On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 17:55:14 -0000, Richard Wordingham
<richard.wordingham@...> wrote:

> More seriously, what about comparing paper and palm leaves as writing
> mediums?

I found it intriguing to learn that, iirc, the curved letterforms of some
scripts were needed because straight strokes would cut into palm leaves.
Imho, the results have often been beautiful. (I'm particularly fond of the
Tamil i, which reminds one a bit of the @ sign.)

That explanation puzzled me. Would "cross-grain" straight strokes also
cut? Or am I imagining that palm leaves (something I only rarely see) have
a "grain"?

--
Nicholas Bodley /*|*\ Waltham, Mass.
The curious hermit -- autodidact and polymath
Total lie -- saying that SocialSecurity is in crisis:
<http://www.truthout.org/docs_05/011805I.shtml>