Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages c7.s2.t3.29

c7.s2.t3.29

Moreover, the direct derivations from the twenty-two consonantal characters of the supposed North Semitic prototype account for less than half of the full Indic alphabet, which comprises at least forty-six⁷⁴ distinct characters. Bühler thus derived the remaining Brāhmī characters by a process of secondary development from the primary, Semitic-based characters. Most of his secondary derivations, such as those of the aspirates 𑀨 *pha* and 𑀙 *cha* from the corresponding nonaspirates 𑀧 *pa* and 𑀘 *ca* are obvious, but others, such as *bha* and *dha*, are less convincing.⁷⁵ The retroflex consonants, which have no direct prototypes in Semitic, are derived, according to Bühler, by a similar secondary process, whereby, for instance, 𑀞 *ṭha* is a reduction of 𑀣 *tha* and 𑀝 *ṭa* a further reduction of *ṭha*.