Re: Abugida and akshara?

--- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Richard Wordingham"
<richard.wordingham@...> wrote:

>
> --- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Peter Constable"

<petercon@...> wrote:

> > An abugida is a type of script, characterized (roughly -- I'm

sure I'll

> > be corrected if there is a more preferred definition) by having
> > syllables with the same initial consonant written using a

single form

> > for the consonant with various marks modifying that

consonant form to

> > signify the syllable rhymes.
>
> I beleive Peter Daniels would insist that the absence of a

modifying

> mark signified some specific ('implicit' or 'inherent') vowel

rather

> than zero.

I read recently that for devnagri the half-form is the dead
consonant because the full form is considered to be a
representation of the consonant on the left *plus* a residual or
historic representation of the short a on the right, for some
letters. That is, the right hand side of some consonants is
actually the short a. This rationalizes the use of the half form as
the bare consonant.

So I am wondering what "inherent" means - 'normally
represented with' - or 'unrepresented'?

Suzanne