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FURTHER-INDIAN BRANCH
and the direct connection of the Philippine scripts with the Indian characters is as improbable as it is with the Aramaic alphabets or their offshoots, or with any offshoot of the Latin alphabet. (4) There is no indication whatever that the origin of the Philippine scripts can be antedated to the occupation of the archipelago by the Majapahit empire of Java (see p. 422). (5) In short, I believe that the Philippine scripts descended either directly or indirectly from the Kavi or Old Javanese character. It is possible that the Buginese were the mediators; indeed, many peculiar characteristics of the Buginese character appear also in the Philippine scripts, for instance in the Tagalog character, as proved particularly by Lendoyro, in his book, which has been already mentioned, on the Tagalog language.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: see pp. 434. 437. +39 f.
