At 19:05 -0400 2004-08-01, Peter T. Daniels wrote:

> > It may be annoying that meanings
>> get changed, and thus in the interim wind up with two conflicting
>> meanings for the same word used by different groups, but that's life,
>> and that's language for you.
>
>It would be nice if change had occurred because the terms came into
>general use, but AFAIK they didn't, and there isn't a body of evidence
>behind the changed (as opposed to revised) definitions.

Check the Wikipedia. Alphabet, abjad, and abugida are all there.
--
Michael Everson * * Everson Typography * * http://www.evertype.com