Re: Abugida and akshara?

suzmccarth wrote:

>
> --- 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.

I must have been lucky enough to miss this.

Where are you _getting_ these fantasies??????

Have you _ever_ looked at Brahmi letters????????

Have you _ever_ looked at Devanagari????????

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

As for Richard's or Peter C's belief, an abugida is a writing system in
which the basic symbol represents a consonant plus the unmarked vowel
(usually /a/). The other vowels are marked with marks.

Richard Salomon reported at the AOS yesterday that he's discovered the
ancient order for writing the vowels in Kharosthi: a e i o u (which also
happens to coincide with top-to-bottom placement of the marks for e i o
u).
--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@...