Language/Multiple-languages/Culture/Introduction-to-Writing-Systems

From Polyglot Club WIKI
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This lesson can still be improved. EDIT IT NOW! & become VIP
Rate this lesson:
5.00
(2 votes)

Writing systems are visual carriers of languages. They are tools, so they can be evaluated as tools. Here are the important information about the currently used and some historical writing systems.

Visit https://polyglotclub.com/wiki/Language/Multiple-languages/Culture/Writing-Implements to see how to write.

This page has a sibling: https://polyglotclub.com/wiki/Language/Multiple-languages/Culture/Keyboards


The writing direction of writing systems can vary.

Han used to be top-to-bottom, right-to-left. When writing, the left hand holds the roll of bamboo slips or other materials and the right hand writes.

Some writing systems were right-to-left, top-to-bottom. When writing, the left hand presses the parchment or other materials and the right hand writes.

The writing direction of Mayan and some others are zigzag: in the first two columns, write two characters in the first line, then the two characters in the second line; upon reaching the bottom, start a new column.

The writing direction of Greek used to be something called “boustrophedon”: odd lines are normal, even lines are mirrored.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writing_system#Directionality for details of directions.

To avoid wiping the ink with the right hand, the writing direction of many writing systems are changed to left-to-right, top-to-bottom.

Which one is better: “left-to-right then top-to-bottom” or “top-to-bottom then left-to-right”? To hold the paper steadily, the hands need to be close to the centre of the paper, which means the paper should be short horizontally and long vertically. If written in “top-to-bottom then left-to-right”, in the case where only one or two words are at the end of a paragraph, more spaces in the line will be wasted. As a result, “left-to-right then top-to-bottom” is the best solution of direction of writing.

On mobile phones and on personal computers, the situation can be different: the screen may be long horizontally and short vertically; avoiding swiping the ink is no longer a consideration.

Logogram[edit | edit source]

It is the earliest form of writing systems. As what its name suggests, they are pictures (logo).

Its advantage is able to express the meaning easily, even without needing unified pronunciations. Its disadvantage is having too many glyphs to memorise.

writing system language region timespan parent writing system example
Anatolian Luwian Anatolia 14th to 13th century BC – 7th century BC 300px-Hamath_inscription.jpg
Aztec Nahuatl Mesoamerica ? – c. 1530 300px-Aztec_Triple_Alliance_Glyphs.jpg
Chữ Nôm Vietnamese Vietnam 15th century – 19th century Han Van_Tien_co_tich_tan_truyen.jpg
Cretan Minoan Crete c. 2100 BC – 1700 BC 600px-%CE%94%CE%AF%CF%83%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%82_%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%A6%CE%B1%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%8D_%CF%80%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%85%CF%81%CE%AC_B_6381.JPG

(Δίσκος της Φαιστού Dískos tis Phaistós)

Cuneiform Sumerian, Akkadian, etc. Mesopotamia c. 35th century BC – 2nd century 400px-Sumerian_26th_c_Adab.jpg
Cypro-Minoan Eteocypriot Cyprus c. 1550 BC – 1050 BC Linear A 505px-Tablet_cypro-minoan_2_Louvre_AM2336.jpg
Dongba Naxi Southeastern China 1000 – 1024px-Naxi_manuscript_%28right%29_2088.jpg
Egyptian Egyptian Egypt c. 3200 BC – 400 400px-Minnakht_01.JPG
Han Chinese, etc. East Asia 2nd millennium BC – 512px-Shang_Inscribed_Ox_Scapula_%28for_divination%29.jpg
Jurchen Jurchen Northeastern China 12th century–16th century Han 508px-Bushell_Juchen_21.jpg
Khitan large script Khitan Northeast Asia 920 – 1191 Han 471px-Nova_N_176_folio_9.jpg
Linear A Minoan Crete c. 1800 BC – 1450 BC 480px-Sitia_Museum_Linear_A_02.jpg
Mayan Chʼoltiʼ, Yucatec Maya, etc. Mesoamerica 3rd century BC – 16th century 450px-Mayan_stela.JPG
Mixtec Mixtec languages Mesoamerica ? – c. 1530 500px-Codice_Vindobonensis_1.jpg
Sawndip Zhuang Southern China 7th century – Han 500px-Manuscripts_in_the_Yunnan_Nationalities_Museum_-_DSC03931.JPG
Sui Sui Southern China ? – Han 800px-EAP143_1_1_3_Shuishu_manuscript_from_Libo.jpg
Tangut Tangut Northwestern China 1036–1502 Han The_Art_of_War-Tangut_script.jpg
Yi logogram Nuosu, etc. Southwestern China 15th to 16th century – 800px-Manuscripts_in_the_Yunnan_Nationalities_Museum_-_DSC03976.JPG
Zapotec Zapotec Mesoamerica 5th century BC – 8th century 689px-Monte_Alban_Stela_12%2B13.jpg

Han[edit | edit source]

Han writing system is the one of the logograms that are still used today.

There are 6 ways of creating characters, concluded by scholars in Han dynasty.

It has several different scripts. There used to be many different writings of a characters. After the unification of China, Qin Shi Huang abolished other writings, only keeping Qin State's writing as the official one, written with the small seal script.

During its development, many modifications took place. Wrong characters and unorthodox character variants are plenty. For example, “肉” (flesh) became confused with “月” (moon) and as a result, many characters with meanings related to flesh have the radical 月.

The simplification of Han was also happening through history. For example, “爲” became “為” and finally “为”, like Picasso's bull. In People's Republic of China, there were two attempts of simplification of Han, one of which was successful and the other failed. In Japan, there was one simplification and it was successful.

Currently, it is being used in China and Japan regularly; in Korea and Vietnam sporadically.

There have been some attempts to abolish Han. In China and Japan, they failed; in Korea and Vietnam, they were largely successful. In the Republic of Korea, some people call for having Han along with Hangul in textbooks; In Vietnam, some people call for having Han and Chữ Nôm as a compulsory course in liberal arts.

Related resources:

main scripts
script timespan example
oracle bone script 512px-Shang_Inscribed_Ox_Scapula_%28for_divination%29.jpg
bronzeware script 800px-Bronze_Ding_of_Song%2C_Late_Western_Zhou%2C_9th_C._to_771_BC_1b.jpg
seal script 300px-XiaozhuanQinquan.jpg

(廿六年詔權量銘 Niànliù Nián Zhào Quànliàng Míng)

clerical script 200px-LishuHuashanmiao.jpg

(華山庙碑 Huà Shān Miào Bēi)

regular script 200px-KaishuOuyangxun.jpg

(九成宮醴泉銘 Jiǔchéng Gōng Lǐquán Míng)

other scripts
script timespan example
cursive script 400px-Mi_Fu-On_Calligraphy.jpg

(書論書 Shūlùn Shū)

semicursive script 300px-Lanting_P3rd.jpg

(蘭亭集序 Lántíng Jí Xù)

Phonogram[edit | edit source]

Abjad[edit | edit source]

To avoid the disadvantages of the logogram, this new writing system was formed. In Abjad, the characters represent the consonants.

To show its vowels, there are two ways: add diacritics or become alphabetical.

writing system language region timespan parent writing system example
Arabic Arabic, Persian, Urdu, etc. Arabia 400 – Nabataean 436px-A_folio_from_the_codex_TIEM_%C5%9EE_12995.jpg
Ancient South Arabian South Arabian, Ge'ez South Arabia 2nd millennium BC – 6th century Proto-Sinaitic 800px-Marble_plate_inscribed_with_an_ancient_South_Arabian_script_about_Christianity._From_Yemen%2C_6th_century_CE._Ancient_Orient_Museum%2C_Istanbul.jpg
Aramaic Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, etc. Mesopotamia 800 BC – 600 Phoenician 1024px-Papyrus_narrating_the_story_of_the_wise_chancellor_Ahiqar._Aramaic_script._5th_century_BCE._From_Elephantine%2C_Egypt._Neues_Museum.jpg
Hebrew Jewish languages Southern Levant 2nd to 1st century BC – Aramic Aleppo_Codex_Joshua_1_1.jpg
Libyc Tuareg languages Sahara and Sahel first millennium BC – 4th to 7th century Egyptian? 450px-Libyc_%28Berber%29_stele.jpg
Nabatean Nabataean Nabataea 2nd century BC – 4th century Aramic 562px-Nabataean_alphabet_tablet_-_2018430.jpg
Paleo-Hebrew Hebrew Southern Levant c. 1000 BC – 135 Phoenician Gezer_calendar_close_up.jpg
Perso-Arabic Indo-Iranian languages Persia 7th century – Arabic 800px-Muhaqqaq_script_-_Qur%27anic_verses.jpg
Phoenician Phoenician, Punic, etc. Mediterranea c. 1050 BC – 150 BC Proto-Sinaitic 800px-Phoenician_inscription_alanya.jpg
Ugaritic Ugaritic Ugarit c. 1400 BC – 1190 BC 22_alphabet.jpg
Samaritan Samaritan Levant 600 BC – Paleo-Hebrew 425px-Samaritan_Leviticus.jpg
Sogdian Sogdian Central Asia c. 100 – 1200 Syriac 496px-Manichaean_miniature_image_depicting_two_female_musicians%2C_from_a_Sogdian-language_text.jpg
Syriac Aramaic, etc. Mesopotamia c. 1 – Aramaic 794px-Syriac_Sert%C3%A2_book_script.jpg
Tifinagh Tuareg languages Sahara and Sahel 1980s – Libyc 800px-Zgh-fl_Inezgan.jpg

Phoenician[edit | edit source]

Phoenician was derived from Egyptian and is the ancestor of most writing systems in the current time.

Syllabary[edit | edit source]

In this type of writing systems, every letter is a syllable.

writing system language region timespan parent writing system example
Afaka Eastern Maroon Creole Suriname 1910 – Afaka_letter.png
Cherokee Cherokee Southeastern Woodlands 1820s – Latin 393px-Cherokee_constitution.jpg
Kana Japanese Japan c. 800 – Han Tosa_nikki_copied_by_Teika.JPG
Linear B Mycenaean Greek Mycenae c. 1450 BC – 1200 BC Linear A 392px-Tablet_with_Linear_B_Script_from_the_Palace_of_Knossos_-_1375_BC.jpg
Vai Vai Liberia 1830s – Cherokee Qur_an_Vai.gif
Yi syllabary Nuosu, etc. Southwestern China 1974 – Yi logogram 800px-201908_A_School_in_Lianghekou%2C_Xide.jpg

Alphabet[edit | edit source]

writing system language region timespan parent writing system example
Adlam Fulah Sahel 1989 – 320px-Adlam_acronym.png
Armenian Armenian Armenia c. 405 – Greek 440px-Moses_of_Chorene_%28manuscript_X-XIth_centuries%29.jpg
Coptic Coptic Egypt 2nd century – Greek 449px-The_Life_of_Shenoute%2C_Sahidic_Coptic_script%2C_papyrus%2C_6th-7th_century_CE._From_Egypt._British_Museum.jpg
Cyrillic Slavic languages Eastern Europe 890s – Greek 546px-Romanian_Traditional_Cyrillic_-_Lord%27s_Prayer_text.png
Galik Mongolian Mongolia 1587 – Mongolian Namo_dharm%C4%81_ya_-_Manchu_alphabet_%28Galik%29.jpg
Georgian Kartvelian languages Georgia 430 – 10th century ? 217px-Anbandidi_Gospel_%E2%80%94_1.jpg
Gothic Gothic, Ulfilas Germania c. 350 – 600 Greek 800px-Maria_-_Gothic_script_carvings.JPG
Greek Greek Greece c. 800 BC – Phoenician 639px-Lead_plate%2C_Dodona%2C_inscription_is_request_for_divination%2C_late_6th_c_BC%2C_AM_Ioannina%2C_Ioam19.jpg
Latin Latin, English, French, etc. Italy c. 700 BC – Old Italic 800px-Doggatn_16.JPG
Mandaic Mandaic Mesopotamia 2nd – 7th century Aramaic 800px-Magical_bowl_with_inscriptions_in_Mandaic%2C_Mesopotamia._Wellcome_M0003378.jpg
Mongolian Mongolian Mongolia c. 1204 – Sogdian 800px-ArghunLetterToPhilippeLeBelExtract1289.jpg
N'Ko N'Ko, Manding languages West Africa 1949 – Arabic 576px-Exemple_de_livre_en_N%27KO.jpg
Oirat Oirat, Tibetan, etc. North Asia c. 1648 – Mongolian 800px-Clear-script-19th-ctry.png
Old Italic European languages Europe 700 BC – 100 BC Greek Tavola_eugubina_%28III-II_secolo_a._C.%29.jpg
Old Uyghur Uighur Qocho c.700s – 1800s Sogdian 800px-%E5%9B%9E%E9%B9%98%E6%96%87_%E5%AE%9A%E6%85%A7%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%88%E5%8D%96%E5%A5%B4%E5%A5%91.JPG
ʼPhags-pa Mongolian Mongolian c. 1269 – 1368 Tibetan 425px-Yang_Wengshe_1314.jpg
Runes Germanic languages Germania 2nd century – Old Italic? 409px-CodexRunicus.jpeg
Uyghur Arabic Uighur, Sarikoli Xinjiang 10th century – Perso-Arabic 396px-The_Concise_Encyclopedia_of_Modern_Uyghur_Social_Customs_and_Traditions.jpg

Georgian[edit | edit source]

There are 3 scripts in Georgian

writing system timespan example
Asomtavruli 430 – 10th century 217px-Anbandidi_Gospel_%E2%80%94_1.jpg
Nuskhuri 9th century – 10th century Nuskhuri.jpg
Mkhedruli 10th century – 1222_%E1%83%AC%E1%83%94%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98._%E1%83%91%E1%83%A0%E1%83%AB%E1%83%90%E1%83%9C%E1%83%94%E1%83%91%E1%83%90_%E1%83%9A%E1%83%90%E1%83%A8%E1%83%90_%E1%83%92%E1%83%98%E1%83%9D%E1%83%A0%E1%83%92%E1%83%98%E1%83%A1%E1%83%90.jpg

Semi-syllabary[edit | edit source]

In this type of writing system, a letter may be a syllable or a phoneme. It is a combination of syllabary and alphabet.

writing system language region timespan parent writing system example
Bamum Bamum Western Cameroon c. 1896 – 600px-Shumom-text.jpg
Bopomofo Chinese China 1918 – Han 1952-03_1952%E5%B9%B4_%E7%A5%81%E5%BB%BA%E5%8D%8E%E5%92%8C%E9%80%9F%E6%88%90%E8%AF%86%E5%AD%97%E6%B3%95.png
Celtiberian Celtiberian Northeastern Iberia 5th century BC – ? Phoenician 712px-Bronce_luzaga.jpg
Northeastern Iberian Iberian Northeastern Iberia 5th century BC – ? Phoenician 800px-Bronce_ibero.jpg
Old Persian Persian Persia 525 BC – 330 BC 747px-%2818%29_-Inscription%2C_Old_Persian_in_Cuneiform-_MET_DP203048.jpg
Sortheastern Iberian Iberian Sortheastern Iberia 5th century BC – ? Phoenician 800px-Plom_I_de_La_Bastida_%28Cara_A%29.jpg
Tartessian Tartessian Southwest Iberia 5th century BC – ? Phoenician 800px-I_tarteso.jpg

Abugida[edit | edit source]

writing system language region timespan parent writing system example
Ahom Ahom Assam 13th century – 19th century Mon-Burmese 800px-Tai_Script_of_Ahom_Kingdom.jpg
Bhattiprolu Bhattiprolu 3rd century BC – 1st century BC 449px-%E0%B0%B0%E0%B0%BE%E0%B0%9C%E0%B0%BE_%E0%B0%95%E0%B1%81%E0%B0%AC%E0%B0%BF%E0%B0%B0%E0%B0%95%E0%B1%81%E0%B0%A8%E0%B0%BF_%E0%B0%AD%E0%B0%9F%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%9F%E0%B0%BF%E0%B0%AA%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%B0%E0%B1%8B%E0%B0%B2%E0%B1%81_%E0%B0%A7%E0%B0%BE%E0%B0%A4%E0%B1%81%E0%B0%AA%E0%B1%87%E0%B0%9F%E0%B0%BF%E0%B0%95_%E0%B0%B6%E0%B0%BE%E0%B0%B8%E0%B0%A8%E0%B0%82_%E0%B1%AC.png
Baybayin Tagalog, Sambali, etc. Luzon 13th – 18th century Kawi 491px-Article_1_of_UDHR%2C_Handwritten_in_Filipino_Baybayin_Script.jpg
Balinese Balinese, Sasak Bali c. 1000 – Kawi 651px-Bible_printed_with_Balinese_script.jpg
Batak Batak languages Sumatra c. 1300 – Kawi 640px-Image_from_page_129_of_%22Handbook_to_the_ethnographical_collections%22_%281910%29_%2814783317945%29.jpg
Bengali–Assamese Bengali, Assamese, etc. Bengal and Assam c. 1100 – Gaudi 444px-The_Origin_of_the_Bengali_Script_Plate_10.jpg
Brahmi Indo-Aryan languages South Asia 3rd century BC – 5th century Aramaic? 640px-Brahmi_pillar_inscription_in_Sarnath.jpg
Bhaiksuki Sanskrit Eastern India c. 11th – 12th century Gupta 320px-Bhaiksuki.svg.png
Bhujimol Newari Nepal 3rd century BC – Siddhaṃ Devimahatmya_Sanskrit_MS_Nepal_11c.jpg
Buda Sundanese and Javanese Java c. 14th – 18th century Kawi 320px-The_Letters_in_Buda_Script.svg.png
Buhid Tagalog, Sambali, Ilocano, etc. Mindoro c. 1300 – Babayin 240px-Buhid_urukay.jpg
Chakma Chakma, Pali Bangladesh and Eastern India Mon-Burmese Chakma_script_%28RibengUni-hand_writing%29.jpg
Cham Cham and Sanskrit Vietnam and Cambodia 4th century – Pallava 640px-Inscriptions_%28mus%C3%A9e_Cham%2C_Da_Nang%29_%284394713255%29.jpg
Devanāgarī Indo-Aryan languages South Asia 1st century – Brahmi 800px-13th-century_Shatapatha_Brahmana_14th_Khanda_Prapathaka_3-4%2C_page_1_front%2C_Sanskrit%2C_Devanagari_script.jpg
Dhives Akuru Maldivian Maldives 6th to 8th century – 19th century Grantha Dives_title.png
Dogri Dogri Jammu ? – Takri 640px-Chambeali_Takri_Dogri.png
Fakkham Lao, Isan, etc. Sukhothai c. 1400 – 1600 Sukhothai 320px-Inscription_in_Fakkham.jpg
Grantha Tamil and Sanskrit Tamil Nadu 7th century – Pallava 800px-8th_Century_Grantha_script_Sanskrit_language_Velvikudi_Grant%2C_LINES_8-14.jpg
Gaudi Bengali languages Gauḍa c. 900 – 1300 Siddhaṃ
Geʽez Ethiopian Semitic languages Horn of Africa c. 1st century – 4th century (as abjad), – (as abugida) Ancient South Arabian 551px-Sample_of_Ge%27ez_writing.jpg
Gujarati Gujarati, etc. Gujarat c. 1592 – Devanāgarī Book_satya_na_prayogo.jpg
Gupta Sanskrit Northern India c. 4th – 6th century Brāhmī 640px-Barabar_Caves_Gopika_Cave_Inscription_of_Anantavarman_5th-_or_6th-century_CE_Sanskrit_in_Gupta_script.jpg
Hanunó'o Hanunó'o, Tagalog Mindoro c. 1300 – Baybayin 798px-UCB_Hanunoo.png
Javanese Javanese, Sundanese, etc. Java c. 15th century – Kawi 420px-Groot_Javaansch_No.2_cursief_-_Lettergieterij_Amsterdam.jpg
Kadamba Kannada, Telugu, Sanskrit, Konkani Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh 5th – 7th century
Kaithī Indo-Aryan languages Northern and Eastern India, c. 16th – mid 20th century Nāgarī 743px-Kaithi2.png
Kalinga Odia Kalinga c. 600 - 1100 Gupta 800px-Baranga_grant_of_Umarabana%2C_Kalinga_script_3AD.JPG
Kannada Kannada, Sanskrit, Tulu, etc. Karnataka 5th century – Telugu-Kannada 320px-Kavi_file2.jpg
Kawi Balinese, Javanese, etc. Java c. 8th – 16th century Pallava 799px-Prasasti_Pabuharan_Ind_Ch_57_f1r.png
Khema Gurung Nepal and Eastern India 6th century BC – ? Tibetan 320px-Khema_Lipi.png
Khmer Khmer, etc. Cambodia c. 611 – Pallava 319px-Ancient_Khmer_script.jpg
Khojkī Kutchi, Sindhi Khoja 16th century – Laṇḍā 400px-Ginan_pir_shams.jpg
Khom Thai Pali, Sanskrit, Khmer, Thai Thailand and Laos c. 1400 – Khmer 640px-Bhuddha_Sutra_in_Thai-Khmer_Font.JPG
Khudabadi Sindhi Khudabad c. 16th century – Laṇḍā 450px-Dodo_Chanesar_Khudabadi_script.png
Kulitan Kapampangan Central Luzon c.1600s – 1900s, 1900s – Baybayin Kulitan_script.gif
Lai Tay Tai Yo Quỳ Châu 16th century – Khmer Lai_Tay_manuscript.jpg
Lampung Lampung Lampung Kawi 640px-Enschede-Lampong_letters_by_JA_Schmidlin.jpg
Laṇḍā Punjabi North India 10th – 11th century Brāhmī Landha_Script.jpg
Lao Lao, Isan, Thai, etc. Laos c. 1350 – Thai Noi 320px-WatThatLuang_Sign.JPG
Lepcha Lepcha Nepal and Eastern India c. 1700 – Tibetan 600px-R%C3%B3ng_manuscript.JPG
Limbu Limbu Nepal and Eastern India c. 1740– Lepcha 450px-Limbu_script_book_04.jpg
Lontara Buginese, Makassarese, etc. South Sulawesi 16th century – Kawi 800px-Aksara_Lontara-19_Buku_mata_palajaran_bahasa_Bugis.jpg
Mahajani Hindi, Punjabi, Marwari Marwar ? – Laṇḍā 800px-Mahajani_Script.jpg
Malayalam Malayalam, etc. Kerala c. 830 – Grantha Malayalam_text_in_hortus_malabaricus.png
Marchen Zhang-Zhung Western Tibet and Central Asia 7th – 10th century Tibetan 200px-Supposed_seal_of_the_last_kings_of_Zhangzhung.jpg
Makasar Makassarese South Sulawesi 17th – 19th century Kawi 800px-Aksara_Lontara-19_Buku_mata_palajaran_bahasa_Bugis.jpg
Meitei Manipuri Manipur 6th century – c. 1700, 1930 – Tibetan 800px-Meithei_manuscript%2C_a_Indian_language.jpg
Mōḍī Marathi, etc. Maharashtra c. 1200 or c. 1600 – c. 1950 Nāgarī 463px-Preface_to_a_Marathi_songbook_about_Queen_Victoria.jpg
Mon-Burmese Burmese, Mon, etc. Burma 7th or 10th century – Pyu 640px-Mon-inscription-from-Takaw-Kamain.jpg
Multani Saraiki Multan c. 18th – 20th century Laṇḍā 800px-Example_of_a_Multani_variant_of_Landa_script%2C_a_mercantile_shorthand_script_of_Punjab%2C_from_1880.png
Nandinagari Sanskrit, Kannada Deccan c. 8th – 19th century Nāgarī 800px-5th_or_6th_century_Weber_Manuscript_5%2C_Central_Asian_Paper%2C_Central_Asian_Nagari_%28Turkestani_Brahmi%29%2C_Sanskrit.jpg
Nāgarī Prakrit, Sanskrit South Asia 1st century – c. 1000 Siddhaṃ 720px-13th_century_Uddari_inscription_of_Ramachandra%2C_Yadava-Seuna_dynasty%2C_Sanskrit%2C_Nagari_script_17.jpg
New Tai Lue Tai Lü Yunnan 1950s – Tai Tham New_Tai_Lue_script_sample.png
Odiā Odia, Sanskrit, etc. Odisha c. 14th century – Gaudi 800px-Khalikote_grant_16AD_by_Ramachandradeba_in_Odia_script.JPG
Old Sundanese Sundanese, Cirbonese West Java 14th – 18th century Kawi 320px-Old_sundanese_script.svg.png
Pallava Indo-Aryan languages South India 4th century – 8th century Tamil-Brāhmī COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Beschreven_steen_bij_de_onderneming_Semplak_Buitenzorg_TMnr_60016469.jpg
Pracalit Newari, Sanskrit, Pali Nepal c. 1100 – Siddhaṃ 609px-Letter_in_nepal_script.jpg
Pyu Pyu Burma 200 – 1200 Kadamba? 450px-Pyu_Inscription.JPG
Rañjanā Newari, Sanskrit, Tibetan Nepal c. 1100 – Siddhaṃ 2951952-1-_Siegel_des_K%C3%B6nig_Tshewang_Namgyel_Dieter_Schuh.jpg
Rencong Malay, Besemah, etc. Sumatra c. 13th century – Kawi 455px-Syair_Perahu_MSS_Malay_A2_f1r.png
S'gaw Karen S'gaw Karen Myanmar and Thailand 1830 – Mon-Burmese 463px-Stop_the_Spread_of_Germs_%28COVID-19%29_ksw.jpg
Śāradā Sanskrit, Kashmiri Kashmir 700 – Gupta 447px-Sharada_script_manuscript%2C_Kashmir.jpg
Saurashtra Saurashtra Tamil Nadu 19th century – Grantha Word_Saurashtra_in_Saurashtra_Script.jpg
Shan Shan Shan 1960s – Mon-Burmese 640px-Shan_sign_in_Chiamai_store.JPG
Siddhaṃ Sanskrit South Asia c. 6th century – c. 1200 Gupta 538px-Prajnyaapaaramitaa_Hridaya_Pel.sogd.jpg
Sinhala Sinhala, Pali, Sanskrit Sri Lanka c. 300 – Brāhmī 640px-Sinhala_script_posters_on_wall.jpg
Soyombo Mongolian, Tibetan, Sanskrit Mongolia 1686 – 18th century Devanāgarī MongolianScripts.JPG
Sukhothai Thai, Lao, etc. Sukhothai c. 1283 – 15th century Khmer Ram_Khamhaeng_Inscription_%28detail%29.jpg
Sundanese Sundanese West Java c. 14th – 18th century, 1996 – Old Sundanese 365px-P-044058.jpg
Sylheti Nagri Eastern Bengali languages Bengal and Assam c. 15th century – Kaithī 493px-Nagri_sample.jpg
Tagbanwa Palawanic languages Palawan c. 1300 – Baybayin Ibalnan.jpg
Tai Le Tai Nüa, Ta'ang, Blang, Achang Yunnan c. 1200 – Mon-Burmese 450px-Manuscripts_in_the_Yunnan_Nationalities_Museum_-_DSC03951.JPG
Tai Noi Lao, Isan, etc. Laos and Isan c. 1500 – 1930s Fakkham Legal_text_in_Isan_%28Lao%29_written_in_Tai_Noi.jpg
Tai Tham Southwestern Tai languages Northern Thailand, Myanmar, Lao c. 1300– Mon-Burmese 400px-Tai_Tham_script_on_stone_Chiangmai.JPG
Tai Viet Tai Dam, Tai Daeng, Tai Dón, Thai Song, Tày Tac Vietnam and Thailand 16th century – Sukhothai 575px-Ch%E1%BB%AF_Th%C3%A1i_c%E1%BB%95_S%C6%A1n_La.png
Tamil Tamil, etc. South India c. 400 – Pallava 640px-Tamil_script_.jpg
Tamil-Brāhmī Tamil Tamiḻakam 3rd century BC – 1st century Brāhmī 640px-Mangulam_inscription.jpg
Tanchangya Tanchangya Bangladesh 9th century BC –15th century, 2012 – Mon-Burmese 320px-Shukla_Tanchangya.svg.png
Telugu Telugu, Sanskrit, Gondi, Saurashtra Andhra Pradesh and Telangana c. 1300 – 800px-16th-century_Jaiminiya_Mimamsa_Sutra_Bhasya%2C_Sanskrit%2C_Telugu_script%2C_Andhra_Pradesh.jpg
Telugu-Kannada Kannada, Telugu, Tulu, Konkani, Sanskrit Southern India 7th century –14th century Kadamba
Thaana Dhivehi Maldives 1970s – Hindu-Arabic numerals 611px-MV-moschee-hinweis.jpg
Thai Thai, Southern Thai, etc. Thailand 1283 – Sukhothai 640px-Thai_postal_card_1883.jpg
Tigalari Tulu, etc. Malnad 9th century – Grantha 800px-Tigalari-sanskrit-manuscript.jpg
Tirhuta Maithili, Sanskrit Mithila c. 13th century – Gaudi 12th_century_Stone_Inscription_from_Simroungarh_in_Tirhuta_script.jpg
Tibetan Tibetic languages Tibet c. 650 – Brahmi 800px-Yuling_tibetan_2011_11.jpg
Tocharian Tocharian languages Tarim Basin 8th century Brāhmī 800px-Endere_BLI1_OR8212163R1.jpg
Vatteluttu Tamil, Malayalam Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Sri Lanka Tamil-Brāhmī 640px-Jewish_copper_plates_of_Cochin_-_%28plate_I%2C_side_I%29_%28early_11th_century_AD%29.jpg
Zanabazar's square script Mongolian, Tibetan, Sanskrit Mongolia Tibetan 320px-Monggol_in_kebtege_dorbeljin_bicig.png

Featural writing system[edit | edit source]

This type of writing systems has phonological features. It is based on phonology, so it is the latest type of writing system. They are designed and thus often considered more precise than most other phonograms in use. Its disadvantage is leaving fewer clues on the evolution of the language.

writing system language region timespan parent writing system example
Canadian Algonquian languages, Eskaleut languages, Athabaskan languages Canada 1840s – Devanāgarī 800px-Winnipeg_Forks_-_Plains_Cree_Inscription.jpg
Ditema tsa Dinoko Southern Bantu languages, Swazi South Africa 2010s – Ditema-tsa-dinoko_s_c_(1).jpg
Duployan shorthand multiple languages United States of America 1868 – StenographieDuploy%C3%A9.png
Gregg shorthand multiple languages United States of America 1888 – 800px-Gregg_shorthand_example_1916%2C_page_153.png
Hangul Korean Korea 1443 – Han 1024px-Hangeul_Letters_Exhibition_04_%2816585435194%29.jpg
Quikscript English North America c. 1966 – 666px-Junior_and_Senior_Quikscript_example_02.png
Shavian English, Esperanto North America 1960s – Shaw_alphabet_paperback.jpg
SignWriting sign languages United States of America 1974 – 74px-SignWriting-render.svg.png
Visible Speech multiple languages United States of America 1867 – 482px-VisibleSpeech-illustrations.jpg

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]

Contributors

GrimPixel, Maintenance script and Marianth


Create a new Lesson