Q: Sanskrit Alphabetical Order

[sani at ling.unipi.it]

>         Q: Sanskrit Alphabetical Order
>        ********************************
>
>Why are the Sanskrit vowels and consonants arranged into separate
>groups? This question is important becausee in other Indo-European
>languages this order is not found. Is this order derived after
>ancient Indo-Europeans came in contact with the then residents
>of India, (Dravidians?).
>
>Any pointers or references?
>
>N. Ganesan
>nas_ng at lms420.jsc.nasa.gov
No, it depends on the accurate phonetic analysis made by the ancient indian
phoneticians of the sanskrit language. On the basis of this analysis was
created the script which already in the III sec. b. C. (on the Asokan
inscriptions) apperas on these principles