
மொ kc |
மோ kx |
மௌ kz |
| ய ' |
ய் 'f |
ய 'a |
யா 'q |
யி 's |
யீ 'w |
யு 'd |
யூ 'e |
யெ 'g |
யே 't |
யை 'r |
யொ 'c |
யோ 'x |
யௌ 'z |
| ர m |
ர் mf |
ர ma |
ரா mq |
ரி ms |
ரீ mw |
ரு md |
ரூ me |
ரெ mg |
ரே mt |
ரை mr |
ரொ mc |
ரோ mx |
ரௌ mz |
| ல n |
ல் nf |
ல na |
லா nq |
லி ns |
லீ nw |
லு nd |
லூ ne |
லெ ng |
லே nt |
லை nr |
லொ nc |
லோ nx |
லௌ nz |
| வ v |
வ் vf |
வ va |
வா vq |
வி vs |
வீ vw |
வு vd |
வூ ve |
வெ vg |
வே vt |
வை vr |
வொ vc |
வோ vx |
வௌ vz |
| ழ / |
ழ் /f |
ழ /a |
ழா /q |
ழி /s |
ழீ /w |
ழு /d |
ழூ /e |
ழெ /g |
ழே /t |
ழை /r |
ழொ /c |
ழோ /x |
ழௌ /z |
| ள y |
ள் yf |
ள ya |
ளா yq |
ளி ys |
ளீ yw |
ளு yd |
ளூ ye |
ளெ yg |
ளே yt |
ளை yr |
ளொ yc |
ளோ yx |
ளௌ yz |
| ற u |
ற் uf |
ற ua |
றா uq |
றி us |
றீ uw |
று ud |
றூ ue |
றெ ug |
றே ut |
றை ur |
றொ uc |
றோ ux |
றௌ uz |
| ன i |
ன் if |
ன ia |
னா iq |
னி is |
னீ iw |
னு id |
னூ ie |
னெ ig |
னே it |
னை ir |
னொ ic |
னோ ix |
னௌs iz |
| Grantha Consonants | |||||||||||||
| ஜ E |
ஜ் Ef |
ஜ Ea |
ஜா Eq |
ஜி Es |
ஜீ Ew |
ஜு Ed |
ஜூ Ee |
ஜெ Eg |
ஜே Et |
ஜை Er |
ஜொ Ec |
ஜோ Ex |
ஜௌ Ez |
| ஷ W |
ஷ் Wf |
ஷ Wa |
ஷா Wq |
ஷி Ws |
ஷீ Ww |
ஷு Wd |
ஷூ We |
ஷெ Wg |
ஷே Wt |
ஷை Wr |
ஷொ Wc |
ஷோ Wx |
ஷௌ Wz |
| ஸ Q |
ஸ் Qf |
ஸ Qa |
ஸா |
ஸி Qs |
ஸீ Qw |
ஸு Qd |
ஸூ Qe |
ஸெ Qg |
ஸே Qt |
ஸை Qr |
ஸொ Qc |
ஸோ Qx |
ஸௌ Qz |
| ஹ R |
ஹ் Rf |
ஹ Ra |
ஹா Rq |
ஹி Rs |
ஹீ Rw |
ஹு Rd |
ஹூ Re |
ஹெ Rg |
ஹே Rt |
ஹை Rr |
ஹொ Rc |
ஹோ Rx |
ஹௌ Rz |
| க்ஷ Y |
க்ஷ் Yf |
க்ஷ Ya |
க்ஷா Yq |
க்ஷி Ys |
க்ஷீ Yw |
க்ஷு Yd |
க்ஷூ Ye |
க்ஷெ Yg |
க்ஷே Yt |
க்ஷை Yr |
க்ஷொ Yc |
க்ஷோ Yx |
க்ஷௌ Yz |
| Other Characters | ஶ U |
ஶ்ரீ I |
ஸ்ரீ் T |
ஃ F |
௳ Z |
௴ X |
௵ C |
௶ V |
௷ B |
௸ D |
௹ A |
௺ S |
/ M |
| " K |
: L |
; : |
' " |
‘ ^7 |
’ ^8 |
“ ^9 |
” ^0 |
© ^c |
• ^. |
^ ^^ |
[ O |
] P |
|
Troubleshooting
Fonts
Some of the fonts included with Windows do not include all the Tamil characters that are available with this keyboard. In order to display every character correctly, we recommend you download and install Tamil fonts.
If the characters you type or those on the On Screen Keyboard do not appear to display correctly, please read the KeymanWeb troubleshooting guide.
Problem Solving
If the preceding consonant does not change to a vowel-consonant combinant character when you type a vowel, confirm that you have not typed a Pulli mark ், which identifies the consonant as a pure consonant, or the first vowel அ, which identifies the consonant as the implicit-vowel consonant. Typing either of these after a consonant will prevent that consonant from changing to a combinant character.
Technical Information
System Requirements
It is recommended that you use an English QWERTY hardware keyboard with this keyboard.
Unicode Version
This keyboard complies with Unicode 5.2
Authorship
This keyboard was created by Mugunth (mugunth@gmail.com), Umar (csd_one@yahoo.com) and K. Sethu (skhome@gmail.com). 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.
