The Script of Harappa and Mohenjodaro and its Connection with Other Scripts c10.s70: Analysis of Table XCI

c10.s70.1

The last two signs in Col. IV recall strongly certain phonetic variations of 𐀈, viz. 𐀉 and 𐀊 . Here also these additional strokes are clearly material, since the key sequences of the first sign 𐀋𐀂, 𐀋𐀌 are not found with the last two signs. On the other hand two sequences 𐀍𐀂 and 𐀍𐀌 are common to 𐀎 and 𐀏 . This is exactly parallel to what we saw regarding 𐀈 and 𐀉 , and we may draw the parallel conclusion - that 𐀏 is a phonetic (vowel) modification of 𐀎 . Now it is interesting to note that just as 𐀉 is certainly distinct from, though allied to, 𐀈 , so 𐀏 is apparently distinct from 𐀎 . Now we argued from the Brahmi (inter alia) that 𐀐 was probably 𐀑 and 𐀒 𐀓. It is to be inferred from the existence of 𐀉 and 𐀏 that the Proto-Indian script had a means of indicating ē as distinct from 𐀓, 𐀔 and that that means was the lateral short stroke (as distinct from the perpendicular). This would be exactly parallel to the Brahmi method of indicating the vowel ē in open syllables. Here also as in Proto-Indian, the lateral strokes were not always horizontal but sometimes inclined,