Šsioŵe Łuŵuŕ

The Šsioŵe Łuŵuŕ alphabet was created in 2006 by Jacob Collard. The alphabet began as an alternative script for English that was meant to be very compact but still easy to learn. However, the alphabet was later used for writing a conlang that Jacob had been writing, and has rarely been used for English since. The language has become the basis for a book that Jacob has been writing, which currently has no definite title. The basis for the compact writing is a square which can hold five or six letters depending on the first, therefore using space more efficiently.

Notable Features

Type of writing system: alphabet
Direction of Writing: right to left in horizontal lines
Used to write: Šsioŵe Łuŵuŕ
There is distinction between capital and minimal letters. However, every square of letters, instead of every sentence, begins with a capital letter.
Šsioŵe Łuŵuŕ requires no punctuation, although it did exist in older forms of the alphabet. The only punctuation ever used was an 'x' at the end of a sentence to represent a full stop.
A number of allophones are permitted. Digraphs 'th,' and 'dh' may be pronounced either as dental fricatives or aspirated alveolar fricatives. E may be pronounced as either [e] or as [ɛ].

The Cell Structure

The cell structure is, in Šsioŵe Łuŵuŕ, the way that the letters combine into five-letter groups. One group is called a cloister and one space that may hold a letter is called a cell.

A cloister usually consists of five letters (cell). The first is placed centrally and is in capital form. The rest are all minuscule with the first in the upper right corner and the rest continuing in a counterclockwise direction.
With the letters representing 'i,' 'm,' 't,' 's,' and 'ʃ' occupying the first cell, it is optional to have a sixth letter in the cloister.
There are no spaces between words. Instead, if one cloister is not sufficient, a second will be joined to it with a curved line between the two.
A cloister never ends part-way through a syllable. Instead, all of the letters of the syllable will be placed in the second cloister of the word.

Šsioŵe Łuŵuŕ Alphabet

Diacritics

There are also four digraphs: 'io' and 'ea' are pronounced as [ɪ] and [æ], respectively. 'Th' and 'dh' may be pronounced as either aspirated alveolar plosives or as dental fricatives, i.e. [tʰ] and [dʱ] or [θ] and [ð].

Šsioŵe Łuŵuŕ diacritics

The 'X' shown represents any cloister.

There are four basic diacritics in Šsioŵe Łuŵuŕ, all of them based on a curved stroke. All of them perform the same function, which is to make a voiceless sound voiced, but they each affect a different cloister in the cell. The primary diacritic voices the first cloister, the secondary voices the second cloister, the tertiary the third, the quaternary the fourth, and the quinary the fifth. There is also a senary diacritic, which voices the sixth cloister. The senary diacritic appears the same as the primary except with a vertical line through the center.

Sample Text

Sample text in Šsioŵe Łuŵuŕ

Transliteration

Anam’Aŋ Ełie Šsioŵe Thorn Ši Eałan E Teŕe T’ Tam Tamawe Kŵu Peath Emis Šsioŵe Wu Elewi Eałan F’ Ŕin Tała Poŕau Anam’Aŋ Ši Dhoše M’ Thorn Ts’ Šsioŵe Ts’ Elewi Mai Kŵu Šsioŵe Thorn In Haian’Aale Unum’Uŋ Thorn Šeŵi Me Ełie Ts’ Mi Wu Elewi Mai Elewi

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)

If you have any questions about the Šsioŵe Łuŵuŕ alphabet, you can contact Jacob at: jacob@rsgohio.com

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