Ajalaptlajkuilolistli (أالابضأقىلولىسضى)

Ajalaptlajkuilolistli is way to write Nahuatl with the Arabic script devised by Isaac Mayer. It is based on a hypothetical scenario in which the Americas were colonized by Arabic speakers rather than Spanish speakers. The name Ajalaptlajkuilolistli combines Ajalap (Arab) and tlajkuilolistli (script / writing).

Notable features

Type of writing system: vocalised abjad - vowels are always indicated, unlike in Arabic
Direction of writing: right to left in horizontal lines
Used to write: Nahuatl (nawatlahtolli)

Ajalaptlajkuilolistli script

Notes

Nahuatl distinguishes between /k/ and /kʷ/ as independent phonemes. Instead of using a digraph, the Ajalaptlajkuilolistli system distinguishes the two by using Kāf ك for /k/ and Qāf ق for /kʷ/, as a reflection of the English orthographic usage of Q in a similar manner.
In most versions of the Arabic script, yāʾ ي is generally written with two dots underneath. In certain adaptations, especially those in North Africa and Persia, it is written without, as in ى. Ajalaptlajkuilolistli uses the dotless version, since the closest part of the Old World to Mexico would be Northwest Africa.
There is some uncertainty as to what sound the Arabic Ḍād ﺽ originally made, but many linguists believe it was originally pronounced approximately as [d͡ɮˤ], the direct descendant of the proto-Semitic emphatic voiceless alveolar lateral affricate ṣ́ [t͡ɬʼ]. Thus, Ajalaptlajkuilolistli uses ﺽ for the very similar non-emphatic voiceless alveolar lateral affricate [t͡ɬ] sound, rare in other Old World languages.
Since Nahuatl doesn't distinguish between voiced and unvoiced consonants, in several cases a consonant voiced in Arabic is used in Nahuatl for an unvoiced equivalent. For instance, جيم djīm is used for [tʃ] and bāʾ ب is used for [p].

Download an alphabet chart for Ajalaptlajkuilolistli (Excel)

Sample text in the Ajalaptlajkuilolistli

نجى ضاكامهٔ وْان سىوْامهٔ كىبىأ مانؤ قالى ضاكاتىسهٔ, نجى سان سه توضاتهجبووْىلتىلىس وْان تىضاتهبانىىالؤكهٔ, ىْهكا مونهكى قالى ما تىمووْىكاكأ, ما تىموىكنهلىكأ, ما تىموضاسؤضاكأ, وْان ما تىموضهبانىتاكأ.

Transliteration in the Latin alphabet

Nochi tlakamej uan siuamej kipiaj manoj kuali tlakatisej, nochi san se totlatechpouiltilis uan titlatepanitalojkej, yeka moneki kuali ma timouikakaj, ma timoiknelikaj, ma timotlasojtlakaj uan ma timotlepanitakaj.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Information about Nahuatl | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel | Learning material

Scripts by Isaac Mayer

Ajalaptlajkuilolistli, Čveneburuli / Judeo-Georgian, Grekoiberieraren Alfabeto Berria, Hágrít Nyelv, Inglith, iŋliʃ fidæl, nā hōʻailona ʻōlelo, Pikchukunap Qillqa, Ṣəḥəfätä Ǝsəraelawi, Tianjinjiao, Yahudi Türkçesi, Yūdu lipi

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