The Script of Harappa and Mohenjodaro and its Connection with Other Scripts c10.s1.1

c10.s1.1

It will be shown on the completion of the analysis of these tables that we have only 234 distinct signs, apart from compounds. Now the Brahmi script makes provision for 33 consonantal and 8 vowel sounds (ă (inherent) ā, i, ī, u, ū, ē, o). Now a syllabary consisting of 33 consonants each articulated with 8 following vowels would give us 264 signs. The number of syllabic signs required to form a simple syllabary of open syllables to represent Brahmi sounds 50 closely approaches the number of signs on our Texts that we may be moved to assume that our script is mainly a syllabary of this kind, as a first working hypothesis; provided of course we are previously impressed by the evidence of the Brahmi signs being derived from the Proto-Indian.¹ But this hypothesis has not been assumed before first investigating the script to discover whether an ideographic conception was tenable. It is not. There is clear evidence in Table I itself of the presence of phonetic elements. We may first take the sequence 𐍈 𐍈. Of this 𐍈 𐍈 will be seen to be a simple variant. 𐍉 𐍉 (variant 𐍉 𐍉 ) is clearly closely allied. For 𐍈 𐍈 is followed by 𐍈 final or quasi-final² in every case save one (T. VI. 31) and 𐍉 with its variants is similarly followed in every case save one (T. VI. 5). Now if we compare 𐀀𐀁, 𐀀𐀂 with 𐀀 preceded by other signs, we shall find that of the 17 signs and sign-groups found immediately preceding 𐀀𐀁, 𐀀𐀂 no less than 16 are also found immediately preceding 𐀀 alone, and that frequently. Compare T. I. Nos. 6-20, 22-38, with Tables LV, LXV, XXXIV¹, XCII, LIX, XIII, LI, XLVI, XXXI, LXXXIV, VII, XVI. In these 16 combinations the proportion of occurrences with an intercalated 𐀀 or 𐀃 to those without is as follows: