Indian Palaeography from about B.C. 350 to about A.D. 1300 c8.s6.t1.10

c8.s6.t1.10

The origin of the remaining signs is doubtful. Some, such as *va* (plate VIII, 38—40, XVI) and medial *ā* (see *kā*, plate VIII, 12, XVI), occur both in northern and in southern scripts. Others are modifications of letters common to the north and the south. The final *ṉ* (plate VIII, 49, XVI) is evidently the result of a slight transformation of both the northern and the southern *ṇa* with two hooks [72] (plate III, 20, V, XX; plate IV, 21, VII f.; plate VII, 21, IV ff.); and from this comes the Tamil *ṇa* (plate VIII, 24, XVI) by the addition of another curve. The parent of the peculiar *E* (plate VIII, 8, XVI) may be either that of plate IV, 5, X ff., or that of plate VII, 5, XXIII. Similarly, the angular medial *u* in *tu* (plate VIII, 27, XVI) and in *ṟu* (plate VIII, 48, XVI) is due to a peculiar modification of the curve, rising upwards on the right, which is found in connection both with northern and with southern letters (see *śu*, plate IV, 36, III, XVII, and plate VII, 36, II, IV). Finally, the greatly cursive *I* (plate VIII, 3, XVI) appears to be the result of a peculiar combination of three curves, which replaced the ancient dots. But an *I* of this kind has hitherto not been traced.