Indus Signs

The phonetic Value of signs

PROTO-DRAVIDIAN SYSTEM
 Proto-Dravidian (28 C + 10 V)
• Labials p b m w
• Dentals t d s z ts n l r
• Palatals x zy tx ny y
• Retroflexes T D Sh Zh Ch N L
• Velars k g
• Glottals H

• Vowels aA eE i I oO uU
THE WRITING SYSTEM
 Basic principles

• The script is syllabic

• There exists one sign for each syllable -Cv- with long
or short vowel: this means that the number of signs
is fairly high (ca. 200)

• Signs also exist for isolated consonants used as

syllabic codas.
 Ground forms and derived forms
• Syllables involving one given consonant in the same -Cv-
pattern generally look the same and are derived from a
ground form

• The ground form is based on the acrophonic principle

• Syllables with a different vowel than the ground form are

derivable from it according to regular graphic processes

• When used as a basic consonant coda the form is in its barest

graphic configuration
 Featuring vowels
• -a- is most often characterized by one more dot or line in the
middle or upper part of the ground form

• -e- is most often characterized by four more lines in the lower

part of the ground form

• -i- is most often characterized by four more lines in the upper

part of the ground form

• -o- is most often close to -a- (minus a dot or a line)

• -u- is most often characterized by two more lines in the upper

part of the ground form
 General features
• Signs for isolated consonants are always derived from the
long-vowel signs.

• The most simple graphic sign of a given series is either -Co- if

the series is a short-vowel series or -C- if it is a long-vowel
series.

• Vowels -a/A- and -o/O- differ by the addition of a dot/line

• Vowels -e/E- and -i/I- are always the most complex signs.
VOWELS
 short vowels
Ground form

ambu This sign is stable

"arrow"

a
 short vowels
Ground form

Four more lines Four more lines Two more lines

down = e up = i up = u

e i o u -
a
 long vowels
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

b
 long vowels
Ground form

Four more lines Four more lines Two more lines

down = e up = i up = u

a e i o u -
LABIALS
 Labials: P + short vowel
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

p
 Labials: P + short vowel
Ground form

Four more lines Four more lines Two more lines

down = e up = i up = u

a e i o pu -
 Labials: P + long vowel
Ground form

pA-la-i "Alstonia scholaris " This sign is stable

pA
 Labials: P + long vowel
Ground form

Plus one dot or More lines More lines Minus one dot Two more lines
line = a below = e above = i or line = o up = u

pA pE pI pO pU p

five more lines

 Labials: B + short vowel
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

b
 Labials: B + short vowel
Ground form

Four more lines Four more lines Two more lines

down = e up = i up = u

a e i o u -
 Labials: B + long vowel
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

b
 Labials: B + long vowel
Ground form

Four more lines Four more lines Two more lines

down = e up = i up = u

a e i o u -
 Labials: V [w] + short vowel
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

b
 Labials: V [w] + short vowel
Ground form

Four more lines Four more lines Two more lines

down = e up = i up = u

va e i o u -
Labials: V [w] + long vowel

This sign is isolated and

does not have derived
forms.

vE- < "big tree"

 Labials: V [w] + long vowel
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

b
 Labials: V [w] + long vowel
Ground form

Four more lines Four more lines Two more lines

down = e up = i up = u

a e i o u -
 Labials: M + short vowel
Ground form

mo-txa "gharial" This sign is stable

mo
 Labials: M + short vowel
Ground form

Plus one dot or Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
line (up) = a down = e up = i or line (up) = o up = u

ma me mi mo mu

??
 Labials: M + long vowel
Ground form

mO "load" This sign is stable

mO
 Labials: M + long vowel
Ground form

Plus one dot or Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
line = a down = e up = i or line = o up = u

mA mE mI mO mU m
CORONAL STOPS
 Dentals: -t- + short vowel
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

t
 Dentals: t + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

ta te ti to tu
 Dentals: -t- + long vowel
Ground form

tAl
"leg" This sign is stable

tA
 Dentals: -t- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

tA tE tI tO tU t
 Retroflexes -T- + short vowel
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

T
 Retroflexes -T- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

Ta Te Ti To Tu
 Retroflexes: -T- + long vowel
Ground form

TE-L This sign is stable

"scorpion"

NB : NO "eye"
 Retroflexes -T- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

TA TE TI TO TU T
 Dentals -d- + short vowel
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

da
 Dentals -d- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

??
da de di do du
 Dentals -d- + long vowel
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

d
 Dentals -d- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

dA dE dI dO dU d
 Retroflexes -D- + short vowel
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

Da
 Retroflexes -D- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

Da De Di Du D
 Retroflexes -D- + long vowel
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

Da
 Retroflexes -D- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

dA dE dI dO dU d
SIBILANTS
 -ts- + short vowel
Ground form

"branch" This sign is stable

tsa
 -ts- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

tsa tse tsi tso tsu

 -ts- + long vowel
Ground form

tsIp- "comb" This sign is stable

tsI
 -ts- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

tsA tsE tsI tsO tsU ts

 -s- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

sA sE sI sO sU s
 -s- + short vowel

sos-
"to weave, plait (mats)"

sa
 -s- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

??
sa se si so su
 -s- + long vowel

sa
 -s- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

sA sE sI sO sU s
NASALS
 Nasal -n- + short vowel
Ground form

na-ma-l This sign undergoes strong

"peacock" schematization
and finally looks like the Crab series
without the pincers

lina
 Nasal -n- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e up = i or line (up) = o up = u

na ne ni no nu
 Nasal -n- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e up = i or line (up) = o up = u

na ne ni no nu n
 Nasal -ny- + short vowel
Ground form

nye-xe-D This sign is rather stable

"crab"

linye
 Nasal -ny- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e up = i or line (up) = o up = u

nya nye nyi nyo nyu

 Nasal -ny- + long vowel
Ground form

nyA-y This sign undergoes

"dog" schematization

linyA
 Nasal -ny- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e up = i or line (up) = o up = u

nyA nyE nyI nyO nyU ny

 Retroflex nasal -N- + short vowel
Ground form

N This sign undergoes slight

"" schematization

li
N
 Retroflex nasal -N- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e up = i or line (up) = o up = u

na ne ni no nu
 Retroflex nasal -N- + long vowel
Ground form

NO This sign is stable

"eye"

li
NO
 Retroflex nasal -N- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e up = i or line (up) = o up = u

NA NE NI NO NU N

??
PALATALS
 Palatal -y- + short vowel
Ground form

ya-n
"to say" This sign is stable

= to spread words with the tongue

li
ya
 Palatal -y- + short vowel
Ground form

Four more lines Four more lines Minus a dot or Two more lines
below = e up = i line = o up = u

ya ye yi yo yi
 Palatal -y- + long vowel
Ground form

yE-d This sign is stable

"water, river"

li
yE
 Palatal -y- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a up = i up = u

yA yE yI yO yU y

??
 Palatal sibilant -x- + short vowel
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

xa
 Palatal sibilant -x- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e up = i or line (up) = o up = u

xa xe xi xo xu
 Palatal sibilant -x- + long vowel
Ground form

"" This sign is stable

xA
 Palatal sibilant -x- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e up = i or line (up) = o up = u

xA xE xI xO xU
 Palatal sibilant -zy- + short vowel
Ground form

zyaL This sign is stable

"pangolin"

zya / zha word-initially

-da- word-internally
 Palatal sibilant -zy- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e up = i or line (up) = o up = u

zya zye zyi zyo zyu

Palatal affricate -tx- + short vowel
Ground form

"" This sign undergoes slight

schematization

tx
li
 Palatal affricate -tx- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e up = i or line (up) = o up = u

txa txe txi txo txu

 Palatal affricate -tx- + long vowel
Ground form

This sign undergoes

"" schematization

litxA
 Palatal affricate -tx- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e up = i or line (up) = o up = u

txA txE txI txO txU tx

LATERALS AND RHOTICS
 Lateral -l- + short vowel
Ground form

ā-li This sign undergoes slight

"woman" schematization

lili
 Lateral -l- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

??

la le li lo lu l
 Lateral: l + long vowel
Ground form

"" This sign undergoes slight

schematization

lil
 Lateral -l- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Two more lines

or line (up) = a below = e up = u

la le li lo lu l
 Retroflex Lateral: L + short vowel
Ground form

"" This sign undergoes slight

schematization

liL
 Retroflex lateral -L- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e or line (up) = o up = u

La Le Li Lo Lu
 Retroflex Lateral: L + long vowel
Ground form

"" This sign undergoes slight

schematization

liL
 Retroflex Lateral: L + long vowel
Ground form

Four more lines Four more lines Minus a dot or Two more lines
below = e up = i line = o up = u

LA LE LI LO LU L
 Rhotic: -r- + short vowel
Ground form

"" This sign undergoes slight

schematization

liL
 Rhotic: -r- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e or line (up) = o up = u

ra re ri ro ru
 Rhotic: -r- + long vowel
Ground form

"" This sign undergoes slight

schematization

liL
 Rhotic: -r- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e or line (up) = o up = u

rA rE rI rO rU r
VELARS
 Velars: k + short vowel
Ground form

ko-mu This sign is stable

"horn"

li
ko
 Velar -k- + short vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Four more lines Two more lines
or line = a down = e up = i up = u

ka ke ki ko ku

??
 Velar -k- + long vowel
Ground form

kO- This sign is stable

"tree"

li
kO

NB : vE
 Velar -k- + long vowel
Ground form

One more dot Four more lines Four more lines Minus one dot Two more lines
or line (up) = a below = e up = i or line = o up = u

kA kE kI kU k
kO
 Velars -g- + short vowel
Ground form

ga-ri This sign undergoes

"feather, wing" strong schematization

li
ga
 Velar -g- + short vowel
Ground form

Four more lines Four more lines Minus a dot or Two more lines
below = e up = i line = o up = u

ga ge gi go gu
 Velars -g- + long vowel
Ground form

Four more lines Four more lines Minus a dot or Two more lines
below = e up = i line = o up = u

gA gE gI gO gU ng
a A pu pU be bA va vE mo mO zha zhA

ta tA da d ts ts so sA txu txA xa xA

na nA Ta Ti Di nye
D Na N ya yA nyA

li l La LA ru r ko kO ga gA ha hA