[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) › c26.s13 # Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c26.s13: 6.13 Medial vowel notations in legends on inscribed objects Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c26.s13 - **Language:** English ## Contents - [c26.s13.t1 6.13.1 Coins](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t1) — 8 parts - [c26.s13.t2 6.13.2 Seals with TB-I notation](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t2) — 3 parts - [c26.s13.t3 6.13.3 Rings with TB-I notation](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t3) — 6 parts ### 6.13 Medial vowel notations in legends on inscribed objects ### [c26.s13.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.1) All three types of vowel notations appear in Tamil-Brāhmī legends on inscribed objects like coins, seals and rings.¹² The TB-I notation occurs in fewer and earlier legends. The \*puḷḷi\* appears only rarely. Only legends with the TB-I notation or the \*puḷḷi\* are noticed below. ### [c26.s13.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.2) ¹² See Tables 1.6 to 1.8 and Figs. 1.22 to 1.24. ### 6.13.1 Coins ### [c26.s13.t1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t1.1) | Apparent reading | Actual reading | | \*\*(i) With TB-I notation\*\* | | | \*\*pe ru vā ḷu ti\*\* | \*\*\*peruvaḷuti\* (Early Pāṇṭiya)\*\*¹ | | \*\*ka ṭā la a ṇa\*\* | \*\*\*kaṭalaṉ\* (coin from Sri Lanka)\*\*² | | \*\*ū ti rā ṇa\*\* | \*\*\*u(t)tiraṉ\* (coin from Sri Lanka)\*\*³ | | \*\*pi ṭā ṇa\*\* | \*\*\*pi(ṭ)ṭaṉ\* (coin from Sri Lanka)\*\*⁴ | | \*\*(ii) With the \*puḷḷi\*\*\* | | | | \*\*\*vāciṭṭi makaṉ\* (portrait coins of the Sātavāhanas; the \*puḷḷi\* is placed next to -\*ṭ\*-).\*\*⁵ | | | \*\*\*atiṇṇaṉ etirāṉ cēntaṉ\* (coin from Andippatti; the short vowel \*e\* has a \*puḷḷi\* inside).\*\*⁶ | | | \*\*\*kuṭṭuvaṉ kōtai\* (Early Cēra; with two \*puḷḷi\* marks, one of them incorrectly placed).\*\*⁷ | ### [c26.s13.t1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t1.2) ¹ See Nos. 1 & 2, Table 1.6 and Fig. 1.22A. See also section 4.2.2. ### [c26.s13.t1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t1.3) ² See No. 4, Table 1.6. ### [c26.s13.t1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t1.4) ³ See No. 5, Table 1.6. See also section 4.19.5 (iv). For the use of \*ū\* in lieu of \*u\*, see section 6.15. ### [c26.s13.t1.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t1.5) ⁴ See No .6, Table 1.6. ### [c26.s13.t1.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t1.6) ⁵ See Nos. 9 & 10, Table 1.6. See also section 5.15 and Fig. 5.9. ### [c26.s13.t1.7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t1.7) ⁶ See No. 13, Table 1.6. See also section 4.5.4. ### [c26.s13.t1.8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t1.8) ⁷ See No. 12, Table 1.6 and Fig. 1.22 E. See also section 4.3.4. ### 6.13.2 Seals with TB-I notation ### [c26.s13.t2.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t2.1) | \*\*pā rā ta ṇa\*\* | \*\*\*parataṉ\*, 'a clan name'. (A terracotta seal from Kadathur).\*\*⁸ | | \*\*ku ṟā vā ṇa\*\* | \*\*\*kuṟavaṉ\*, 'a clan name'. (A silver seal from Karur).\*\*⁹ | ### [c26.s13.t2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t2.2) ⁸ See No. 3, Table 1.7 and Fig. 1.23 B. See also section 4.18.1 (v). ### [c26.s13.t2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t2.3) ⁹ See No. 2, Table 1.7 and Fig. 1.23 A. See also section 4.18.1 (iii). ### 6.13.3 Rings with TB-I notation ### [c26.s13.t3.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t3.1) The following legends are on gold rings from Karur: ### [c26.s13.t3.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t3.2) | \*\*ū pā ā ṇa\*\* | \*\*\*upa\[c\*\]aṉ\* 'preceptor'\*\* ¹⁰ | | \*\*ti yā ṇa ō tā lā ṇa\*\* | \*\*\*tiyaṉ ōtalaṉ\*, 'a personal name'\*\* ¹¹ | | \*\*mi ti rā ṇa\*\* | \*\*\*mi(t)tiraṉ\* 'a personal name'\*\*¹² | | \*\*ti yā ṇa\*\* | \*\*\*tiyaṉ\* 'a personal name'\*\*¹³ | ### [c26.s13.t3.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t3.3) ¹⁰ See No. 4, Table 1.8 and Fig. 1.24 A. See also section 4.9.3 (iii). ### [c26.s13.t3.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t3.4) ¹¹ See No. 2, Table 1.8 and Fig. 1.23 D. See also sections 4.18.1 (v) and 4.19.4 (i). ### [c26.s13.t3.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t3.5) ¹² See No. 3, Table 1.8 and Fig. 1.23 E. See also section 4.19.3 (i). ### [c26.s13.t3.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13.t3.6) ¹³ See No. 1, Table 1.8 and Fig. 1.23 C. See also section 4.19.4 (i). --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s13) · Pramāṇa