Tamil Script

The South Indian script whose 3rd-century BC inscriptions are the earliest Brahmi evidence in the south.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Its cursive roundness comes, like Burmese, from writing on palm leaves.
• Distinguishes only a subset of Sanskrit consonants, trimming the inventory to Tamil sounds.
• Carried overseas with trade to Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia in the first millennium.

Specifications & Metrics

• TYPE: Abugida