Writing systems:
abjads |
alphabets |
syllabic alphabets |
syllabaries |
semanto-phonetic scripts
undeciphered scripts |
alternative scripts |
your con-scripts |
A-Z index |
Direction index |
Language index
Writing systems:
abjads |
alphabets |
syllabic alphabets |
syllabaries |
semanto-phonetic scripts
undeciphered scripts |
alternative scripts |
your con-scripts |
A-Z index |
Direction index |
Language index
Abjads, or consonant alphabets, represent consonants only, or consonants plus some vowels. Full vowel indication (vocalisation) can be added, usually by means of diacritics, but this is not common. Most of abjads, with the exception of Ugaritic, are written from right to left.
Some scripts, such as Arabic, are used both as an abjad and as an alphabet.
 Syriac |
 Hebrew |
 Arabic |
 Parthian |
 Middle Persian |
 Aramaic |
 Sabaean |
 Nabataean |
 Mandaic |
 South Arabian |
 Psalter |
 Phoenician |
 Ugaritic |
 Sogdian |
 Samaritan |
Transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) are used extensively throughout this website. The IPA transcriptions are the letters and other symbols which appear in square bracketts, like this [b], [p]. etc.
You can learn which sounds are represented by these letters and symbols at:
http://www.unil.ch/ling/page30184.html
http://www.unil.ch/ling/page12580.html (en français)
Abjads, Alphabets, Syllabic alphabets, Syllabaries, Semanto-phonetic writing systems, Undeciphered scripts, Alternative writing systems, Your con-scripts, A-Z index, Direction index, Language index
[ See this page in: Русский | Українська ]
Copyright 1998- Simon Ager