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If the signs are writing, which language do they record?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·4 answers·0·0 following
Most likely: the signs record an early Dravidian languageAhead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

Where it stands

Four answers have been proposed. The signs record an early Dravidian language. leads, with evidence 1 for, 1 against: partly supported by its tests. Three are still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet.

Why it matters

The language decides which readings can be tested. The Dravidian hypothesis has a method and a few proposed readings; no proposal has read the corpus⁠[1].

Answers 4

Evidence: 1 for, 1 against
Most likely
None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible
Evidence: 1 for
Still possible
Evidence: 1 against
Disputed

History

  1. Parpola puts forward: the signs record an early Dravidian language.
  2. Parpola: no whole text has been read in a way others can verify.Against: The signs record an early Dravidian language.
  3. Parpola: parpola's rebus method yields readings for several frequent signs that cohere with later Indian iconography.For: The signs record an early Dravidian language.
  4. Farmer et al.: the corpus has far less connected material than any deciphered script had when it was read.For: The signs record a language of another family, or one now extinct, that cannot be identified from texts this…
  5. Sproat puts forward: the signs record a language of another family, or one now extinct, that cannot be identified from texts this…
  6. INDOLOGY mailing list puts forward: the signs record an Indo-Aryan language such as early Sanskrit.
  7. INDOLOGY mailing list: recent Indo-Aryan claims circulated online have been dismissed on the Indology list as repetitions of earlier…Against: The signs record an Indo-Aryan language such as early Sanskrit.
  8. Asked on this site
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