1.1 Miscellaneous scripts

In the process of developing a writing system for the a priori language SIGIL (see 1.2 below), I became interested in orthographical experiments and problem-solving in the contexts of other languages. Many of the resulting scripts can also be found on Simon Ager’s excellent website Omniglot. Note that the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is used throughout to transcribe the sounds.

• New Mong – with font HOT
• New Akha – with font
• New Maori – with font
  • New Maori Extended (popular for tattoos) HOT
• Scottish Gaelic (phonetic) using Tengwar
• Xylphika (a language of whispers)
• Fontok
• Power Of Seven
• Svenska Kvistar (for Swedish)
• Maui
• Nav (for the conlang Na’vi)
• Akkhara Muni (for Pali) UPDATED – now with font
• Bostani (for Persian) – with font
  • Bostani 3ed HOT
  • Bostani 4ed NEW
• For Tai languages:
  • Tai Anphabet 5ed
  • Tai Anphabet 6ed
  • New Lanna HOT
  • Tai Anphabet 5.1
• Middleast script (for Arabic)
• Neo Mon script (for Burmese)
• Greco-Annamese (for Vietnamese)
• Xerxian (for Old & Modern Persian)
• Astrol font (for Astrology) UPDATED
• Zhova (a stylographic cypher)
• Thai font – METAFONT source

• Amethyst
• Beryllian
• Cairngorm
• Darian
• Elektrum
• Full Aelg
  • Full Aelg Roman
• Gandjeth
• Hongsa
• Idensh
• Junia
• Klaekson-Zaen
• Lestorian
• Monto
• Norstrilian
• Oscareen
• Pranish
• Quensil
• Rå-skrift
• Sfringlish
• Tullish
• Undeen
• Vembrish
• Winkledawn
• Xadami
• Yogantina
• Zircon

• Æsklon
• Alefbit – with font
• Bannish
• Cwemith
• Damascene Cursive Rubrick
• Edmundish
• Feandishleigh Simplex
• Goev le Trith
• Habloid
• Kentish Romany
• Neti
• Orskripht
• Qentish Romany
• Senet
• Thoi NEW
• Vwiž
• Wanpaw
• Xylphika B (a phonological and steganographic cypher)
• Yônfaeth
• Zoobfsheo NEW

1.2 Scripts for SIGIL

The writing system for SIGIL has been in parallel development with the a priori language since 2006. The language enforces phonological specifications upon the script, and the needs of writing and reading also make practical demands upon the design. These conflicting aspects have resulted in numerous experiments and revisions, but in almost every case, the design is phonetic-featural. Details about the language and its evolution will be found in the book Language for the World. Note that versions 1 through 23 of the script (and one or two others, excepting 16) were rejected from this list, being either structurally awkward or visually unappealing.

• SIGIL linear script (version 16) REVISITED
• SIGIL script (version 24/25) UPDATED
• Sigil Panel script (SIGIL syllabary)
• Cygil
• Segmented
• SIGIL script (version 26)
• SIGIL script (version 27)
• SIGIL script (version 30)
• Gestigil (SIGIL syllabary, version 31)
• SIGIL script (version 32)
• SIGIL script (version 33)
• SIGIL script (prototype 32a)
• SIGIL script (version 34c)
• an extended Mxedruli script for SIGIL
• SIGIL script (version 35)
• Slinseng (SIGIL cursive script version 36c),
  with mention of the Avoiuli script
• Slinseng-Fi (SIGIL cursive script version 37)
• Slinsen-Yi (SIGIL script version 38)
• Pranish (SIGIL alphabet version 39)

The SIGIL language (official name Sgai) is now finished. I am mostly satisfied with Slinseng-Fi, Slinsen-Yi and Pranish for the writing of it, and these will be representative in published articles from now on.

1.3 Visual index

See a list of my invented scripts, which can be identified at a glance. UPDATED with NEW

1.4 Tattoos

See a discussion of how neographies make great tattoos. HOT

1.5 Artificial voice

This is an example of my developing Vox program speaking the first line of Shakespeare’s sonnet 18, using original pronunciation. One of the reasons for developing this program was to enable listening to the Sgai language, reading from phonetic text input. It can actually sing better than this.

1.6 Pangram and Panphone

Glad you asked. Have a look at two of my linguistic inventions.

2.1 Traditional scripts for natural languages

Some ancient scripts are under-appreciated, usually for lack of proper presentation; some more recent scripts are very beautiful. These pages try to fill in some gaps. In many cases, I have developed fonts for use in the charts; some fonts are available to the public.

• ancient Meroïtic & Samaritan scripts – with fonts
• ancient Avestan script – with basic font UPDATED
  • the Avestan Nouveau font – with fancy font HOT
• ancient Pallava script
• Englisc (Anglo-saxon) circa 1000 AD – with new font HOT
• the Bhaiksuki script of North India
• the Georgian script
• the Sinhala script
• the Lanna script of North Thailand UPDATED
• various other Tai family scripts; and separate pages for:
• Dehong Dai
• Shan
• Tai Lue
• Thai (Sukhothai period)
• Khom Thai
• universal Burmic letter chart (by Mattias Persson)
• universal Arabic letter chart (by Mattias Persson)
• guide to writing Arabic letter forms
• universal Cyrillic letter chart (by Mattias Persson)
• the Tajiki variant of Persian – using Cyrillic;
  now also with transcription in Bostani
• an abjad cypher from Yezd

2.2 Various other invented scripts

Over recent centuries, some individuals have designed writing systems for personal use or for special occasions. Others have wanted something distinctive for their previously unwritten language. This is a small but still expanding set of interesting examples, in chronological order. Again, some charts use fonts I have developed myself.

2.2.1 Pre-modern inventions

• the Unknown Alphabet of Hildegard of Bingen
• the Utopian alphabet of Thomas More
• the Angelic alphabet of John Dee – with new font
• the Universal alphabet of Thomas Harriot – with font
• the mysterious Voynich manuscript
• the Universal alphabet of Francis Lodwick
• the Ariyaka script for Pali – with fonts
• the Martian script of Hélène Smith – with font HOT

2.2.2 Modern inventions (IPA and beyond)

• the International Phonetic Alphabet
• a cursive syllabary for Yupik
• the Bopomofo script for Chinese (a variation)
• the Kaddare script for Somali – font available on request
• script for the Zou language
• the Flower-Cloth Script for Hmong
• the Garay script for Wolof – with font
• script for Western Kayah Li, Myanmar – font available on request
• script for the Badaga language by Yogesh
• Hanifi script for Rohingya
• the Cher Vang script for Hmong
• the Aiha alphabet for the fictional Kesh people
• the Adlam alphabet for Pular
• the Tolong Siki alphabet for Kurukh
• script for the Badaga language by Anandhan
• Adyghe “ancient” alphabet
• a selection of favourites from Omniglot (for invented languages)
• script inventions of Mattias Persson UPDATED with NEW and now including hard-to-find conscripts of others.

3.1 Font services

• Custom symbols and fonts – I can produce font-styled symbols or whole fonts to specification;
  email me via editor@skyknowledge.com.
• High quality mathematical typesetting– I can create beautiful pages from hand-written or basic type-written mathematical sketches, using the scientific community’s preferred typesetting system, TEX;
  email me via editor@skyknowledge.com.
• Thaitrans – this free program allows typing of Thai without a Thai keyboard. HOT
• Enckey – this free program allows simple editing of text having complex encoded glyphs; for example we can type New Mong using only the Latin-based RPA.

3.2 Pre-existing tools I use for orthography and script design

• Fontographer 3.5 – my favorite font-creation program of all. Recently resurrected from the Windows 10 data graveyard by Edward Mendelson’s Win31DOSBox, a wonderfully simple virtual machine that can run 16-bit software.
• Ghostscript – I write templates in PostScript for testing each font, and this free program allows viewing of the result.
• Windows Paint, FontLab, Photoshop, ScreenHunter, TEX, Metafont – programs for special circumstances.
• Pen, Paper – no these are not iPhone apps, but old-fashioned technology still second to none.

(You may like to offer motivation
for continued research & development :)