Rev. Epwarp Hincxs on Persepolitan Writing. 115 
the second, to Westergaard; I will then refer to the characters by their numbers, 
using the Roman numerals, I. and IL., to distinguish the two series, should there 
be any doubt which is meant. I will also use these abbreviations on other occa- 
sions, to denote the first or second kind of Persepolitan writing, or the people 
that used it. This seems preferable to using the terms Persian or Median, 
which assume facts that are very questionable.* 
My attention was given to the first kind of Persepolitan writing, as necessary 
to the understanding of the second; on account of many words of I., which are 
transcribed into II., and because the many proper names which appear in both, 
often, though not always, express the same pronunciation, so far as the genius of 
the two languages will admit. There are four points in which it appears to me 
that Lassen’s account of I. needs rectification. Ist, As to the existence of guna 
diphthongs in the middle or at the end of words, which he does not recognize. 
2nd, As to the use of 2 (w) after 26 (~), and of 16 (y) after 33 (7). 3rd, As 
to the nature of the secondary consonants, as I propose to call them, generally. 
And 4th, As to the powers of some particular consonants, both primary and 
secondary, which he has mistaken. I will mention these several points in order. 
1. Lassen’s rule for inserting a short a in words is, that it may be inserted 
between two consonants when there is no other vowel. Now, it appears to me 
that it may be added to any primary consonant, and that to some, as I will pre- 
sently shew, it must be added, when 7 or w follows. In this case it may either 
combine with the vowel as a gwna, forming a diphthong, or be sounded as a 
separate syllable. As examples of the former, I give the words which Lassen 
writes bagibis, dgunus. The root of the first is baga ; and, in the second, the conju- 
gational addition to the root before the verbal personal endings is na. I would, 
therefore, supply a in these two cases as a guna, converting 7 into é, and w into 0, 
reading bagébish and dqunésh. I will give examples of dizresis when I come to 
speak of the secondary consonants, my present observation being merely intro- 
ductory to what I shall then have to say. 
2. Lassen admits that za and wwa, at the end of words, are sometimes to be 
sounded as long # and “@; but in general he gives them the pronunciation ‘ja and 
uwa. The difference between him and me on this point is, as to the frequency 
* I have zow no doubt that these are their proper designations. 
P2 
