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Constructing a Script
Constructing a Script
Most people aren't going to want to put a huge amount of effort into their conscript, going from developing logograms and converting them into several syllabaries and alphabets, some of which will be extinct and maybe even lost.
However, a little effort can provide the appearance of this.
Questions to ask yourself are:
What is the language like? Does it have a regular syllable structure? Does the grammar have a particular phonetic arrangement? Is it humanlike or completely alien? Etc.
What's the culture like? Has there been a recent conquest and also an imposition of a new script? How closely is the current script associated with religion? Are there separate scripts for aspects of the culture? Etc.
How recently was writing adopted? When did the last change in writing implements occur? Does printing exist yet? Etc.
What natural language would you like your script to resemble?
A Simple Start
The simplest beginning is to take an existing natural script, borrow elements from it, and set up a phonetic grid grouping similar sounds together. You can then alter the letters as little or as much as needed, depending how much standardisation you want. This is a good trick for creating a base script that you can then "evolve" to generate your current one.
Another method is to combine different elements - e.g. lines, curves, wedges, dots, etc - and assign them systematically or randomly to your syllables/letters. This can also then be evolved.
Most people aren't going to want to put a huge amount of effort into their conscript, going from developing logograms and converting them into several syllabaries and alphabets, some of which will be extinct and maybe even lost.
However, a little effort can provide the appearance of this.
Questions to ask yourself are:
What is the language like? Does it have a regular syllable structure? Does the grammar have a particular phonetic arrangement? Is it humanlike or completely alien? Etc.
What's the culture like? Has there been a recent conquest and also an imposition of a new script? How closely is the current script associated with religion? Are there separate scripts for aspects of the culture? Etc.
How recently was writing adopted? When did the last change in writing implements occur? Does printing exist yet? Etc.
What natural language would you like your script to resemble?
A Simple Start
The simplest beginning is to take an existing natural script, borrow elements from it, and set up a phonetic grid grouping similar sounds together. You can then alter the letters as little or as much as needed, depending how much standardisation you want. This is a good trick for creating a base script that you can then "evolve" to generate your current one.
Another method is to combine different elements - e.g. lines, curves, wedges, dots, etc - and assign them systematically or randomly to your syllables/letters. This can also then be evolved.
- The Professor
- Word Count: 250