Alphabet Key To History Of Mankind

Author(s): David Diringer
Publisher: Hutchinsons Scientific and Technical Publications

Page 9

VIII
Chapter
CONTENTS
writing; varieties of Syriac scripts: Estrangela and its descendants; "alphabet follows religion"; Nestorians; "Assyrians"; Jacobites; Melkites; development of Nestorian, Jacobite and Melkite scripts; Neo-Syrian character; Garshuni; Greek in Syriac script. Mandaan alphabet. Manichæan alphabet. Bibliography.
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER IV. (Section on Arabic alphabet). Malagasy scripts-problems awaiting solution. Yezidi cryptic script. Balti alphabet. Somali alphabet.
V. NON-SEMITIC OFFSHOOTS OF ARAMAIC BRANCH
"Alphabet follows religion." Kharoshthi script and the problem of Indian writings; coins and inscriptions; other documents; the script; bibliography. Persian or Iranian scripts: general sketch; Pahlavi; Aramaic ideograms"; Pahlavi alphabets; the script; the Avesta; bibliography. Sogdian alphabet; bibliography, Kök Turki runes; bibliography, Early Hungarian script; bibliography. Uighur alphabet; bibliography. Mongolian scripts; Manchu script; Kalmuck alphabet; Buriat alphabet; bibliography. Probable offshoots of Aramaic branch: Armenian scripts; Armenian; Armenian alphabet; origin of Armenian writing; bibliography. Georgian alphabets: Georgian; Georgian scripts; origin; bibliography. Alban or Alvan alphabet. VI. INDIAN BRANCH
Origin of Indian writing: theories concerning origin of Brahmi script. Indian inscriptions. Development of Indian scripts: Early period (up to fourth century A.D.); main types of early Indian or Brahmi scripts: (1) script written from right to left; (2) Early Maurya type, third century B.C.; (3) Early Kalinga type-the "Dravidi" script; (4) Early western Deccan or Andhra script; (5) Late Maurya type; (6) Sunga type; (7) Prototypes of North Indian sub-division; (8) Prototypes of South Indian scripts. Further development of Indian scripts: North Indian scripts (fourth century A.D.-fourteenth century): North Indian monumental type known as Gupta; Central Asian Gupta sub-varieties: Central Asian slanting Gupta: Agnean and Kuchean; Agnean and Kuchean characters; bibliography. Central Asian cursive Gupta: Khotanese; Khotanese script; bibliography; Chinese in cursive Gupta character. Western branch of eastern Gupta; bibliography. Tibetan scripts and their offshoots: Passepa character: Lepcha character. Adaptation of the Tibetan character to other languages: Nam language; Chinese in Tibetan writing. Siddhamatrka character; Deva-nagari script; Nandi-nagari; Deva-nagari character; Sarada script; Proto-Bengali character; Early Nepali or Newari character; "arrow-head" type. Modern North Indian scripts: North-eastern varieties: Bengali character; Oriya script; Maithili character; Early Manipuri character; Assamese character: Kaithi character; Gujarati script; Bihari character; eastern Hindi varieties; Mahajani character; Modi character. Modern north-western scrips: Takri character and its varieties: Dogri character; Chameali character; Mandeali character; Sirmauri character; Jaunsari character; Kochi character; Kului
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