Brahmi

American  

[brah-mee] / ˈbrɑ mi /

noun

1. a script of India that was probably adapted from the Aramaic alphabet about the 7th century b.c., and from which most of the later Indian scripts developed.

---

Etymology

Origin of Brahmi

1890–95; < Sanskrit, equivalent to brahm- ( see Brahman) + -ī as in Hindi, etc.

Example Sentences

But some experts say that more research and evidence are needed to conclusively prove the antiquity of the Tamil Brahmi script.

From BBC • Jul. 27, 2025

Theories have linked it to early Brahmi scripts, Dravidian and Indo-Aryan languages, Sumerian, and even claimed it's just made up of political or religious symbols.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2025

Police have not revealed the purpose of the investigation, Brahmi said at a news briefing.

From Reuters • Feb. 20, 2023

He holds a sword and mace, and across his long cloak, the inscription in middle Brahmi, an ancient Indian script, now extinct, reads: “The Great King, King of Kings, Son of a God, Kanishka.”

From New York Times • May 11, 2020

It was by this latter route that the traders brought back to India the Brahmi alphabet, the art of brick-making and the legend of the Flood.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 2 "Bohemia" to "Borgia, Francis" by Various