Tamil-Brahmi

All you want to know about Tamil-Brahmi

The Tamil Brahmi script, unlike standard Asokan Brahmi, distinguished between pure consonants and consonants with an inherent vowel marker

Tamil-Brahmi was an early variant of the Brahmi script used to write Tamil characters. It is also known as the Tamili script.

1 Origin
2 Adichanallur excavations
3 Tamil Brahmi findings
4 See also
5 References

Origin

Iravatham Mahadevan, an authority on the Tamil-Brahmi script states that the Brahmi script reached the Tamil country due the southern spread of Jainism and Buddhism, and was adapted to suit the Tamil phonetic system.^[1]

Early Tamil Brahmi, unlike Asokan Brahmi, had a system to distinguish between pure consonants and consonants with an inherent vowel. In addition, early Tamil-Brahmi used slightly different vowel markers, and had extra characters to represent letters not found in Sanskrit. The earliest surviving inscriptions in Tamil found at Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu.^{[citation needed]}Tamil-Brahmi eventually evolved into the Vatteluttu script.

Adichanallur excavations

It has been tentatively suggested by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) archaeologists that graffiti etched into a potsherd tentatively dated to the 5th century BC is an example of a "very rudimentary" form of Tamil writing.^[2]

The recent archeological findings at Adichanallur, Tamil Nadu by ASI have indicated that the Tamil-Brahmi inscription may have dated from as far back as 7th-8th century BC^[3], earlier than the Sangam period, but a final verdict on the age of the stone age burial awaits radiocarbon dating. The assertion that it is in Tamil-Brahmi will be scrutinized by the scholars.

Tamil Brahmi findings

A broken storage jar with inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi script in Egypt.^[4]
An urn at the Iron Age burial site at Adichanallur.^[1]
Tamil-Brahmi inscription on pottery found in Thailand.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b T.S., Subramanian (February 17, 2005). "`Rudimentary Tamil-Brahmi script' unearthed at Adichanallur" (in English), The Hindu. Retrieved on 2007-12-06.
^ 'Rudimentary Tamil-Brahmi script' unearthed at Adichanallur. The Hindu, Feb 17, 2005
^ Skeletons, script found at ancient burial site in Tamil Nadu
^ "Tamil Brahmi script in Egypt" (in English), The Hindu (November 21, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-06.
^ "Tamil-Brahmi inscription on pottery found in Thailand" (in English), The Hindu (July 16, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-12-06.

Champakalakshmi, R. A magnum opus on Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, [1]
Mahadevan, Iravatham, Orality to literacy: Transition in Early Tamil Society , Frontline, Volume 20 - Issue 07, March 29 - April 11, 2003