Re: Optimum number of symbols

Tim May scripsit:

> Incidentally, as listed here, it doesn't _look_ like an abjad - there
> appear to be seperate letters for vowels and consonants (although many
> of the vowels look the same, especially in final position.
You are perfectly right: Mongolian script is an alphabet, not an abjad.
Consequently, we have here a second independent invention of the
alphabet beside the Greek one.  AFAWK, the abjad was invented once
and the abugida either two or three times, depending on whether Brahmi
(the ancestor of Indic scripts) is derived from Ethiopic or not.
Canadian Syllabics is an independently invented abugida.

On reflection, if the Sogdians made the abjad-alphabet transition
it may have involved stimulus diffusion from the Greeks, who conquered
them in Alexander's day.

--
John Cowan <jcowan@...>     http://www.reutershealth.com
I amar prestar aen, han mathon ne nen,    http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
han mathon ne chae, a han noston ne 'wilith.  --Galadriel, _LOTR:FOTR_