Re: abugida vs abjad vs alphabet vs syllabary

At 12:52 PM -0400 05/26/02, John Cowan wrote:
>Carlos Thompson scripsit:
>
>>  Each of the main symbols represent a CV syllable wher V is either /e/,
>>  /a/ or /o/.  Modifying symbols would make the vowel high, semivowel or
>>  diphthong:
>>     C/e/+H = C/i/, C/e/+S = C/j/, C/e/+D = C/je/.
>>     C/o/+H = C/u/, C/o/+S = C/w/, C/o/+D = C/we/.
>>  The semivowel modifier applied to a C/a/ syllable will make just a C.
>>
>>  -n, -s, -r and -l have they own symbols, so they do not use /na/+S.
>>
>>  Would this count as a syllabary, an abugida or an abjad?
>
>I call this an abugida, rather in the style of what I suppose should
>now be called "Dirk's abugida".  Each consonant series is associated
>with a different vowel type: front, back, or low; there is a *virama*
>(vowel-killer).
Cool. I get a type of writing system named after me.

Dirk
--
Dirk Elzinga                  Dirk_Elzinga@byu.edu

Man deth swa he byth thonne he mot swa he wile.
'A man does as he is when he can do what he wants.'

- Old English Proverb