Re: [soc.culture.indian.telugu] Telugu & Sinhalese script similarities
Bapa Rao (baparao@locus.com)
Fri, 12 Jan 1996 14:56:21 -0800 (PST)
As I understood it, Sinhalese, Thai, Telugu and other scripts are
developed from the Brahmi script which was in widespread use during the
B.C.--A.D. transition centuries. The Buddhist inscriptions of the Ashokan
period are in Brahmi. Sinhalese developed from the Mauryan influence
rather than the Tamil influence.
Devanagari became the default script for Sanskrit and allied languages
at a later date. So, the nature of the script may give some indication
(not an exact one--languages can opt for different scripts over history)
of how ancient the script is.
I would appreciate corrections from more knowledgeable people.
Bapa Rao