Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c25.s12.t1.22

c25.s12.t1.22

In Early Tamil-Brāhmī, *ḻ* has a circular top which may or may not be bisected by the vertical (Chart 3: I . 2 & 3; Chart 5B:*ḻ*:17 & 49). Both variants are also attested in the pottery inscriptions from Kodumanal (Chart 7: KDM 27 & 164; 148 & 3). The step-like line derived from Brāhmī *ḍ* (Corpus: *ḷu* in No. *1* and *ḷi* in No. 2), tends to change from the angular to cursive shape (Chart 5B: *ḻ*: 17). Towards the end of the Early Period, the top circle opens out and forms a large loop with a gracefully curved tail as at Tirupparankunram (Chart 3 : I.⁴; Chart 5B : *ḻ*: 55). Still later, the tail gets straightened (Chart 3: I .⁵; Chart 5B : *ḻ*: 77). It is this late form that is seen in the pottery inscriptions at Arikamedu (Chart 7: AKW:16). The Early Vaṭṭeluttu form is similar but somewhat more cursive (Chart 3 : I.⁶; Chart 5B : *ḻ*: 116).