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$ 4, B.]
INDIAN PALEOGRAPHY.
13
the curve, col. VI, d, and out of this & new sa, col. VI, e. An immediate derivation of the Drāvida e from the Samekh of the sixth century B. C. in col. III. is not possible, for the reasons stated under No. 5, and because the characteristic ancient cross-bar is wanting in it. - No. 16, E, col. V, = Ain, cols. I, II (WEBER), the Indian sign being changed slightly or not at all in the ancient forms of Kālsī,col. IV. and col. 7,6, as well as in that of Sāñci and Häthigumphā, col. V, a, bat later made triangular, col. V, c, d, e, in order to avoid a confusion with tha and dha. - No. 17, pa, col. V, = Phe, cols. I, II (WEBER), tarned topsy-turvy; in its original position in the Eran form, col. IV; turned sideways in col. V.
No. 18, ca, col. V, = Tsade, cols. I, II, turned topsy-tarvy, the second hook on the right being bent at the same time towards the vertical as in the hypothetical form of col. IV, whence arose, with the turn sideways, the angalar or round ca of the Brāhmi in col. V, a, b, and the tailed one of the Drávidi, col. V, c. - No. 19, kha, col, V, = Qoph, cols. I, II, turned topsy-turvy with the addition of a curve at the top, col. V, a, in order to distinguish the letter from va. Owing to the use of ink, the circle at the foot was converted into a dot, col. V, 6. - No. 20, ra, col. V, = Resh, cols. I, II (WEBEB), the triangular head of the letter being opened and the vertioal attached to the base of the former triangle, whence arose the forms in col. V, a, b, and later the ornamental ones, col. V, c, d, in which the angles were repeated. — No. 21, áa, col. V, = Shin, cols. I, II (WEBER), the two angles, standing side by side, being placed the one inside the other, and the sign being then turned topsy-turvy, col. V, a, b, c. The more closely resembling Aramaic Shin of the sixth century B. C., col. III, cannot be the prototype of sa, for the same reasons as those stated above under No. 5, and is merely an analogous transformation, which the Aramseans, Phoenicians and Ethiopians have made independently at various periods. The older form with two angles has been preserved in the western sign for 100 = $u (see my Indian Studies, III, 71, 117). - No. 22, ta, col. V, = Taw, cols. I, II (WEBER); from a form like that of Sinjirli, col. III, b, or the Assyrian of the time of Salmanassar, col. III, a, was derived the ta of eol. V, a, 6, and hence the regularised form of col. V, c.
B. - Derivative consonants and initial vowels. The derivative signs, invented by the Hindas themselves, have been formed by means of the following contrivances :
(1) One of the elements of a phonetically cognate letter is transposed: (a) in sa and sa, where the cross-bar of the oldest sign has been displaced (see above, A, No. 15); (6) in da, which has been derived from dha (WEBER) by dividing the vertical stroke, and by attaching the two pieces to the upper and lower ends of the curve, whence first the da of the Drăviți and of the Patnā seal, No. 4, col. VI, a, was derived, and, with the turn to the left, the ordinary form of the Brahmi, No. 4, col. VI, b, and further the angular da, No. 4, col: VI, f.
(2) A borrowed or derivative letter is mutilated in order to obtain one with a similar phonetic value: (a) from da, No. 4, col. VI, a, comes [15] by the removal of the lower end the half round da of Kālei and the later southern inscriptions, col. VI, C; similarly, from the angnlar da, col. VI, 9, the ordinary angular da, col. VI, h, of the Asoka edicts (WEBER); (b) from tha, No. 9, col. V, comes tha, col. VI, a, by the removal of the central dot; and from the latter again fa, col. VI, 6, is derived by bisection, the round tha being considered as the product of an unaspirated letter and a curve of aspiration, which appears (see below, 5) in various other letters (WEBER); (c) from the triangular E, No. 16, col. V, o, d, e, comes the I with three dots, col. VI, B, a, b, c, which just indicate the outlines of the older sign (PRINSEP), the derivation being suggested by the fact that grammatically e is the ganar-vowel of i, for which therefore a lighter form of e appeared saitable; (d) through a bisection of the lower portion of va, No. 6, col. V, 6, and a straightening of the remaining pendant, is derived U, col. VI, a (see
