The Script of Harappa and Mohenjodaro and its Connection with Other Scripts c10.s69.1

c10.s69.1

The first five signs in Col. IV appear to be variants. The base form is probably ⊞ (see the last sign in Col. IV) variously written ⊟ (see the third sign) and ⊞ (see the second sign). Later the internal strokes were omitted, and we get □ as the base form (see the first, sixth and seventh and penultimate signs). These base forms are then modified by the vowel " = i (written in each half of the sign on the symmetrical principle) and the vowel u (also written in each half: the sixth sign is probably defective). These three phonetic varieties; the base form, articulated with a (text 23), the form with i (texts 1-12) and the form with u (texts 13-21) are also distinguished by their sequences, )R with the form in a; ᗐR𐌗 with the form in i; R|| , 𐌗R, 𐌗, 𐌗R, with the form in u. I am at a loss to explain the penultimate form, with five strokes in each register, unless indeed it is indicative of some other vowel or dipthong. If so we must bear this in mind as a possible explanation of 𐌗 and other signs containing more than three internal strokes. For there seems little doubt that this sign is related to the l. or ⊞ (see the fifth sign, and the last sign but two).