ƒ, … and ‡ or a, i and u, being the primary vowels, the remote, proximate and frontal demonstratives respectively, are placed first.

     a or ƒ is the most natural vowel produced by the mere opening of the mouth, and hence heads the row of vowels, i or … is just the opposite of a or ƒ respectively, - in point of the direction of demonstration, u or ‡ is intermediate between the two in demonstrative character, and hence becomes the last of the demonstrative vowels.

     ‘e’ is the alliterative alteration of ‘…’, and ‘o’ that of ‘u’, and hence they are placed after the demontrative in due order.

     ‘ai’ and ‘au’, being palatal and labial diphthongs respectively, are placed at the end of the palatal and labial series of vowels, respectively.

     Among the consonants, the surds, individually followed by their related nasals, are placed first, and then the liquids, which are intermediate in phonic character between the surds and nasals.

     All the three groups of consonants have been scientifically arranged, in the order of the points of contact of the tongue with the roof of the mouth or of other organs, from the throat to the lips.

     The originally formed alphabet ended with ‘v’ and ‰, ˜, Š and ‹ were added subsequently, and hence their being placed at the end.

     ‘l’ thickened, into ‘˜’ which, in its turn, did into ‘‰’.
     ‘r’ thickened into ‘Š’, which necessitated the formation of ‘‹’ as its related nasal.

     Before the formation of the alveolar ‘‹’, the dental ‘n’ was medial and final, as well as initial.

     Cf. pa‰uni, ripened, verin, back.

     Even the letters of later origin, have been arranged in the same order as the earlier ones, and that is why ‰ preceds ˜.

     If the last four letters had existed at the time of the original formation of the Tamil alphabet, ‰ and ˜ should have preceded ‘l’, and ‘Š’ and ‹ succeeded ‘m’.