Indian Palaeography c18.s4.t1.4

c18.s4.t1.4

The initial *a* is of the fish-hook type, with the upper hook rounded or angular. The long vertical sometimes has the foot-mark. The other initial vowels do not have the foot-mark at all. The initial *i* has an additional sloping stroke across its head. The initial *u* has a stroke, either straight or slanting, added to the left bottom of the long vertical. The initial *e* has a head stroke on the top of the round curve. Another form of *e* with a horizontal stroke on the right of the vertical, as shown by C. C. Dasgupta,⁴ is not found at this time, but is seen in later inscriptions. The initial *o* has a stroke falling from the lower half of the vertical on the left. The *anusvāra* added to *a* takes the form of the miniature *ma*, appended at the end of the vertical, or just above the end. The medial vowels have diacritic marks similar to those of the initials. Minor differences are discussed along with the consonants.