New Font ‘Dubo’ Developed for 125 Languages Spoken in Nepal

In a significant step towards linguistic inclusivity, a new font has been developed to create a unified writing system for the 125 languages spoken across Nepal. Named ‘Dubo,’ the font was designed following an agreement between the task force formed by Nepal Academy and Awaran Publications.

Developed based on the recommendations of the task force, the font was officially handed over to the Academy on Tuesday. Artist Ramesh Poudel, managing director of Awaran Publications, explained that ‘Dubo’ consists of 224 characters and, despite having a different layout from Devanagari and Unicode, is user-friendly and accessible.

During a program held at Nepal Academy, linguists and experts discussed and presented their views on the potential impact of the new font. Linguist Prof. Dr. Madhav Pokharel expressed optimism that ‘Dubo’ would address the writing challenges faced by many languages in Nepal that lack a script of their own.

Nepal Academy’s Chancellor Bhupal Rai emphasized that the font was developed with the expertise of a dedicated task force and would serve as a valuable tool in preserving and promoting Nepal’s linguistic diversity. Similarly, Chairperson of the Language Commission Dr. Gopal Thakur stated that the font would bring uniformity to the writing of Nepal’s many spoken languages.

Task force coordinator Dr. Amrit Yonjan Tamang highlighted the practical benefits of ‘Dubo,’ stating that it would greatly facilitate writing in Nepal’s diverse linguistic landscape.