Sogdian alphabet: Difference between revisions
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{{EducationalAssignment|date=2008 fall semester|link=Wikipedia:School and university projects/LING1100-WritingSystems}} |
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{{Infobox Writing system |
{{Infobox Writing system |
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|name=Sogdian |
|name=Sogdian |
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|children=[[Mongolian alphabet|Mongolian]]<br>[[Orkhon script]]<br>[[Manichaean script]]<br>[[Old Uyghur alphabet]] |
|children=[[Mongolian alphabet|Mongolian]]<br>[[Orkhon script]]<br>[[Manichaean script]]<br>[[Old Uyghur alphabet]] |
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The '''Sogdian alphabet''' was originally used for the [[Sogdian language]], which belongs to the Iranian family. It is derived from [[Syriac alphabet|Syriac]], the descendant script of the [[Aramaic alphabet]].{{alphabet}} |
The '''Sogdian alphabet''' was originally used for the [[Sogdian language]], which belongs to the Iranian family. It is derived from [[Syriac alphabet|Syriac]], the descendant script of the [[Aramaic alphabet]].{{alphabet}} The Sogdian script is one of three scripts used in Sogdian texts, the others being the [[Manichaean alphabet]] and the [[Syriac alphabet]].<ref name=gharib>{{Citation|last=Gharib|first=B.|publication-date =1995|title =Sogdian Dictionary: Sogdian-Persian-English|publication-place=Tehran, Iran|publisher=Farhangan Publications |
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|pages =xiii-xxxvi|id=ISBN 9645558069}}</ref> |
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==Structure== |
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Like the writing systems from which it is descended, the Sogdian writing system is an abjad. The script consists of 22 consonants. Aramaic logograms also appear in the script, but they appear much less frequently than in the Pahlavi writing system. These logograms are mainly used for functional words such as pronouns, articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. |
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There are three main varieties of the Sogdian Script: Early Sogdian, an archaic non-cursive type; the Sutra script, a calligraphic script used in the Sogdian Buddhist texts, and the so-called "Uyghur" script <ref name=gharib/>. Early Sogdian appears primarily in the "Ancient Letters" <ref name=daniels>{{Citation|last=Daniels|first=Peter T.|last2=Bright|first2=William|publication-date =1996|title =The World’s Writing Systems|publication-place=New York|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages =230-234|id=ISBN 0195079930}}</ref>. |
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==Source Materials== |
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Many [[Buddhism|Buddhist]], [[Manichaeism|Manichaean]], [[Nestorianism|Nestorian]], and [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] texts as well as all secular material such as letters, legal documents, coin legends, and inscriptions were written in this script. |
Many [[Buddhism|Buddhist]], [[Manichaeism|Manichaean]], [[Nestorianism|Nestorian]], and [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] texts as well as all secular material such as letters, legal documents, coin legends, and inscriptions were written in this script. |
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| ⚫ | Although |
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==Related Writing Systems== |
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| ⚫ | Although Sogdian is an Eastern Iranian language it has many Turkic child systems such as [[Old Turkic|Old Uyghur]] and other eastern Turkic languages. When used for the Sogdian language, this alphabet was usually written in horizontal lines from right to left. When this adopted for Uyghur which was not Iranian language, it was normally in vertical direction from top to bottom, but with the first vertical line starting from the left side, not from the right as in Chinese, most probably because the [[right-to-left]] direction was used in horizontal writing. The [[Mongolian alphabet]] proper, being an adaptation of the Old Uyghur alphabet, still uses this kind of vertical writing, as does its remoter descendant [[Manchu alphabet|Manchu]] <ref name=mote>{{cite book|title=Imperial China, 900-1800|author=F.W. Mote|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1999|page=42-43|id=ISBN 0674012127}}</ref>. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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==References== |
==References== |
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<references/> |
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{{Reflist}} |
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==Works cited== |
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{{cite book|title=Imperial China, 900-1800|author=F.W. Mote|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1999|page=42-43|id=ISBN 0674012127}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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Revision as of 04:36, 6 November 2008
| Sogdian | |
|---|---|
| Script type | |
Time period | Late Antiquity |
| Direction | Horizontal and vertical writing in East Asian scripts, top-to-bottom  |
| Languages | Sogdian |
| Related scripts | |
Parent systems | |
Child systems | Mongolian Orkhon script Manichaean script Old Uyghur alphabet |
The Sogdian alphabet was originally used for the Sogdian language, which belongs to the Iranian family. It is derived from Syriac, the descendant script of the Aramaic alphabet.
The Sogdian script is one of three scripts used in Sogdian texts, the others being the Manichaean alphabet and the Syriac alphabet.[1]
Structure
Like the writing systems from which it is descended, the Sogdian writing system is an abjad. The script consists of 22 consonants. Aramaic logograms also appear in the script, but they appear much less frequently than in the Pahlavi writing system. These logograms are mainly used for functional words such as pronouns, articles, prepositions, and conjunctions.
There are three main varieties of the Sogdian Script: Early Sogdian, an archaic non-cursive type; the Sutra script, a calligraphic script used in the Sogdian Buddhist texts, and the so-called "Uyghur" script [1]. Early Sogdian appears primarily in the "Ancient Letters" [2].
Source Materials
Many Buddhist, Manichaean, Nestorian, and Zoroastrian texts as well as all secular material such as letters, legal documents, coin legends, and inscriptions were written in this script.
Related Writing Systems
Although Sogdian is an Eastern Iranian language it has many Turkic child systems such as Old Uyghur and other eastern Turkic languages. When used for the Sogdian language, this alphabet was usually written in horizontal lines from right to left. When this adopted for Uyghur which was not Iranian language, it was normally in vertical direction from top to bottom, but with the first vertical line starting from the left side, not from the right as in Chinese, most probably because the right-to-left direction was used in horizontal writing. The Mongolian alphabet proper, being an adaptation of the Old Uyghur alphabet, still uses this kind of vertical writing, as does its remoter descendant Manchu [3].
See also
References
- ^ a b Gharib, B. (1995), Sogdian Dictionary: Sogdian-Persian-English, Tehran, Iran: Farhangan Publications, pp. xiii–xxxvi, ISBN 9645558069
- ^ Daniels, Peter T.; Bright, William (1996), The World’s Writing Systems, New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 230–234, ISBN 0195079930
- ^ F.W. Mote (1999). Imperial China, 900-1800. Harvard University Press. p. 42-43. ISBN 0674012127.
External links
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