[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Archaeology, epigraphy and coins](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy) › [Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D.](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003) › c25.s5 # Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c25.s5: 5.5 Graphemic inventory of Tamil-Brāhmī Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c25.s5 - **Language:** English ### 5.5 Graphemic inventory of Tamil-Brāhmī ### [c25.s5.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s5.1) There are 26 letters comprising 8 vowels and 18 consonants, and 9 medial vowel signs in Tamil-Brāhmī: ### [c25.s5.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s5.2) Vowels: \*a\* \*ā\* \*i\* \*ī\* \*u\* \*ū\* \*e\*/\*ē\* \*o\*/\*ō\* Consonants: \*k\* \*ṅ\* \*c\* \*ñ\* \*ṭ\* \*ṇ\* \*t\* \*n\* \*p\* \*m\* \*y\* \*r\* \*l\* \*v\* \*ḻ\* \*ḷ\* \*ṟ\* \*ṉ\* Medial vowel signs: \*-ā\* \*-i\* \*-ī\* \*-u\* \*-ū\* \*-e\*/\*-ē\* \*-ai\* \*-o\*/\*-ō\* and the \*puḷḷi\*.¹ ### [c25.s5.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s5.3) In addition to the above, two letters from the Brāhmī script, viz., \*dh\* and \*s\* occur marginally in loanwords from Indo-Aryan in the Early Tamil-Brāhmī inscriptions.² --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s5) · Pramāṇa