Korean/Tamil/Hindi (was Re: Query on var.nabheda)

[jacob.baltuch at infoboard.be]

>Japanese has not only one, but two alphabetic scripts as well as a third
>script of Chinese characters.

As a matter of terminology, I think it is more standard to call
them syllabaries, not alphabets.

There may be arguments as to whether one should call Devanagari
an alphabet or a syllabary, but I think there is none for hiragana
and katakana: the 5 signs "ka ki ku ke ko" (say; and so on for the
rest of the basic signs) bearing absolutely no relation to one other.

>The Korean alphabet is very sophisticated,
>and predates the Japanese script. It is often ascribed to an emperor of the
>Silla Dynasty (661-935).

That is news to me. I thought Hangul was introduced by king Yi Sejong in 1443.
I wonder what the source of your information is.

Maybe what you're referring to is Idu? (But Idu seems to be a lot
*older* than what you say, and is not an alphabet, and certainly does
not have any Indic connection)