Vowel Letters for Unnamed Semitic Conlang

Okay...

Even though i've done nothing so far into the evolution of U.S.C. from
Proto-Semitic besides some sound-change rules, and i still haven't
figured out the letters for the consonants, i just came up with the vowel
diacritics a few minutes ago:

/a/ = a circumflex ^ mark
/e/ = an equilateral triangle pointing downwards
/i/ = a horizontal bar -
/o/ = a small circle
/u/ = a breve mark
/@/ = a dot

The similarity between /o/ and "o" and /u/ and "u" are actually
circumstantial.

/i/ and /u/ are based on prominent characteristics of the Semitic letters
for /j/ and /w/ (although a book i bought about writing systems has a
bibliography entry to a book that discusses a level of the semitic
alphabet before the common phoenician(?) form that is generally shown).
The /j/ looks like a Z with a crossbar through it, so the crossbar is
taken for the vowel /i/.  The /w/ looks like a | with a breve attached to
the top, so the breve is taken for /u/.  Then the vowel symbols for /i/
and /u/ are modified, with a downwards wedge attached to the /i/ for /e/,
and a closing of the breve to make a circle (originally a straight line
to make a halfcircle facing downwards) for /o/.  The circumflex for /a/
represents an open mouth, and the dot for /@/ represents
"nothing/neutral".

I'm not sure where they'll go in relation to the letters.
/a/, /i/, /o/, and /@/ will certainly go on top of the letter, and i
think i'll put /e/ and /u/ below the letter.


-Stephen (Steg)

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