Name the writing system
Do you know what writing system this is and where you might see it?
A few clues: this writing system does not currently appear on Omniglot (I’ll add it when I’ve found enough information about it). It was invented during the 1950s and is logo-syllabic, i.e. each symbol represents a syllable in the spoken language, and also means something.
9 Responses to “Name the writing system”
Joseph Staleknight on 10 Sep 2006 at 2:11 am #
Looks a bit like old Sumerian, or perhaps Indo-European….
Chase Boday on 10 Sep 2006 at 4:52 am #
Is it from Easter Island? Or some kind of Polenesian?
TJ on 10 Sep 2006 at 5:02 am #
It’s an artificial one (or let’s say modern) …. I think it was invented for some purpose but not really to help some nation with its language hmm…
Chase Boday on 10 Sep 2006 at 5:09 am #
oops, i didn’t see the 1950 comment… not polynesian, then i guess
TJ on 10 Sep 2006 at 7:30 am #
I heard of something called the “Bliss system” …. is this the one?
Simon on 10 Sep 2006 at 9:59 am #
None of you are close, I’m afraid. The answer is …
the Bété Script, invented by Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, an artist from Côte d’Ivoire, in 1952 to write the Bété language, a member of the Kru branch of Niger-Congo languages. He invented the script to help the people of his community to learn to read and write their language. It’s still used by a few people apparently. Bouabré also wrote a number of books in Bété and French about his script.
There’s more information about it at:
http://www.frif.com/new2005/brul.html
http://www.diacenter.org/dia/press/boettibouabre.html
www.frif.com/pdf/art2006.pdf (PDF)
TJ on 10 Sep 2006 at 10:28 am #
Sometimes wide imagination can block the information flow that makes you practical, especially with something like writing! :)
Joseph Staleknight on 11 Sep 2006 at 1:53 am #
Well, the closeness of the logographs made it look similar to something ancient….
Don Osborn on 29 Oct 2007 at 12:40 am #
Just put up a minimal stub on this alphabet on the English Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9t%C3%A9_alphabet . More is needed on that, as well as related articles on Bouabré and Bété.