[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) › c31.49 # Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c31.49 Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c31.49 - **Language:** English ### [c31.49](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c31.49) Takaṭūr 23, 117, 119, 120 Talaiyālaṅkāṉam 116 Tamatakallu (inscr.) 33, 41, 97, 99, 481, 639 Tamil-Brāhmī (inscrs.) 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 17, 23, 24, 25, 36, 37, 38-40, 43, 50, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 99, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 112, 114, 120, 126, 128, 129, 133, 137, 139, 163, 168, 176, 180, 181, 184, 187, 189, 190, 203, 225, 231, 237, 240, 245, 248, 249, 250, 251, 302 chronology 90-95, 203 direction of writing 179-80 Early Tamil-Brāhmī (inscrs.) 36, 95, 129, 133, 135, 175, 176, 182, 187, 198, 237, 239, 244, 268 general characteristics of writing 178-79 language of 101-04 Late Tamil-Brāhmī (inscrs.) 176, 181, 182, 185, 186 Tamil-Brāhmī legends coins 50-51, 57, 62-63, 118, 121, 122, 182, 199-205, \*200\*, \*204\* inscribed objects 4, 37, 50-51, 58-59, 62-67, 93, 145, 147, 149, 150 rings 50-51, 58-59, 65-67, 255 seals 50-51, 58, 64 touchstone 50-51, 59, 64 Tamil-Brāhmī (orthography) analytical writing 242-44 apparent lengthening of \*u\* as \*ū\* 237-39 chronology of medial vowel notations 231-36, 232 doubling of consonants 240-42, 277-78 dual values of \*e\* and \*o\* 239-40 evolution of medial vowel notations 87, 226-36, 232 falling together of \*n\* and \*ṉ\* (in Early Tamil inscrs.) 268 medial vowel notations in cave inscriptions 234 legends on inscribed objects 235-36 pottery inscriptions 234-35 orthographic changes in loanwords 245-47 conventions (peculiarities) 69, 71-72, 76, 83, 86-87, 94-95, 225 classification 98-99 systems / types of medial vowel notations TB-I: 227; TB-II.: 229; TB-III (\*puḷḷi\*): 230 pause 244-45 \*puḷḷi\* (orthographic aspects) 230-31 use of \*i\* as \*i\* 237 voicing of consonants absent 247-51 Tamil-Brāhmī (palaeography) additional letter \*ḷ\* 71, 73-74, 93, 94, 187-91, \*188\*, 201, 202, 203, \*218\* \*ḻ\* 71, 193-94, 192, \*218\* \*ṟ\* 9, 23, 75, 192, 195-96, 203, 204, \*218\* \*ṉ\* 74, 194-95, 192, \*218\* additional letters (\*ḷ\*, \*ḻ\*, \*ṟ\*, \*ṉ\*) 48, 69, 71, 81, 187-96, \*218\* consonants 184-96, \*220-21\* ductus of the script 164 evolution into (Early) Vaṭṭeḻuttu 210-12, \*219-22\*, 224 graphemic inventory 175 medial \*e/o\* sign with \*puḷḷi\* 198 medial vowel signs 196-98, \*222\* origin of Tamil-Brāhmī (from Brāhmī) 173, 175 palaeographic changes (from Brāhmī) 173-74 palaeographic charts 138, 168-69, \*217-23\* \*puḷḷi\* (palaeographic aspects) 198-99 use of \*ḍ\* as \*ḷ\* \*188\*, 189-90 use of reversed \*ḍ\* as \*ḷ\* \*188\*, 190-91 - [Previous: c31.48](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c31.48) - [Next: c31.50](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c31.50) - [Up: c31](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c31) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c31.49](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c31.49) · Pramāṇa