1890-91.] SIBERIAN INSCRIPTIONS. 281 



Plate I. — The Siberian Characters and their Consonantal 



Values. 



t. / . 7.K T . h, n . j^. hfj. vowel, and aspirate or semi-vowel syllables. 

 r. r p. 1 . 1 . ') .T b or p syllables. 



F.t V li.OJ./l^ forv syllables. 



LT. LP . -O w syllables. 

 ^ ^ ki. gi, ag syllables. 

 y . V . ^ , y. . ^. r4 N H, ka, go syllables, also ^^ Y^ J\ 



\\-^n^<Cl>>^ jd ore syllables. 



^^ >^^#J^TTX^ m syllables. 



3r . 2r » ^i . p . ij . n syllables, also ^ yj 



a A A./C./». r syllables 



>.y J. X. {;-•>/ J. L. C 17 . ^r" . s. ch, j syllables. 



i . ^.C ^<- • 3 ' J • ts syllables. 



r ' J^ f^ • »5 ochi, ushi, etc. 



0.0 e.o.nQ.6. fi. Budha. 



/v.nA . A . etc., bcri, fushi, ota, and similar compounds. 

 / . //. /'/ . ////. numbers i, 2, 3, 4. 

 • ,« . divider of words and clauses. 



The direction of the writmg may generally be ascertamed from the commoner 

 m syllable, which faces thus. ^ It appears that 'X is a be, pi form, and A > a 



^a, po form ,^ is mi, and ^ is wa. that V is shi, and V\sa ; while/* )s/«, and f 

 lb -i'z .2/ is an / syllable, and IT a 7v . ^ is >^^, and/' is /<?,- /t is yo,'andC/ is 

 ka;^ IS f^z, and v is /^. The direction of the characters is thqs of as much 

 importance as the form. Abnormal forms can easily be classed among those here 

 given by their leading characteristic and direction. It will yet be possible to assign 

 specific vowel values to the vowel and aspirate, labial, guttural, dental, and sibilant 

 characters, including m ; but the r, n, is, and oc/ii syllabic characters have no vowel 

 differentiation. Some of the characters in the table on the page entitled. Types dans 

 les inscriptions, in Inscriptions de I'lenissei, are misleading, having been read as 

 inverted perpendicularly or laterally , such are'^.V >^.0 .etc 



