Peter_Constable@... wrote:

>
> On 11/12/2001 06:04:56 AM "Peter T. Daniels" wrote:
>
> >> >Doubtful: 23 and 37 (both the same; would Bill call them
> >> >alphasyllabaries?)
> >>
> >> Syriac and Thaana are not the same.
>
> >Vowels are not optional in "Modern Syriac" or in Divehi. That's why
> >they're alphabetlike (but because the letterforms differ qualitatively,
> >they're not _really_ alphabets).
>
> Apparently I misunderstood you: the names "Modern Syriac" and "Thaana"
> refer to *different* scripts that have some of the *same* characteristics.

We're talking about "types," right?

How do they differ, other than in the trivial matters of appearance and
inventory?
--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@...