List of constructed scripts

Last updated

This list of constructed scripts is in alphabetical order. ISO 15924 codes are provided where assigned. This list includes neither shorthand systems nor ciphers of existing scripts.

Contents

Script nameISO 15924Year createdCreatorComments (click to sort by category)
Adlam Adlm1989Ibrahima & Abdoulaye BarryProposed alphabet used to write the Fula language
Afaka Afak1910Afáka AtumisiSyllabary used to write the Ndyuka language, an English-based creole of Surinam
Aiha1985 Ursula K. Le Guin Alphabet of the fictional Kesh language in her novel Always Coming Home
Ariyaka c. 1840 Mongkut Invented to transcribe Pali, the liturgical language of Theravada Buddhism, and inspired by the Greek and Burmese-Mon scripts
Armenian Armnca. 405 Mesrop Mashtots Alphabet thought to have been based on Greek used to write Armenian
Ath1996 Hiroyuki Morioka Alphabet of the fictional Baronh language in his novel Crest of the Stars
aUI 1962John W. WeilgartLanguage and alphabet attempting to unify sound and meaning
Aurebesh 1993Stephen CraneAlphabet originally for Star Wars Miniatures Battles Companion based on glyphs by Joe Johnston, subsequently used for other media in the franchise [1]
Avoiuli 1990sViraleo BoborenvanuaAlphabet used by the Turaga indigenous movement for some languages in Vanuatu
Bagam ca. 1900King PufongLargely lost logosyllabic script used for letters and records in the Mengaka language
Bamum Bamu1896–1910 Ibrahim Njoya Syllabary for Bamum developed from what initially was a pictographic system
Bharati [2] 2016-*Prof. V. Srinivasa Chakravarthy and othersAlternative common script of major Indian languages (both Indo-Aryan and Dravidian) to facilitate easy communication
Blissymbol Blis1949 Charles K. Bliss Conceived as a non-spoken (soundless), purely ideographic script
Bopomofo Bopo1913 Zhang Binglin Semisyllabary to transcribe spoken Mandarin, Holo, &c., mainly for teaching
Braille Brai1821 Louis Braille Tactile alphabet for the blind using embossed dots; dozens of derived scripts
Canadian Aboriginal syllabics Cans1840s James Evans Family of abugidas used to write a number of Aboriginal Canadian languages of the Algonquian, Inuit, and (formerly) Athabaskan language families
Caucasian Albanian Aghbca. 408 Mesrop Mashtots Alphabet used to write the now extinct Caucasian Albanian language
Cherokee Cher1819 Sequoyah Syllabary inspired by Latin glyph shapes used to write the Cherokee language
Chữ Việt Trí2012Tôn Thất ChươngAlphabet designed for the Vietnamese language
Cirth Cirt1930s [3] J. R. R. Tolkien Runic elven script, mainly for dwarven writing in his novel The Lord of the Rings
Clear Script 1648 Zaya Pandit Alphabet used to write the Oirat language; based on Mongolian script
Coorgi-Cox 2005Gregg M. CoxA proposed abugida for the Kodava language
Cyrillic Cyrl / Cyrsca. 940 Saint Cyril or his studentsAlphabet mainly used to write Slavic languages; based primarily on Greek
Deseret Dsrtmid-19th century University of Deseret A phonemic alphabet designed for the English language
D'ni 1997Richard A. WatsonAlphabet for the fictional language in the game Riven and its sequels
Duployan shorthand Dupl1891 Jean-Marie Le Jeune Historically used as the main (non-shorthand) script for Chinook Jargon
Elbasan Elba1761disputedAlphabet for Albanian used to write the Elbasan Gospel Manuscript
Engsvanyáli 1940s M. A. R. Barker Abugida used in the Empire of the Petal Throne role-playing game
Eskayan ca. 1920–1937Mariano DatahanSyllabary based on cursive Latin script for the auxiliary Eskayan language
Extensions to the IPA (extIPA)Latn1990–* International Clinical
Phonetics and Linguistics Association 		A set of letters and diacritics to augment the International Phonetic Alphabet for the phonetic transcription of disordered speech
Fraser Lisu1915Sara Ba ThawAlphabet used to write the Lisu language; improved by James O. Fraser
Gargish 1990Herman MillerAlphabet for the fictional Gargish language in Ultima VI: The False Prophet
Glagolitic Glag862–863 Saints Cyril and Methodius Historically used to write Slavic languages, before Cyrillic became dominant
Gothic Gothca. 350 Ulfilas Alphabet based primarily on Greek historically used to write the Gothic language
HamNoSys 1985 University of Hamburg General phonetic transcription system for all sign languages
Hangul Hang 1443 Court of Sejong the Great Alphabet written in syllable blocks used to write the Korean language; the oldest and most widespread featural script in use
iConji 2010 Kai Staats Pictographic writing system for messenging
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)Latn 1888–* International Phonetic Association Regarded as being an extension of the Latin script
Ithkuil 2004John QuijadaScript for the constructed Ithkuil language
Jurchen Jurcca. 1119 Wanyan Xiyin Largely undeciphered logographic script with phonetic elements for Jurchen
Kēlen 1980Sylvia SotomayorAlphabet for a fictional alien language without verbs
Khitan large script Kitl920by order of Abaoji

Largely undeciphered logographic script for the Khitan language

Khitan small script Kitsca. 924 Yelü Diela Partially deciphered logographic script with phonetic elements for Khitan
Khom 1924 Ong Kommandam Semi-syllabary used for secret communication among dissidents in French Laos
Kikakui Mendca. 1917Mohammed TuraySyllabary used to write the Mende language of Sierra Leone
KLI pIqaD Piqdca. 1990anonymousGlyphs created for Star Trek: The Next Generation , later sent as a font to the KLI
Limbu Limbca. 1740 Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe Abugida derived from Tibetan to write the Limbu language
Lisu syllabary 1924–1930Ngua-ze-boSyllabary of about 800 characters used to write the Lisu language
Manchu 1599; 1632 Nurhaci; Dahai Alphabet based on Mongolian script to write the nearly extinct Manchu language
Mandombe 1978Wabeladio PayiAlphabet written in syllable blocks for Kikongo, Lingala, Ciluba and Kiswahili
Miꞌkmaw hieroglyphic writing after 1675 Chrestien Le Clercq Logographic script used historically for the Miꞌkmaq language
Neomeroitic2022-2023Amundé MusangoProposed alphabet to write the Swahili language and other African languages using a non-indigenous script
Night writing 1808 Charles Barbier Forerunner of Braille; tactile alphabet intended for communication in total darkness
N'Ko Nkoo1949 Solomana Kante Alphabet used to write the Manding languages, including a kind of koine
Ol Chiki Olck1925 Raghunath Murmu Official alphabet for the Santali language
Old Permic Perm1372 Stephen of Perm Alphabet mainly based on Cyrillic and Greek once used to write mediaeval Komi
Phags-pa Phag1269 Drogön Chögyal Phagpa Used historically for the languages in the Yuan sector of the Mongolian Empire
Pollard Plrd1936 Sam Pollard Abugida based on Cree used to write several minority languages in China
Quikscript 1966 Ronald Kingsley Read Phonemic alphabet designed to write the English language quickly and compactly
Sarati Sara1910s J. R. R. Tolkien Precursor of his elven Tengwar script
Shavian Shawca. 1960 Ronald Kingsley Read Phonemic alphabet to write the English language; precursor to Quikscript
SignWriting Sgnw1974Valerie SuttonProposed phonemic system of writing sign languages
Sitelen Pona 2014 Sonja Lang Logographic writing system used in Toki Pona
Sitelen Sitelen ca. 2006Jonathan GabelNon-linear writing system with both logographic and alphasyllabic characters, used in Toki Pona. Also known as Sitelen Suwi.
Soyombo Soyo1686 Zanabazar Abugida historically used to write the Mongolian language
Stokoe notation 1960 William Stokoe Proposed featural system of writing sign languages
Tangut Tang1036 Yeli Renrong Logographic script historically used to write the extinct Tangut language
Tengwar Teng1930s J. R. R. Tolkien Elven script used for various languages in his novel The Lord of the Rings
Testerian 1529 Jacobo de Testera Pictorial writing system used until the 19th century to teach Christian doctrine to the indigenous peoples of Mexico
Thai Thai1283 Ram Khamhaeng Abugida used to write Thai, Southern Thai and many others
Tibetan Tibtca. 650 Thonmi Sambhota Abugida probably based on Gupta, a Brahmic script, for writing Tibetan
Unifon mid-1950s John R. Malone Phonemic alphabet to write the English language, based on the Latin alphabet
Unker Non-Linear Writing System [4] [ third-party source needed ]2010-*Alex Fink & SaiComplex script written and read in a nonlinear format
Universal Alphabet1585 Thomas Harriot Phonetic alphabet used to transcribe the extinct Carolina Algonquian language
Vai Vaiica. 1832 Momolu Duwalu Bukele Syllabary used to write the Vai language
Visible Speech Visp1867 Alexander Melville Bell System of phonetic symbols to represent the position of the speech organs
Warang Waraca. 1950 Lako Bodra Abugida, but with alphabet-like full vowel symbols, to write the Ho language
Yugtun ca. 1900 Uyaquq Syllabary historically used to write the Central Alaskan Yup'ik language
Zanabazar square Zanbpre-1686 Zanabazar Abugida based on a Brahmic script developed to write the Mongolian language

* Script in ongoing development.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Echo Station - Aurebesh Soup". 19 April 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-04-19.
  2. ↑ "Unified script of India - Bharati". bharatiscript.com. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
  3. ↑ Tolkien, C., editor, The Treason of Isengard, The History of Middle-Earth, Houghton Mifflin, 1989
  4. ↑ "Unker Non-Linear Writing System". s.ai. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
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