> ... In 16-17th centuries it looks like there were
> two scripts for Malayalam: one for grandhikam, meaning to write Sanskrit
> and the other to write Malayalam. Gradually only one script survived. In
> the Telugu country also, Sanskrit was written in Telugu script (if you
In the latest issue of India abroad (March 1, 1996 issue),
there is a news story (complete) with photographs about Modi, a forgotten
script. A Modi scholar, D.R.Raikar is reported to have said, "The Marathi
language has two scripts. The one which is literary in content and
celbrated the exploits of the maharajas of yore, was desined to flourish.
on the other hand, the Modi script had a functional value inc ourts and
was headed for extinction'. He also pointed out that the 'standard
Marathi' used today is closer to Hindi and therefore easier to
comprehend. The script is Devnagari to which even non-Maharashtrians can
related. "In contrast, Modi is closer to (the south Indian languages of)
Tamil and Kannada." says Raikar. "Vowels and consonants are similar and
there are no commas, semicolons and inverted commas in sentence
construction. it is a fast writing-script".
Regards. --- V. Chowdary Jampala