On the Origin of the Indian Brahma Alphabet c7.s1.32

c7.s1.32

No 19. With respect to the Semitic *Qoph* I must likewise differ from all my predecessors, who have compared it to the Brāhma *cha*, which is clearly an Indian derivative from *ca* and has a very different phonetic value. In my opinion the Semitic *Qoph* has its counterpart in the Brāhma *kha*, the oldest form of which (Col. V, a) consists of a circle with a superimposed vertical line ending in a curve. This is the oldest Semitic sign (Cols. I and II),² turned topsy-turvy on account of its heavy top. The curve at the end of the vertical has no doubt been added in order to distinguish the letter from *va*. The *kha* with the circle at the base occurs sometimes in Jaugada and is used frequently in the Kālsī version³ of the Edicts, where not rarely the circle is replaced by a somewhat irregular loop, sometimes attached to the right of the vertical line (see the *kha* figured above p. 41). It is the parent of most of the later Indian signs for *kha*, including the modern Devanāgarī form, which all show a loop or a triangle at the base of the vertical. In several versions of the Pillar [67] Edicts and elsewhere a well developed dot takes the place of the circle. This change In favour of this identification speaks also the fact that the modern Indians in loan words not rarely express the Arabic *Qoph* by their *kha*. Thus the Marāṭhī has खस्त, खस्सा, खुमास, खुरबाण, खूम and so forth for Arabic words with *Qoph*. This substitution shows that the Indian ear detects an affinity between the deep guttural *Qoph* and the harsh sounding *kha*.