[Linganth] Endangered writing systems: an appeal

Fri Jun 30 17:13:42 UTC 2017

Actually Braille is an interesting example because I have heard that
between increased emphasis on mainstreaming sight-impaired children rather
than segregating them in schools for the blind plus the improvements in
assistive technology, many younger children aren't learning Braille and
certainly fewer items are being produced in it.  Not an expert on this, so
someone else on the list may know more.

Cyndi Dunn
Professor of Anthropology
Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology & Criminology
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls IA 50614-0513 U.S.A.

(319) 273-6251
Cyndi.Dunn at uni.edu

On Fri, Jun 30, 2017 at 11:18 AM, Brookes, Tim <brookes at champlain.edu>
wrote:

> Dear George,
> Thanks so much for getting back to me. Yes, I use the phrase "endangered
> alphabets" as a kind of informal shorthand, especially when trying to avoid
> blinding non-specialist with science. A good number of these writing
> systems are in fact syllabaries or other non-alphabetic forms, as I'm sure
> you know.
> When you mention First nation scripts--yes, one of the questions I am
> struggling with is whether to regard Inuktitut, Cree and Ojibwa as
> manifestations of Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics or as three different
> endangered writing systems because (as I understand it) each language has
> adapted the Syllabics to an extent to suit its own needs.
> I'm open to suggestions!
> Cheers,
> Tim
>
> On Fri, Jun 30, 2017 at 12:12 PM, George Fulford <g.fulford at icloud.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Good morning from Winnipeg, Canada.  This is a thoroughly worthwhile
>> endeavour (note my Canadian spelling of that last word).  I will add a
>> couple of comments, rather than anything to your list.  First - regarding
>> alphabets.  As you know, strictly speaking alphabets attempt to represent
>> the inventory of phonemes in a given language with distinct characters.  In
>> practice, through orthographic idiosyncracies there are often fewer
>> characters than there are phonemes.  So in most dialects of English we have
>> 43 orr 44 phonemes, but just 26 "letters" in the alphabet.
>>
>> Alphabets are just one of three distinct ways that I can think of by
>> which we can use visual marks to represent the sounds of a spoken
>> language.  At least three of the languages listed in your email (Cree and
>> Inuktitut) use the syllabary that was invented by. Methodist missionary
>> James Evans in Norway House (Manitoba) in the 1840s.  You could add Ojibwa
>> to this list too.  Syllabaries represents the possible syllables in these
>> spoken languages, not their individual consonants and vowels the way an
>> alphabet does.  It is conceptually and definitionally important to
>> distinguish alphabets from syllabaries when talking about writing systems.
>>
>> Ideographs such as Mandarin represent a third kind of writing system.
>> Ideographic characters represent entire concepts/words.  In the case of
>> Mandarin, it is possible to trace how contemporary characters developed
>> from pictorial representations, such as those found on oracle bones 3000
>> years ago. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and Mayan glyphs also seem to have
>> developed in this way.
>>
>> There are other systems of visually representing language that could also
>> be considered, such as quipus, braille, the various ways for visually
>> representing signed languages - perhaps even Laban notation used for
>> choreographing dance, that might also be considered.  But this is likely
>> straying too far afield.
>>
>> George Fulford
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>> On Jun 30, 2017, at 8:57 AM, Brookes, Tim <brookes at champlain.edu> wrote:
>>
>> Dear Linganth Community:
>>
>> The other day someone asked me, "So which alphabets *are* endangered? Do
>> you have a list?" Which stopped me in my tracks because I know which
>> alphabets I've carved, and which I know I'd like to carve, but as far as I
>> know there's no catalogue of endangered writing systems. So we should
>> create one.
>>
>> I say "we" because I'm constantly reminded how little I know, and how
>> this field is changing and the definitions are flexible. I'd like to offer
>> two things: a first-draft list of endangered writing systems for you all to
>> add to, edit, or subtract from; and a first-draft definition of
>> "endangered." Both are pretty volatile subjects, so let's head into this in
>> a spirit of collaboration!
>>
>>
>>
>> I guess we should start with the definition, though this may in fact be
>> the more difficult of the two. The way I think of an endangered writing
>> system, it includes at least some of these qualities:
>>
>>
>>
>> 1.     Originally created/developed/adapted for general use, not only
>> for the purposes of fiction/film/TV
>>
>> 2.     Once in general use by at least a significant minority of the
>> population
>>
>> 3.     Not extinct—that is, still in use by some percentage of the
>> population, even if only in a specialized context (such as for
>> spiritual/sacred purposes)
>>
>> 4.     No longer generally taught in schools
>>
>> 5.     Lacking official status in the eyes of the government
>>
>> 6.     Facing a clear and present danger from some cultural, military,
>> political or economic threat that has the capacity to marginalize it within
>> two generations
>>
>> 7.     Having certain distinct qualities that make it different from
>> other members of the same language family
>>
>>
>>
>> Please by all means suggest edits!
>>
>>
>>
>> Now here’s my list of endangered alphabets, derived largely from
>> Omniglot, though I must stress I know very little about many of these
>> languages/writing systems, and I’m sure there are others I don’t know.
>> That’s why I’m reaching out to you!
>>
>>
>>
>> Ahom
>>
>> Arakanese
>>
>> Assyrian/Neo-Aramaic
>>
>> Bagatha
>>
>> Balinese
>>
>> Bamum/Shupamom
>>
>> Bassa Vah
>>
>> Batak
>>
>> Bats
>>
>> Baybayin
>>
>> Berber/Tifinagh/Tamazight
>>
>> Bilang-Bilang
>>
>> Bugis/Lontara
>>
>> Buhid
>>
>> Chakma
>>
>> Cham (Eastern and Western)
>>
>> Cherokee
>>
>> Chu-Nom
>>
>> Cree
>>
>> Dene Syllabics (Carrier)
>>
>> Eskayan
>>
>> Glagolitic
>>
>> Grantha
>>
>> Hanuno’o
>>
>> Inuktitut
>>
>> Javanese
>>
>> Kalmyk
>>
>> Kawi
>>
>> Khojki
>>
>> Kpelle
>>
>> Kulitan
>>
>> Lampung
>>
>> Lanna (Northern Thai)
>>
>> (Loma)
>>
>> Makasar
>>
>> Maldivian/Thaana
>>
>> Manchu
>>
>> Mandaic
>>
>> Manipuri
>>
>> Marma
>>
>> (Mende/Kikakui)
>>
>> Mongolian
>>
>> Mro
>>
>> Naxi/Dongba
>>
>> New Tai Lue
>>
>> N’Ko
>>
>> Nushu
>>
>> Pauauh Hmong
>>
>> Rejang/Bengkulu/Satera Jontal/Lembak/Lintang/Lebong/Serawai/Kaganga
>>
>> Samaritan
>>
>> Sorang Sompeng
>>
>> Sui
>>
>> Sundanese
>>
>> Sylheti/Syloti-Nagri
>>
>> Syriac
>>
>> Tai Dam
>>
>> Vai
>>
>> Wolof/Garay
>>
>> Yi
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Tim Brookes
>>
>> www.endangeredalphabets.com
>>
>> Champlain College
>>
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>>
>
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