On the Origin of the Indian Brahma Alphabet c7.s2.14

c7.s2.14

In the lingual *ḷa*, derived from the round *ḍa* (No 4, Col. VI, e) a small semicircle¹ has been added to the foot of the original sign in order to indicate the change of the phonetic value. Here also, I believe, we may recognise the influence of the grammarians or phoneticists. For the sounds *ḍa* and *ḷa* are frequently interchanged in the same word. Thus we find already in the Vedas regularly a *ḷa* for a *ḍa* between two vowels, as in *īḷe* for *īḍe*. In the later Sanskrit and in the Prakrits there are numerous variants like *nāḍī* and *nāḷī*, *nāḍikera* and *nāḷikera* and so forth, where it is often difficult to decide, which is the original form. As the principle, on which the ordinary *ḷa* has been formed, differs from the more general one, applied in the case of the Bhaṭṭiprolu letter, I consider it to be of later origin.