Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c25.s10.4

c25.s10.4

**i / ī:** The letter *i* consists of three dots (Chart 4: *i: 89, 76*) or three short, horizontal dashes (ibid. *17, 60*) both arranged in a triangular pattern. Even though the three-dot form occurs later than the three-dash form in the Corpus, the former is the original form as it is attested in Asokan Brāhmī.³ In Early Vaṭṭeḻuttu, the three dashes join together in the composite form seen at Pulankurichi (Chart 8). At the next stage, this form is simplified as a single, smooth curve (Chart 4: *i: 111*).