BOOK FIRST—ON ORTHOGRAPHY.
The Teltjgu language is written from left to right, like English: and the best writing is upright: or sloping a little, (unlike English) towards the left. The words are in general pronounced, (as in Greek) precisely as they are spelt: thus the ear is a sufficient guide in orthography. In the round hand used in books every letter stands separate as in printing. In running hand the letters are shaped differently, and are combined, as in English; the words not being divided from each other. To render the alphabet easy it will be requisite first to explain the principles on which it proceeds.
Many letters have two forms : one appears in the alphabet as a capital or primary, and the other is secondary. Thus అ, ఇ, ఉ, are the alphabetical or capital forms of the vowels A, I, U, which are respectively called అకారం, ఇకారం, ఉకారం, Acāram, Icāram, and Ucāram: because cāram is equivalent to letter.
Thus the consonants క, గ, చ, are Ka, Ga, Cha; the mark «/ above each being the Talacattu or sign of A. కి, గి, చి, are Ki, Gi, and Chi: and కు, గు, చు, are Ku, Gu, Chu. "With this last vowel \3, the */ talacaṭṭu is retained, though it is not pronounced.
The letters క, గ, చ, have as secondary shapes, Q—, Q, and \, which are written under the line. Thus అక్క akka, అగ్గ agga, and అచ్చ acca: which last is pronounced atsa, or as azza would be sounded in Italian.
