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The Period of Transition (9th-10th Century A.D.)
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shows a developed tail, which looks Nāgarī in form. Letter gha of this region retains archaic tripartite feature; and except Pehevā inscription, ņa is generally of open-mouthed variety. Ta shows two forms: one with the two arms rounded and the other with the left arm forming an angular hook and finally joining with the right vertical. Tha has an outer loop. Na is of modern vertical as well as of archaic curved form . The breadth of pa is reduced. Pha of Table B10 looks like the letter dha. Bha and sa have their mouths open in Copper-plates while the stone inscriptions show a process of developing the modern Nāgarī tailed form. The left loop of ma was common in this period. Ra is of well developed cursive tailed variety. Va, when triangular, has slanted base; and when rounded, bends right vertical. Both forms of sa, looped and round topped, are present. The middle bar of sha in the stone inscriptions is in the shape of horizontal bar while it is slanting in the Copper-plates.
The ligatures are still formed by placing the consonants one upon the other. Subscripts right verticals extend up to the top of the letters. Superscribed b of Table B2 is represented by a distinguishing sign while generally it is denoted by the sign of va. Superscript r of rma in Table Bg shows the modern shape.
Generally, medial ā is denoted by a short vertical line in the stone inscriptions and long vertical line in the Copper-plates. In the case of nā, old upward cursive form is still present. The cursive type of u is more common. However, the use of vertical wedged form may be also seen in Table Bg. In the case of the medials e, ai, o and au; the older style of the left horizontal stroke is more frequently employed in the Copper-plates. The ornate style survives in the medial signs of stone inscriptions.
Ojha noticed Dighwā-Dubaulī inscription as the first epigraph of Nāgarī script. However, the alphabets do not follow the full covering head-line, like an a, gha, pa, ma, etc. and the sporadic use of acute-angles, such as in ma, entitle to be considered as an inscription of the transitional phase.
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