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Re: Omurax script

From:Mike Ellis <nihilsum@...>
Date:Saturday, January 4, 2003, 9:48
>writing your own script seems like an interesting concept. Even though this >one was based partly on Tibetan, it is a good start.
A start to what? I'm keeping this one!
>How has your script constructing venture been?
Pretty good. This is by no means the first script I've made. Check out: http://www.geocities.com/bluetextblack/ekir.jpg (it doesn't have a name yet) I haven't made a font of Omurax yet, although Hotmyol is continuing work on his version.
>I'm thinking of making a >script for my language Dallza. I want it to be minimalistic and compact, >so it won't take for ever to spell things. I looked into writing systems >like those used by the Chinese and Japanese, and while I find them >interesting, I'm not sure if I'd want to implement such a system. > >What do you think?
Consider the phonology of your language. Would it suit a syllabary or an abugida or an alphabet better? For example, since Omurax is quite liberally peppered with vowels, the abugida format fits it better than it would fit a language more full of consonant clusters. And how many sounds you have will determine how many characters you need. Will each sound have its own character, or will some sounds be distinguished from others by diacritical marks? Consider culture as well: is calligraphy viewed as an art, or is writing purely utilitarian? Is everyone literate, or only a small percentage of people? Is writing considered sacred, mystical? Might anyone have a need to disguise written text as something else? All these things can affect the way that people write your language. A system like Chinese would be much more involved, with a symbol for every morpheme. You'd be creating that one for a long time. So skip that one if you're going with your "minimalistic" concept. If you want minimalism, "so it won't take for ever to spell things" then go for a less elaborate script like a runic alphabet. You can get by with only a couple of strokes per letter. Or you could have one very elaborate calligraphic form, and one simplified minimalist form. Whatever you like. M