Indic Syllabic Categories

[Shriramana Sharma]

Dear Richard,

It is true that Vowel_Independent can behave like Consonant
characters. Given that consonant letters also have an inherent vowel
in these scripts, IMO there is not really much to distinguish
*technically*. At least in *Indian* Indic scripts we don't have
Vowel_Independent letters participating in a cluster via a virama
unlike the consonant letter, but possibly in the South East Asian
scripts this is not guaranteed. Hence IIUC it is merely the
traditional classification based on the sound value of these letters
that is reflected here.

And that classification (which you probably know but just putting into
writing) is: The consonant letters all denote the same inherent vowel
preceded by one (or, rarely, more) consonant sounds. The independent
vowel letters OTOH all denote different vowel sounds without (for the
most part) any consonant sounds.

HTH,

Shriramana Sharma.


-- 
Shriramana Sharma ஶ்ரீரமணஶர்மா श्रीरमणशर्मा