Sanscrit Writing and Language. 95 



Indeed, are different, but the principle which directs their signification is precisely 

 the same. — -4°. In the Ethloplc syllabary each of the letters, taken in its simplest 

 form without any modification of shape, denotes a syllable ending in a short a ; 

 and in like manner each letter of the Sanscrit syllabary denotes, in its unmodified 

 state, a syllable ending in a short a. — But to compare more closely the corres- 

 ponding series of powers in the two systems, we should conceive those of the 

 Sanscrit syllabary to be arranged in the same manner as the Ethloplc ones are in 

 the table which has been given of the latter ; that is, each set of the Sanscrit 

 powers of a common commencement to be placed in the same horizontal line, and 

 each set of those of a common termination to be in the same column ; and still 

 farther, we should reject the six columns introduced by the Pandit through gross 

 ignorance of the nature of a vowel, as well as the two columns he has added to 

 his system on account of vowel sounds occurring in his, but not in the Ethloplc 

 language. Then it may be observed — 5°. The syllables of the first column in 

 both systems end in a. — 6°. The syllables of the last column in both systems end 

 in 0. — 7°- To conclude this comparison, let us bring together the powers belong- 

 ing to any two of the equivalent letters of the two systems. For instance, the 

 powers of the letter Bet are placed by the Ethiopian in the following order : 



ha hu hi hd he he ho 



and the powers of the same letter (when we reject those which do not really 

 begin with a single consonant and end with a vowel, as also those which end 

 with vowels not used in the Ethloplc tongue) are arranged by the Pandit 

 thus : 



hd hd hi hi hu hu he ho 



There are three vowels exhibited in a twofold state in the latter series, and only 

 two in the former ; but when the distinction was Introduced In any one Instance 

 It was easy to extend It to others.* It Is also to be noted, that although the 



* The correctness of this observation is practically illustrated by a recent publication of Captain 

 Henry Harkness, in vfhich he has given copies of several syllabaries that are used in the southern 

 part of the Indian Peninsula, and are derived from the Deva-Nagari system. In four of these, 

 namely, in the Telugu, the Karnataka, the Malayalma (which is the same as the Tuluva), and the 

 Tarnish syllabaries, the vowels E and O, as well as A, I, and U, are considered, each of them, in a 

 twofold state ; and the consequence is that, in the first three of the derivative systems just men- 

 tioned, there are no less than eighteen columns, or eighteen varieties of the syllables denoted by the 



