Brahmi
/ˈbrɑː.mi/noun
Brahmi is an ancient Indian script, especially the ancestor of many modern South and Southeast Asian writing systems.
Did you know?Brahmi was deciphered in the 1830s, allowing scholars to read Ashoka’s ancient inscriptions and recover major evidence about early Indian history.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰerǵʰ-
“To rise, grow, or become lofty; the proposed deep root behind Sanskrit bṛh-”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
bṛh- / brahman
“To swell, expand, or grow powerful; brahman referred to sacred utterance, prayer, or spiritual power”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
brāhmī
“Feminine form meaning ‘of Brahma,’ ‘sacred,’ or ‘divine’”
3rd Century BCE
Prakrit/Sanskrit
𑀩𑁆𑀭𑀸𑀫𑀻
“The Brahmi script used in the inscriptions of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka”
19th Century
English
Brahmi
“The scholarly name applied to the ancient Indian writing system after its decipherment”
Modern English
English
Brahmi
“An ancient script and the ancestral writing system of many later South and Southeast Asian scripts”
Explore more surprising origins