Elements of South-Indian Palæography, from the Fourth to the Seventeenth Century A.D. c4.6

c4.6

¹ It is however singular that, as yet, none of these milestones have been discovered. [^2): Thus in the third tablet we find añapitam, and in the fourth añapayisati, but in the sixth āñāpiº. The reduplication of consonants is universally omitted where it should be found (*e. g.* piyasa, janasa, ārabhisante, dukaram, svagam, dighāya, etc.). Nor is the orthography uniform; we find in the Southern inscriptions: etārisam and etādisam also. Again in the Southern inscriptions we have anathesu, but in the Northern (at Kapurdigiri) anathesu. Again the Southern inscriptions have both dasana and dasaṇa. The insertion of nasals before consonants is also excessively irregular. But this may perhaps be attributed more properly to the carelessness of the masons who carved the text on the rocks. The existence of inscriptions like the Açoka edicts proves that writing was more or less commonly understood, but it is impossible, looking at the above irregularities and the numerous others that occur, to suppose that writing was then used to express the minute distinctions that we find in the grammarians' rules. For other similar irregularities, see Profr. Bühler's "Three New Edicts" pp. 7, 9, 32, 34 etc. [^3): "Der Buddhismus" p. 30 (28). It is much to be regretted that this admirable work, which marks an epoch in Indian studies, is not known by an English translation. The author's immense learning has not prevented him from giving his results in the clearest way, and he has evidently worked without any prejudice. See also Haug, "Über das Wesen und den Werth des Wedischen Accents (4º. Munich, 1874) p. 18. [^4): u. s. p. 64, *a*. [^5): "Megasthenis Indica" ed. Schwanbeck Fr. I. 42 (p. 91). [^6) Do. Fr. xxxiv., 5 (p. 126). [^7) Do. Fr. xxvi., I (p. 112).