KOZHIKODE: The resemblance of Malayalam to the non-script language, Tulu, was back in focus when Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy released the Unicode version of the Tulu script last month. The script is virtually another version of Malayalam itself.

At present, most Tulu works are written in Kannada as the Tulu script is yet to gain acceptability and use. K.P. Rao, the font specialist who prepared the software for Tulu in Unicode, said the base framework for Tulu and Malayalam scripts were almost similar.

“The Unicode platform allowed easy typing of the Tulu script on the keyboard and also its translation to other languages. The materialization of the script was largely influenced by Anjali script of Malayalam,” he told DC. The Unicode version of the Tulu script is such that a Malayalam knowing person can manage to read and grasp it. Umpteen letters including ‘ka’, ‘ga’, ‘cha’, ‘tha’, ‘va’, ‘na’, ‘sha’, ‘sa’, ‘ha’ are common to both.

Tulu language experts have since long contended that Tulu script was adopted for Malayalam by the King of Travancore during 12th century AD and it was not vice versa. “Malayalam had no independent script till 12th century AD. Earlier Tulu was considered as a variant of Malayalam script. But new studies show that Tulu script used by the Tulu scholars at that time evolved into the present Malayalam script,” noted Karnataka Tulu Academy chairperson M Janaki Brahmavara.

“Both Malayalam and Tulu were derived from the same Grantha script,” says Rao. M.J. Thomas, an artist hailing from Thrissur and settled in Manipal gave invaluable help to Rao with his skills, and in fact, was responsible for giving an aesthetic look to the fonts. Though more than two million people speak Tulu, it is yet to get national recognition for lack of a script.