Writing system classifications.

Writing system classifications.
Abjads (Consonant Alphabets) Abjads, or consonant alphabets, contain consonantal graphemes only, or consonantal graphemes plus some vowelar graphemes. Full vowel indication is sometimes optional within abjads and is usually achieved by using diacritical graphemes. The scripts used for writing Modern Hebrew and Arabic are natural language examples of abjads. Alphabets Alphabets contain graphemes which represent both consonantal and vowelar phonemes. Commonly, alphabets will use digraphs, or pairs of graphemes, to represent some phonemes or phoneme clusters. The subset of the Roman character set (A-Z, a-z, and excluding numerals) used in Modern American English is an example of an alphabet. Alphasyllabaries (Syllabic Alphabets) Alphasyllabaries, consist of symbols for consonants and vowels. The consonants each have an default vowel that changes to some other vowel when diacritic graphemes are associated with the base character. In many alphasyllabic systems, vowelar graphemes also exist and are often employed in vowel initial words. Conjoining graphemes are freequently used which can add the essential phonemes of first grapheme or graphemes in the sequence to the final grapheme. The Tibetan and Phags-pa writing systems are examples of alphasyllabaries. Synharmonic Syllabaries Synharmonic syllabaries usually consist of and inventory of graphemes which represent consonant-vowel phoneme groups as well as independent vowelar graphemes. Synharmonic pairings are accomplished when two graphemes representing identical vowelar phonemes are placed in sequence. For example, the graphemes representing 'ma' and 'ta' when placed in sequence would form the synharmonic syllable 'mat' because they both have the representation of the phoneme 'a' in common. Synharmonic syllabaries may use vowelar graphemes or framing devices to negate synharmony when needed. The Ancient Mayan syllabary is a synharmonic syllabary. Syllabaries True syllabaries contain one grapheme for every ponemically legal syllable in the language. The Japanese Hiragana writing system is a true syllabary. Logographic Writing Systems Logographic writing systems contain graphemes whic represent both a pronunciation and a meaning. Logographic scripts are often pictographic or mnemonic in relationship to their meaning within the cultural-schematic context of the language. The number of graphemes in a logographic system is usually very large compared to alphabetic or syllabic systems. Logographic systems may include logograms which are pictorial graphemes representing parts of words or whole words, ideograms, which graphically represent abstract ideas, semantic-phonetic compounds which are graphemes that include a semantic element, representing the meaning of the grapheme, and a phonemic component, prescribing pronunciation. Occasionally, graphemes are used in a strictly phonemic way. The native Mandrin Chinese writing system (excluding Bopomofo) is logographic. Logophonemic Systems A logophonemic system is one in which graphemeic components which represent phonemic or pronunciation prescriptions are simultaneously used as logographic or ideographic graphemes-- either independently or when arranged in groups. The Ksatlai script used for writing Idrani is an example of a logophonemic script. Polyfunctional Systems A polifunctional writing system is a writing system in which a set of primary graphemes each represent multiple values such as phonemic prescription, content meaning, function meaning, determinative meaning, and/or numeric value. One or more of the functions of each primary grapheme is indicated as selected when diacritics, orientation or some other means of distinction is used in conjunction with such a primary grapheme. In other words, a primary grapheme distinguished one way is prescribing pronunciation, yet that same grapheme distinguished a second way may represent a function morpheme, such as a plural morpheme along with the associated pronunciation. The Etu script used for writing Idrani is a polyfunctional writing system. Complex Writing Systems Complex writing systems use many types of graphemes. Most of the world's natural langauges use complex systems when analysed wholistically. However, many of the world's natural languages are classified as a specific type when the majority of graphemes in that system are of that specific type. Ancient Egyptian is a more true complex writing system, using a fairly even distribution of grapheme types, and having individual graphemes which are classifiable under two or more types. Dynamic Writing Systems Dynamic writing systems are systems wherin graphemic units have no independent prescription as to pronunciation or meaning. Rather, relationships or types of relationships between graphemic components make the prescription. I hope this helps a few people to decide what script is best for them. :)

Do you make a distinction between abugidas and abjads? Do you distinguish featurographies?

Do you make a distinction between abugidas and abjads? D'oh abugidas! Abugida An abugida is a term coined by Peter Daniels in order to describe a writing system in which consonant signs (graphemes) are inherently associated with a following vowel. Thus, the absence of such a vowel, or other following vowels, are usually indicated explicitly. About half the writing systems in the world, including the extensive Brahmic system used for most Indo-Aryan languages, are abugida. Do you distinguish featurographies? You'd have to show me an example before I can answer that.

I think he means 'featurographies' as in scripts designed to show either the way sounds are made or the relationships between sounds. You could call it a subclass of all phonemically-based script types (maybe just as a footnote). Yes, I think that's what I meant. I was more thinking of the "relationships" description than the "way they're made" one, but now that you've made me think about it I suppose both should be considered. A "Featurographic mark" is a way of writing a certain "distinctive feature". An alphabet could have a "featurographic" part if there were any one or more distinctive features of phonemes that was/were always indicated by a particular mark. For instance, if nasalization of a vowel were always indicated by a tilde over the vowel; or if palatalization of a consonant were always indicated by a "soft" sign; or if mute consonants were always indicated by the same sign as the corresponding voiced consonant, but with a horizontal line or "belt" drawn through it. Any alphabet for which most of its letters consisted mostly of such "featurographic" marks, I would call a "featurography". A conscript example is Alexander Melville Bell's "Visible Speech". (It fits both of your descriptions; shows the way sounds are made, and shows the relationships between the sounds.) A natscript example, so I understand, is the jamo of Han'geul (or however you're supposed to spell it); Emperor Sejong's Korean script (IIRC). (It also fits both of your descriptions, if Omniglot is correct about it.) (Han'geul might also be considered a "true syllabary", since the jamo are used to make "syllable blocks".)

Abugida An abugida is a term coined by Peter Daniels in order to describe a writing system in which consonant signs (graphemes) are inherently associated with a following vowel. Thus, the absence of such a vowel, or other following vowels, are usually indicated explicitly. About half the writing systems in the world, including the extensive Brahmic system used for most Indo-Aryan languages, are abugida.Is that kind of what you meant by "alphasyllabary"? Or a related but distinct idea? Or not even related?

A natscript example, so I understand, is the jamo of Han'geul (or however you're supposed to spell it); Emperor Sejong's Korean script (IIRC). (It also fits both of your descriptions, if Omniglot is correct about it.) (Han'geul might also be considered a "true syllabary", since the jamo are used to make "syllable blocks".) I think Hangeul is something I would classify as a 'constructive' script - you take pieces (all similarly sized, not like in abjads or abugidas) and make bigger pieces out of those.

I would call Hangul a featural script. Abugida and alphasyllabary differ only in respect to their parent script.

I would call Hangul a featural script. I meant in addition to featural. Hangeul is a featural script.

I always thought abugida and alphasyllabary were the same. By your definition then, any alphasyllabary derived from Brahmi i.e. Devanagari, Thai, Kavi are called abugida?:)

I always thought abugida and alphasyllabary were the same. By your definition then, any alphasyllabary derived from Brahmi i.e. Devanagari, Thai, Kavi are called abugida?:) Where did I say my definitions were absolute? Another definition, for both terms; Syllabic alphabets, alphasyllabaries or abugidas consist of symbols for consonants and vowels. The consonants each have an inherent vowel which can be changed to another vowel or muted by means of diacritics. Vowels can also be written with separate letters when they occur at the beginning of a word or on their own. When two or more consonants occur together, special conjunct symbols are often used which add the essential parts of first letter or letters in the sequence to the final letter. I would also agree with this definition, which if read, does indicate that Devanagari, Thai, and Old Kawi could be called abugidas.

Oh, thanks for clarifying that bit.:)

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