Re: abugida vs abjad vs alphabet vs syllabary

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Cowan" <jcowan@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Sunday, May 26, 2002 11:52 AM
Subject: Re: abugida vs abjad vs alphabet vs syllabary


> 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).
There are three unmarked syllables for each consonants, so you have:
  a e o, ba be bo, ca que co, cha che cho, da de do, fa fe fo, ga gue
go, ja je jo, la le lo, lla lle llo, ma me mo, na ne no, ña ñe ño, pa pe
po, ra re ro, rra rre rro, sa se so, ta te to, ya ye yo, za ce zo.

There is a _virama_ (`) that applied to a Ca syllable would kill the
vowel, but would reduce Ce into Cj and Co into Cw; there is a high
moddifier (') that will conver Ce in Ci and Co in Cu.  And a
diphtongizer (^) that will make Ce into Cje and Co into Cwe.  This way,
my complete name would be:

  ca r lo s - e ó je nè o - to mà so n - pé n zo n

Note that syllable final -n, -s, -r and -l have they own symbols, and do
not need the virama.

Some other words:
  triangulo: tà ré a n gó lo (triangle)
  monstruo: mo n s tà rò o (monster)
  demostrar: de mo s tà ra r (to show)
  demuestro: de mô s tà ro (I show)
  quien: quê n (who)

-- Carlos Th
  who wonders if he should include a <cua> syllable.

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