Cursive forms of the International Phonetic Alphabet

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Early specifications for the International Phonetic Alphabet included cursive forms of the letters designed for use in manuscripts and when taking field notes. However, the 1999 Handbook of the International Phonetic Association said:

There are cursive forms of IPA symbols, but it is doubtful if these are much in use today. They may have been of greater use when transcription by hand was the only way of recording speech, and so speed was essential. The cursive forms are harder for most people to decipher, and it is preferable to use handwritten versions which closely copy the printed form of the symbols.[1]

Development

The cursive forms of the IPA presented in the 1912 edition of The principles of the International Phonetic Association. Two of these letters are obsolete: ǥ is now ɣ, and is now ɸ.
ʈɖɟʔɓɗɳȠɲŋɫɬɮɭʎɽɼʀɸβθðʃʒzɹᶊᶎçɕʑɣʕɦɥʋʇʖʗɛaɑɔøœəʌæɐɜɪʊʏɒɤɯᶏᶗᶕː
The cursive forms of the IPA presented in the 1949 edition.Hover over the image to see modern printed letters. Click on any letter for a link to the corresponding article.

Example

The following passage is from the 1912 handbook:

The North Wind and the Sun spoken in 'Northern English'
IPA Orthography

ðə nɔɹθ wind ænd ðə sʌn wɛɹ dis′pjuːtiŋ
hwitʃ wɔz ðə strɔŋɡəɹ, hwɛn ə travləɹ keːm ə′lɔŋ
rapt in ə wɔɹm kloːk. ðeː ə′ɡriːd ðət ðə wʌn huː fəɹst
meːd ðə travləɹ teːk ɔf hiz kloːk ʃud bi kon′sidəɹd
strɔŋɡəɹ ðən ði ʌðər. ðɛn ðə nɔɹθ wind bluː wiθ ɔːl
hiz mait, bʌt ðə mɔːɹ hiː bluː, ðə mɔːɹ kloːsli did ðə
travləɹ foːld hiz kloːk ə′raund him; ənd ət last ðə nɔɹθ
wind ɡeːv ʌp ði ə′tɛmpt. ðɛn ðə sʌn ʃɔn aut wɔːrmli, ənd
i′miːdjətli ðə travləɹ tuk ɔf hiz kloːk; ənd soː ðə nɔrθ wind
wəz ɔ′blaidʒd tu kon′fɛs ðət ðə sʌn wəz ðə strɔŋɡəɹ əv ðə tuː.

The North Wind and the Sun were disputing
which was the stronger, when a traveller came along
wrapped in a warm cloak. They agreed that the one who first
made the traveller take off his cloak should be considered
stronger than the other. Then the North Wind blew with all
his might, but the more he blew, the more closely did the
traveller fold his cloak around him; and at last the North
Wind gave up the attempt. Then the Sun shone out warmly, and
immediately the traveller took off his cloak; and so the North Wind
was obliged to confess that the Sun was the stronger of the two.

See also

References

  1. ^ International Phonetic Association (1999). Handbook of the International Phonetic Association: A Guide to the Use of the International Phonetic Alphabet. Cambridge University Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-52163751-0.