Dehong Dai script

The Dehong Dai script is a syllabic alphabet used to write Tai Nuea, a Southwestern Tai language spoken mainly in southwestern China. It is also known as the Tai Le script or Lik Tho Ngok script, and it possibly developed from the Burmese script during the 15th century.

Originally tones were not usually marked in the Dehong Dai script, and there was no distinction between some vowel sounds. In 1956 a revised version of the script with tones indicated by diacritics was officially launched. In 1988 another revision replaced the tone diacritics with the tone letters.

Notable features

Type of writing system: Abugida / Syllabic Alphabet in which each consonant has an inherent vowel /a/. Other vowels are indicated by separate letters.
Writing direction: left to right in horizontal lines.
Used to write: Tai Nuea (ᥖᥭᥰ ᥖᥬᥲ ᥑᥨᥒᥰ), a Southwestern Tai language spoken mainly in southwestern China
Each consonant has an inherent vowel [a] which can be modified by adding a different vowel letter after it.
Words are not separated by spaces. Instead spaces appear between clauses and sentences.

Dehong Dai script

Download an alphabet chart for Dehong Dai (Excel)

Sample text

Sample text in Tai Nua
This text uses the tone diacritics

Sample text in Tai Nua
This text uses the tone letters

Transliteration

Lauengasom⁵vana²lai⁵, kopalai⁴xoom³xehna⁶teng²kaa, vaakataap³koon²xeet⁶maa²see, maat⁴laa²camaxop³xav⁴maat⁵maa², qaameev²tai²tang²laaai⁶qotakataakaa³coaithehm⁶.

Source: http://www.seasite.niu.edu/tai/TaiDehong/, with adjustments by Ian James. Transliteration by Julijan Jovanovic

Sample videos about Dehong Dai

Links

Information about the Dehong Dai script
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Le_script
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/tai/TaiDehong
http://www.skyknowledge.com/dehong.htm
https://www.endangeredalphabets.net/alphabets/tai-le/
https://r12a.github.io/scripts/taile/tdd.html

Dehong Dai fonts
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/tai/TaiDehong/
http://www.wazu.jp/gallery/Fonts_TaiLe.html
https://fontzone.net/font-details/microsoft-tai-le

Abugidas / Syllabic alphabets

Ahom, Aima, Arleng, Badagu, Badlit, Basahan, Balinese, Balti-A, Balti-B, Batak, Baybayin, Bengali, Bhaiksuki, Bhujimol, Bilang-bilang, Bima, Blackfoot, Brahmi, Buhid, Burmese, Carrier, Chakma, Cham, Cree, Dehong Dai, Devanagari, Dham Lipi, Dhankari / Sirmauri, Ditema, Dives Akuru, Dogra, Ethiopic, Evēla Akuru, Fox, Fraser, Gond, Goykanadi, Grantha, Gujarati, Gunjala Gondi, Gupta, Gurmukhi, Halbi Lipi, Hanifi, Hanuno'o, Hočąk, Ibalnan, Incung, Inuktitut, Jaunsari Takri, Javanese, Kaithi, Kadamba, Kamarupi, Kannada, Kawi, Kharosthi, Khema, Khe Prih, Khmer, Khojki, Khudabadi, Kirat Rai, Kōchi, Komering, Kulitan, Kurukh Banna, Lampung, Lanna, Lao, Lepcha, Limbu, Lontara/Makasar, Lota Ende, Magar Akkha, Mahajani, Malayalam, Meitei (Modern), Manpuri (Old), Marchen, Meetei Yelhou Mayek, Meroïtic, Masarm Gondi, Modi, Mon, Mongolian Horizontal Square Script, Multani, Nandinagari, Newa, New Tai Lue, Ojibwe, Odia, Ogan, Pahawh Hmong, Pallava, Phags-pa, Purva Licchavi, Qiang / Rma, Ranjana, Rejang (Kaganga), Sasak, Savara, Satera Jontal, Shan, Sharda, Siddham, Sinhala, Sorang Sompeng, Sourashtra, Soyombo, Sukhothai, Sundanese, Syloti Nagri, Tagbanwa, Takri, Tamil, Tanchangya (Ka-Pat), Tani, Thaana, Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Tigalari, Tikamuli, Tocharian, Tolong Siki, Vatteluttu, Warang Citi

Other writing systems

Page last modified: 16.03.23

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