What is the oldest Tamil inscription?

What is the oldest Tamil inscription?

The pottery inscription is in Tamil written in the Tamil-Brahmi script of about the 2nd century CE. The fragmentary inscription reads tu Ra o…, part of the Tamil word meaning ‘monk’ . This is the earliest Tamil inscription found so far from South-East Asia and attests to the maritime contacts of the Tamils.

How many Tamil inscriptions are there?

Early Tamil scripts The pre-1974 work of Mahadevan had established 76 rock inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi from about 21 sites in Tamil Nadu, which states Kamil Zvelebil “establish obvious correlations” with what has been found in early Tamil bardic poems.

Is Brahmi script older than Tamil?

No other script earlier than the Tamil-Brahmi (also called the Dhamili or Tamil) script has so far been discovered in Tamil Nadu. The Asokan Brahmi is the parent script from which all the modern Indian scripts evolved over many centuries. However there is no unanimity of opinion about the origin of this parent script.

Does Tamil Use Brahmi script?

All modern Indian scripts are the evolved forms of Brahmi . Tamil- Brahmi inscriptions about 93 in number are found on natural caverns and rock beds in 31 places of Tamil Nadu. Further potteries from excavations, coins, seals and rings collected from river beds also bear the Tamil-Brahmi script.

Who found Tamil letters?

The modern Tamil script does not, however, descend from that script. In the 4th century, the Pallava dynasty created a new script for Tamil and the Grantha alphabet evolved from it, adding the Vaṭṭeḻuttu alphabet for sounds not found to write Sanskrit.

Who invented Brahmi?

In the late 19th century CE, Georg Bühler advanced the idea that Brahmi was derived from the Semitic script and adapted by the Brahman scholars to suit the phonetic of Sanskrit and Prakrit.

Where did Tamilians come from?

The Tamils are native to modern state of India known as Tamil Nadu and the northern and eastern part of Sri Lanka.

Who invented Tamil letters?

In the 4th century, the Pallava dynasty created a new script for Tamil and the Grantha alphabet evolved from it, adding the Vaṭṭeḻuttu alphabet for sounds not found to write Sanskrit.

Which language is known as king of world scripts?

Brahmi script