Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ   

Re: An alphabet of faces?!

From:Joe <joe@...>
Date:Tuesday, July 29, 2003, 19:33
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christophe Grandsire" <christophe.grandsire@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 12:21 PM
Subject: An alphabet of faces?!


> Hi everyone, > > I know that most of you are not like me, and don't check everyday to see
if
> there's something new in Mark Rosenfelder's Metaverse, his website. So I > thought the list needed to know about what just appeared :) . > > Mark just put online a description of the Elkarîl writing system (the > elcari are one of the races of the world in which Verduria is set). You
can
> check it at this address: http://www.zompist.com/elkwrite.htm. The
language
> itself is described here: http://www.zompist.com/elkaril.htm. > > I think everyone one the list just *has* to check what's one of the most > original writing systems I ever saw. It's a featural script, a bit like > Korean, but instead of rather abstract shapes put together to form > syllables, the Elkarîl writing system is based on a system of human > *faces*. The shape of the top of the head and the chin tells about the PoA > of the stops and/or fricatives around the syllable nucleus, while the > expression of the face tells which vowel is the syllable nucleus. For the > exact value of the stops, add hair, or open the mouth, etc... For the > liquids, use various headgear and neckwear. Intensifying the expression > indicates a long vowel. Many affixes are not written fully but as small > additions to those heads (like hands, or an ear, or a sword, etc...). > Infixes are added by adding features to the face (like the tongue out, or
a
> nose ring), etc... > > As a result, the picture on the top of the page is the full glyph for > "Elkarîl", which in the language is analysed as: > elk- -a -r -îl: "of the making people" > create nom. adj. gen. > nom.: nominaliser > adj.: adjectiviser > gen.: genitive > The shape is a full rendition of the word: > - the top of the head (empty, with the line just above the eyebrows) > indicates the absence of a stop at the beginning of the syllable. > - the bottom of the head (nearly, but not completely square) indicates a > "k" stop at the end of the syllable. > - the slightly angry expression of the face corresponds to the "e" vowel. > - the nose ring indicates the "l" just after the vowel. > - the small ring under the chin indicates the -a nominaliser. > - the kind of pectoral shield under it indicates the -r adjectiviser. > - the kind of castellation at the end indicates the -îl genitive marker. > > I really like this writing system. It's perfectly fit for stone, allows > very beautiful addition (as Mark explains at the end of the page). I think > it's a masterpiece, which is why I wanted to make sure the list was aware > of its existence ;))) .
I assume he based some of the idea on the Mayan syllabary, which is, of course, the best writing system in the world http://www.omniglot.com/writing/mayan.htm But the Headgear and Neckpieces ideas are new, and a great idea
> Christophe Grandsire. > > http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr > > You need a straight mind to invent a twisted conlang. >

Reply

John Leland <leland@...>