Indian Palaeography c13.s5.t1.2

c13.s5.t1.2

The cave inscriptions also introduce new letters to express Tamil sounds. The most easily recognizable of these is *ṉa*, which is derived from the dental *na* (Fig. 7. VII). The second is *ḷa*, derived from the regular form of *la*, thus proving that the reverse form of Bhattiprolu was a mistake (Fig. 7. VIII). We have another *ṟa*, derived from the form of Sanchi *ḷa*, ultimately originating from *ṭa*, as already shown (Fig. 7. IX). We have to distinguish this from Sanchi *ḷa* and from that occurring later in Western India, even though these forms are related to each other. Phonetically they are distinct. Sivaramamurti was mistaken (see his fig. 64) in linking *ḷa* of the north and west with *ḷa* of the south. One more new letter that appears in the cave inscriptions is *ḷa*, which form Subrahmanya Ayyar derives from the double-looped *ja*. But it is more probably derived from the Sanchi *ḷa* by the addition of a loop (Fig. 7. X). Thus this palaeographical study confirms the opinion propounded long ago by Caldwell¹ that the source of the southern alphabet is the North Indian character.