The Pallava script or Pallava Grantha, is a Brahmic script, named after the Pallava dynasty of South India, attested since the 4th century AD. As epigrapher Arlo Griffiths makes clear, however, the term is misleading as not all of the relevant scripts referred to have a connection with the Pallava dynasty. He instead advocates that these scripts be called 'late Southern Brāhmī' scripts.[1] In India, Pallava script evolved into the Tamil[3] and Grantha script.[4] Pallava spread to Southeast Asia and evolved into local scripts such as Balinese,[5] Baybayin,[6] Javanese,[7] Kawi,[8] Khmer,[9] Lanna,[10] Lao,[11] Mon–Burmese,[12] New Tai Lue alphabet,[13] Sundanese,[14] and the Thai[15]

Pallava script
'Pallava' in Pallava script
Script type	Abugida
Time period	4th century AD to 8th century AD[1]
Direction	left-to-right
Languages	Sanskrit, Tamil, Old Khmer, Old Malay, Burmese, Thai, Sri Lankan Sinhala, Lao, Mon, Balinese, etc.
Related scripts
Parent systems	Brāhmī Tamil-Brahmi[2] Pallava script
Child systems	Tamil, Grantha, Mon, Khmer, Cham, Kawi
Sister systems	Vatteluttu
This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

A proposal to encode the script in Unicode was submitted in 2018.[16]

History

During the rule of Pallavas, the script accompanied priests, monks, scholars and traders into Southeast Asia. Pallavas developed the Pallava script based on the Tamil-Brahmi. The main characteristics of the newer script are aesthetically matched and fuller consonant glyphs. Similar to Pallava script, also visible in the writing systems of Chalukya,[17] Kadamba, Vengi at the time of Ikshvakus. Brahmi design was slightly different of the scripts of Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras. Pallava script is the first significant developments of Brahmi in India, by combining rounded and rectangular strokes and adding typographical effects, and was suitable for civic and religious inscriptions. Kadamba-Pallava script[18] evolved into early forms of Kannada and Telugu scripts. Glyphs become more rounded and incorporate loops because of writing upon leaves and paper.[18]

Characteristics

The form shown here is based on examples from the 7th century AD. Letters labeled * have uncertain sound value, as they have little occurrence in Southeast Asia.

Consonants

Each consonant has an inherent /a/, which will be sounded if no vowel sign is attached. If two consonants follow one another without intervening vowel, the second consonant is made into a subscript form, and attached below the first.

ka	kha	ga	gha	nga
ca	cha	ja	jha*	nya
ṭa	ṭha*	ḍa	ḍha*	ṇa
ta	tha	da	dha	na
pa	pha	ba	bha	ma
ya	ra	la	va
śa	ṣa	sa	ha

Independent Vowels

a	ā	i	ī	u	e	o	ai*	au*

Examples

References

Bibliography

• Sivaramamurti, C, Indian Epigraphy and South Indian Scripts. Bulletin of the Madras Government Museum. Chennai 1999

External links

• Media related to Pallava script at Wikimedia Commons