[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.s18 # Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c26.s18: 6.18 Analytical writing in Tamil-Brāhmī inscriptions Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c26.s18 - **Language:** English ## Contents - [c26.s18.t1 6.18.1 Consonant followed by vowel:](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t1) — 8 parts - [c26.s18.t2 6.18.2 Vowel followed by vowel](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t2) — 6 parts ### 6.18 Analytical writing in Tamil-Brāhmī inscriptions ### [c26.s18.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.1) One of the characteristic orthographic features of the Tamil-Brāhmī inscriptions, especially in the Early Period, is what may be called 'analytical' writing in which non-initial word-segments and grammatical suffixes commencing with vowels occur separately without sandhi or the glides \*y\* or \*v\* in between. This style of writing in which segmentation occurs at the junction of words, or words and suffixes, cannot be described as alphabetic as suggested by Subramanian.¹ His theory is not borne out by the evidence,² though it has been repeated in later publications.³ The Tamil scripts have remained basically syllabic (as the parent Brāhmī) with the exception of free-standing basic consonants. ### [c26.s18.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.2) ¹ "The vowelled consonants (are) sometimes written not as one letter, but as two separate letters, with the consonant and the vowel side by side". (T.N. Subramanian 1957: p. 1509). ### [c26.s18.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.3) ² Ibid. Figs. 7a & b. The first example \*y ū\* is probably from the Karungalakkudi inscription (No. 34) in which the place name \*eḷaiy-ūr\* is written as two words. His second example \*ṭ ā\* (sic) is probably taken from \*atiṭ-aṇam\* (read \*atiṭ-āṇam\*) in the Sittannavasal-A inscription (No. 49) in which the pause serves the same function as doubling of consonants (\*atiṭṭāṇam\*). These are not cases of alphabetic writing. ### [c26.s18.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.4) ³ E.g., K.A. Nilakanta Sastri 1955 (4th edn. 1975): p. 90. ### [c26.s18.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.5) Two types of segmentation through analytical writing are illustrated below, each involving non-initial word-segments and grammatical suffixes commencing with vowels.⁴ ### [c26.s18.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.6) ⁴ For more examples, see section 7.4.4. ### 6.18.1 Consonant followed by vowel: ### [c26.s18.t1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t1.1) (e.g.) (i) between word-segments: ### [c26.s18.t1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t1.2) | \*\*\*pākaṉ-ūr\*\*\* | \*\*Pākaṉūr\*\* | \*\*'a place name'\*\* | \*\*13.1\*\* | | \*\*\*veḷ-aṟai\*\*\* | \*\*Ve(ḷ)ḷaṟai\*\* | \*\*'a place name'\*\* | \*\*6.1\*\* | ### [c26.s18.t1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t1.3) (ii) between word and suffix: ### [c26.s18.t1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t1.4) | \*\*\*kaṭal-aṉ\*\*\* | \*\*Kaṭalaṉ, a personal name\*\* | \*\*1.7.a\*\* | | \*\*\*cēvit-ōṉ\*\*\* | \*\*\*cēvi(t)tōṉ\*\*\*, \*\*'he who caused to be made'.\*\*⁵ | \*\*18.3\*\* | | \*\*\*kuvira-aṉ-a\*\*\* | \*\*'of Kuviran' (pottery inscription from Alagankulam)\*\*⁶ | | ### [c26.s18.t1.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t1.5) ⁵ See comments on the verb \*cē\* in section 3.2.2 (v). ### [c26.s18.t1.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t1.6) ⁶ Natana Kasinathan 1997: No. 12; Pl. VI, Fig. 14. ### [c26.s18.t1.7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t1.7) (iii) both types: ### [c26.s18.t1.8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t1.8) | \*\*\*pēr-ay-am\*\*\* | \*\*\*pērayam\*\*\* \*\*'large tank'\*\* | \*\*35.2\*\* | ### 6.18.2 Vowel followed by vowel ### [c26.s18.t2.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t2.1) ⁷ See also section 7.4.4. ### [c26.s18.t2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t2.2) (e.g.) (i) between word-segments: ### [c26.s18.t2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t2.3) | \*\*\*karu-ūr\*\*\* | \*\*Karu(v)ūr\*\* | \*\*'a place name'\*\* | \*\*69.1\*\* | | \*\*\*tiṭi-il-\*\*\* | \*\*Ti(ṭ)ṭi(y)il\*\* | \*\*'a place name'\*\* | \*\*33.1\*\* | ### [c26.s18.t2.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t2.4) (ii) between word and suffix: ### [c26.s18.t2.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t2.5) | \*\*\*ā-iṉa\*\*\* | \*\*\*ā(y)iṉa\*\*\* | \*\*'who is, alias'\*\* | \*\*41.2\*\* | | \*\*\*koṭi-ōr\*\*\* | \*\*\*ko(ṭ)ṭi(y)ōr\*\*\* | \*\*'they who carved'\*\* | \*\*6.3\*\* | ### [c26.s18.t2.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18.t2.6) Both types of segmentation, especially as in section 6.18.², occur in early medieval Tamil inscriptions also.¹ --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c26.s18) · Pramāṇa