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Unusual writing systems from all over the world
While visiting my 94-year-old neighbour, who was luckily briefly in the hospital, I happened to meet her doctor during his rounds. Our conversation quickly turned to our backgrounds and origins, and both my neighbour and I were captivated by his stories. I had always thought my heritage was quite exotic, with roots in multiple countries. But I was wrong as all the countries in my DNA use the same Latin alphabet. However, the doctor, with his Berber heritage, introduced me to the stunning Tifinagh script. He showed it to me on his phone, and I was mesmerised by its unique, almost otherworldly appearance. As a creative, I felt compelled to share this discovery with you, hoping it might inspire you as well. I’ll start with the Tifinagh script, as it’s something few people have likely seen before. From there, I’ll explore other writing systems that have visually fascinated and baffled me.
To illustrate the distinct graphics of each language, I’ve featured a quote from my favorite language philosopher. The black-and-white text in each script delivers the same message. Additionally, on the right, you’ll find an image of a person from the same region as the writing system, providing some insight into the culture of their world.
Tifinagh script
Tifinagh is a historic script employed to write various Berber languages of North Africa. Also known as Libyan, it has been kept alive through generations by the region’s indigenous people. Thanks to the many surviving inscriptions, we’ve gained incredible insights into the language and its evolution, showing how these ancient characters have transformed into the modern Tifinagh script we see today. When the doctor I met showed it to me, I was instantly hooked.
Burmese / Myanmar script
The Burmese (or Myanmar) script has a grand history, evolving from the Mon script, which itself was adapted from a southern Indian script back in the 8th century. The earliest Burmese inscriptions we know of date back to the 11th century. One of the most interesting aspects of this script is its rounded letter shapes. This design choice wasn’t just for aesthetics—it was practical. People wrote on palm leaves, and straight lines would have easily torn the delicate material. It’s a great example of how the tools and environment can shape the development of a script.
Ge’ez script
Tigrinya looks overwhelming. This Ethiopic Ge’ez script consists of 35 basic characters, but the challenging part for learners is that each character has several forms depending on the vowel it combines with. Most characters have 7 different variations, and some have even more. So, in reality, you’re learning an alphabet with over 200 characters. I’d find it easy to get lost, wouldn’t you?
N’Ko script
This script, called N’Ko, was actually invented fairly recently by Solomana Kanté in 1949. The story behind it is pretty interesting. Kanté was inspired, or rather provoked, by an article he read in a Liberian newspaper. The journalist praised a single African tribe in Liberia, the “N’fayinka,” for having a writing system. This didn’t sit well with Kanté. He was determined to create a script for West African Mandingo languages, and he succeeded beautifully with the birth of N’Ko.
Since its creation, the N’Ko alphabet has gained significant traction. A grassroots literacy movement has emerged, promoting N’Ko across West Africa, from Gambia to Nigeria, uniting all Mande language speakers.
Meitei Mayek script
One of the fascinating quirks of this script is how body parts are used to the naming of its letters. In the Meitei language, each letter is named after a part of the human body. For instance, the first letter “kok” translates to “head,” while the second letter “sam” means “hair,” and the third letter “lai” stands for “forehead.” It’s intriguing to see how this script ties into the traditional Meitei belief that these letters and numerals were created by the supreme God.
Manchu script
The Manchu script, created in the early 17th century by the Manchu people who founded the Qing Dynasty in China, is quite intriguing. It was adapted from the traditional Mongolian script to fit the phonetic needs of the Manchu language. Written vertically from top to bottom, its characters are based on the Old Mongolian script, which was influenced by the Uighur script.
Although it played a significant role in history, the Manchu script gradually fell out of use after the Qing Dynasty ended in 1912. Today, it’s considered a precious cultural relic, offering a window into the language, governance, and culture of the Qing era.
The Kigelia Typeface System
While exploring into the world of beautiful scripts, I found myself on a quest to locate and download fonts that weren’t part of my usual collection. Given that the Latin alphabet is so dominant globally, finding these fonts was quite a challenge. During my search, I stumbled upon two remarkable designers Mark Jamra and Neil Patel from JamraPatel behind “The Kigelia Typeface System,” and I just had to share their work with you.
Mark Jamra
Mark Jamra has designed and produced typefaces for over 35 years. His lettering and typefaces have been shown in numerous exhibitions and have received awards. He has lectured, conducted workshops and taught graphic design, type design and history at colleges in the U.S. and Europe.
Neil Patel
Neil Patel’s strengths in analytical problem solving and system-level thinking come from a unique background in type design and engineering. He has developed custom type solutions and apps for numerous clients.
Promoting literacy
The designers created the Kigelia Typeface System with a mission to boost literacy and commerce across Africa. Their goal was to foster the creation of rich, locally relevant content, which is crucial for expanding the availability of important resources online.
Collaborating with scholars, linguists, researchers, literacy activists, type designers, and institutions, they developed a range of typefaces, including: Vai, Ge’ez, Osmanya, Tifinagh, Cyrillic, Greek, N’ko, Adlam, Latin IPA/ARA. Make sure to check them out and appreciate the visual beauty of these unique typefaces.
Writing systems as works of art
As I mentioned earlier, the Latin script is the most widely used writing system in the world today, accounting for around 70% of global use. It’s a bit of a missed opportunity, though, because many other writing systems are real works of art in their own right. Personally, I find some of them more visually striking than our own alphabet.
I remember as a kid going to an Egyptian museum and gagging at the hieroglyphs carved and painted on the stone walls. With my kid’s logic, I tried to match these symbols with familiar letters, not knowing that there were different types of writing systems, some using “graphemes” that represent whole ideas or concepts rather than individual sounds. Another inspiration for me was the Arabic calligraphy which literately means the artistic practice of handwriting on the Arabic alphabet. And then there are the Maya glyphs, which have a unique charm. They come in various shapes but always fit within a square or rectangular “box”, making them visually easy to read. This blend of simplicity and detail is truly captivating.
There are countless incredible writing systems out there, both ancient and modern, that continue to inspire creatives and professionals. One notable example is J.R.R. Tolkien, who crafted entirely new languages for his novels. Tolkien believed that languages were deeply intertwined with culture, shaping a people’s history and worldview. While I haven’t read his books or seen the movies based on them, I did watch a film about his life and highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it yet.
Conclusion
The beauty of writing systems lies in their diversity and the unique ways they reflect the cultures and histories they represent. Each script offers a glimpse into a different world and mindset. As you explore these fascinating systems, you’ll see how they capture the essence of human expression in their own distinct ways.
What about you? Do you have a favorite writing system that captivates you with its beauty and complexity? I’d love to hear about it!
