On the Origin of the Indian Brahma Alphabet c5.20

c5.20

Under these circumstances I believe it possible to resume the discussion regarding the origin of the Brāhma alphabet with some hope of success, and I may state at once that the results, at which I have arrived in general confirm the views of Professor Weber, who has already given the correct identifications for the majority of the signs. In the case of most of the letters it is, of course, now possible to adduce forms which come closer to each other than those which his table contains. This is chiefly due to the numerous discoveries in Semitic epigraphy, which have been made during the last thirty nine years. Mesa's stone, the oldest Sinjirli inscription and the inscriptions on the Assyrian weights, which are datable more or less accurately, each furnish something valuable. And these discoveries make it also possible to adhere strictly to the general rule, to be observed in such inquiries, that only the signs of one period should be chosen for comparison.