This book presents a descriptive study on modern Bengali script based on
empirical data and information obtained from a large corpus of modern
Bengali written text documents. In a systematic manner it presents a
detailed account on formal and functional aspects of Bengali
orthographic symbols with a focus on Bengali spelling system and
punctuation marks used in written texts. The book describes, in a
systematic manner, orthographic symbols and signs used in Bengali
writing; their shapes, sizes, designs, and patterns of use; modes of
formation and changes of the shapes due to linguistic and
extra-linguistic factors; and frequency of use of various characters in
the texts. With a clinical insight, the author probes into the texture
of script and analyzes data, information and examples from an empirical
perspective never attempted before. It can be used as an informative
text-cum-reference book by Bengali language learners, teachers, language
researchers, language technologists, speech technologists, and linguists
working in descriptive and applied Bengali linguistics.