I created a New Writing System for Somali

[Daisybilaawe]

I have created a Blueprint for the Somali Writing System and Somali Calligraphy for the Somali Language.

Somali Writing System and Somali Calligraphy to directly derives from the Endemic Flora that’s indigenous to Somaliweyn and only found in this part of the world and also the Aquatic Flora of Somali Waters by extension due to Somalis’ Significant Historical Maritime Presence and Undeniable Maritime Presence.

This creates a Writing System that is completely tied to the land and makes it interlocked with the Somali Identity.

The Somali Writing System would be very carefully engineered to be organically and structurally inseparable from the Somali language itself, making it extremely difficult for Foreign loanwords to infiltrate it without disrupting the fundamental logic of the Writing System.

Due to the Writing System and Calligraphy strictly and directly deriving from the Endemic Flora only found in Somaliweyn, the Writing System/Calligraphy to depict expressions of the language through the way Flora interacts with the world.

Since Flora interacts with the world in different ways I thought certain interactions could illustrate certain expressions. For example the Catha edulis flora is responsible for the production of Khat and its effects could be used to illustrate Misguidance and Instability or Since dried khat can be used for tea it could also signify Wisdom and Sweetness/Gentleness depending on the context for either.

Though Endemic Flora within Somaliweyn that have different interactions with living things and even amongst themselves and the results of those interactions or the appearance they take when they are struck with disease and how they interact with disease can all be used as a means to express certain ideas, concepts and ways of life. Another example is Somaliweyn’s Endemic Flora and how it interacts with Bees.

Somaliweyn's Endemic Flora like Balanites Somalensis and Tephrosia villosa. Bees and Flora are both Mutual Beneficiaries and their relationship could illustrate the True Pinnacle of Governance as True Leadership both benefits the Leadership itself and those who are being led. The Coral Reef and Aquatic Flora of the Somali waters will only further strengthen the Potential of Expressiveness this Writing System and Calligraphy will have to offer.

The Stages of Different Endemic Flora being born, The Form and Function it takes when interacting with Diseases, and other stages/interactions between Life and Death in Somaliweyn could be used for different Somali Calligraphic Styles. Which would over the Centuries be refined and polished and produce a Substantial Amount of Calligraphic Styles almost Endless taking the Visual, Distinctive and Aesthetic Properties of Endemic Flora while depicting the Interaction Somali Endemic Flora has with life as a means of Expressiveness.

Thousands Endemic Native Flora found all over Somaliweyn, making the Writing System and Calligraphy directly from the land in which the language originates from.


Somali is also very famous for the Multitude of its Poetic Traditions and could easily compete with Chinese, Persian and other famous worldwide Poetic Traditions but is missing the Foundation of a Writing System that supports it.

This Writing System and by extension Calligraphy in my opinion could further elevate Somali Poetry and push it to be Luminous in the world.


@The alchemist Hey I really enjoy reading through you're comments and you've grown to be one of my favourite members I was wondering if you could offer your two cents on this blueprint for a script

 

[Daisybilaawe]

Also please don't derail this thread.

 

[balanbalis]

Do you have an example of how this would look like?

 

[Daisybilaawe]

Do you have an example of how this would look like?

No I don't but I am working on it.

But this is supposed to be Blueprint behind it all.

 

[Nur_]

Are you thinking of having a set alphabelt like Latin, arabic etc or a character the based system like Chinese/Japanese.

I think it'd be good to see some influence from older writing styles like Wadaad, Osmanya and more. Are you planning on doing so?

Our current Latin script could be used like a modified secondary script. We don't need to throw it away completely. I think it would function like Arabizi (I don't know how to spell it).

The only issue is there isn't enough stability in Somalia to write our own curriculum and educate everybody quickly.

 

[Daisybilaawe]

Are you thinking of having a set alphabelt like Latin, arabic etc or a character the based system like Chinese/Japanese.

I think it'd be good to see some influence from older writing styles like Wadaad, Osmanya and more. Are you planning on doing so?

Our current Latin script could be used like a modified secondary script. We don't need to throw it away completely. I think it would function like Arabizi (I don't know how to spell it).

The only issue is there isn't enough stability in Somalia to write our own curriculum and educate everybody quickly.

Yes I was thinking of having Individual Characters System that both Visually and Expressively Derive from Endemic Flora found in Somaliweyn.

To be honest with you Wadaad was never really a wide spread script nor in my opinion was it really good for the Somali Language, I think that it should be forgotten about. Arbitrarily attempting to fit Somali from a script stemming from a Completely Different Language like Arabic isn't really Practical in my opinion, as Arabic and Somali are just too different purely.

Osmanya on the other hand I don't know enough about it to really critique only surface level knowledge.

I do believe that the Blueprint I've presented could potentially eclipse any Writing System that has ever held a presence in the Somali Peninsula but regardless of how well the Blueprint is, Execution will be the Undoubted Distinguisher.

 

[Daisybilaawe]

I have created a Blueprint for the Somali Writing System and Somali Calligraphy for the Somali Language.

Somali Writing System and Somali Calligraphy to directly derives from the Endemic Flora that’s indigenous to Somaliweyn and only found in this part of the world and also the Aquatic Flora of Somali Waters by extension due to Somalis’ Significant Historical Maritime Presence and Undeniable Maritime Presence.

This creates a Writing System that is completely tied to the land and makes it interlocked with the Somali Identity.

The Somali Writing System would be very carefully engineered to be organically and structurally inseparable from the Somali language itself, making it extremely difficult for Foreign loanwords to infiltrate it without disrupting the fundamental logic of the Writing System.

Due to the Writing System and Calligraphy strictly and directly deriving from the Endemic Flora only found in Somaliweyn, the Writing System/Calligraphy to depict expressions of the language through the way Flora interacts with the world.

Since Flora interacts with the world in different ways I thought certain interactions could illustrate certain expressions. For example the Catha edulis flora is responsible for the production of Khat and its effects could be used to illustrate Misguidance and Instability or Since dried khat can be used for tea it could also signify Wisdom and Sweetness/Gentleness depending on the context for either.

Though Endemic Flora within Somaliweyn that have different interactions with living things and even amongst themselves and the results of those interactions or the appearance they take when they are struck with disease and how they interact with disease can all be used as a means to express certain ideas, concepts and ways of life. Another example is Somaliweyn’s Endemic Flora and how it interacts with Bees.

Somaliweyn's Endemic Flora like Balanites Somalensis and Tephrosia villosa. Bees and Flora are both Mutual Beneficiaries and their relationship could illustrate the True Pinnacle of Governance as True Leadership both benefits the Leadership itself and those who are being led. The Coral Reef and Aquatic Flora of the Somali waters will only further strengthen the Potential of Expressiveness this Writing System and Calligraphy will have to offer.

The Stages of Different Endemic Flora being born, The Form and Function it takes when interacting with Diseases, and other stages/interactions between Life and Death in Somaliweyn could be used for different Somali Calligraphic Styles. Which would over the Centuries be refined and polished and produce a Substantial Amount of Calligraphic Styles almost Endless taking the Visual, Distinctive and Aesthetic Properties of Endemic Flora while depicting the Interaction Somali Endemic Flora has with life as a means of Expressiveness.

Thousands Endemic Native Flora found all over Somaliweyn, making the Writing System and Calligraphy directly from the land in which the language originates from.


Somali is also very famous for the Multitude of its Poetic Traditions and could easily compete with Chinese, Persian and other famous worldwide Poetic Traditions but is missing the Foundation of a Writing System that supports it.

This Writing System and by extension Calligraphy in my opinion could further elevate Somali Poetry and push it to be Luminous in the world.

 

[Daisybilaawe]

https://www.nhbs.com/flora-of-somalia-volume-2-book

This Book is a Series containing 4 Volumes extensively covering the Flora and Endemic Flora of the Somali Peninsula.

 

[TheLand]

Do you even speak Somali?

 

[Daisybilaawe]

If this script is made

Do you even speak Somali?

cmon bro its genius

I know you didn't read all of it and just skimmed through

 

[TheLand]

If this script is made

cmon bro its genius

I know you didn't read all of it and just skimmed through

I didn’t read any of it

 

[Daisybilaawe]

I didn’t read any of it

please walaal.

I put a lot of work into this.

 

[balanbalis]

Yes I was thinking of having Individual Characters System that both Visually and Expressively Derive from Endemic Flora found in Somaliweyn.

My only criticism is the proposed character-based system (Chinese style) as that wouldn't work in Somali nearly as well as in Chinese. The reasons being that Somali doesn't work like Chinese where in each syllable spoken does not exist as a word on its own.

E.g. 老师 is pronounced 'Lǎo shī' and creates the word teacher, however each character represents a word in itself -> 'Lǎo' is teacher and 'shī' is old.
For Somali teacher is 'Macalin', and it isn't made up of two distinct words that make a whole.

Unless you were proposing a Japanese-like script where each character is a two letter syllable with few single letter syllables.

E.g. character for 'Ma' 'ca' 'li' and 'n'

But that wouldn't suit Somali since it isn't a syllabic language, it could potentially make it more difficult to read.

Or do you mean a Korean-like script where smaller characters come together to make a big one.

E.g. 선생님 (teacher again lol) the first symbol is made up of three seperate characters are ㅅ ㅓ ㄴ

The same cons for the Japanese-like script apply here.

If i'm misunderstanding, feel free to explain.

 

[Daisybilaawe]

My only criticism is the proposed character-based system (Chinese style) as that wouldn't work in Somali nearly as well as in Chinese. The reasons being that Somali doesn't work like Chinese where in each syllable spoken does not exist as a word on its own.

E.g. 老师 is pronounced 'Lǎo shī' and creates the word teacher, however each character represents a word in itself -> 'Lǎo' is teacher and 'shī' is old.
For Somali teacher is 'Macalin', and it isn't made up of two distinct words that make a whole.

Unless you were proposing a Japanese-like script where each character is a two letter syllable with few single letter syllables.

E.g. character for 'Ma' 'ca' 'li' and 'n'

But that wouldn't suit Somali since it isn't a syllabic language, it could potentially make it more difficult to read.

Or do you mean a Korean-like script where smaller characters come together to make a big one.

E.g. 선생님 (teacher again lol) the first symbol is made up of three seperate characters are ㅅ ㅓ ㄴ

The same cons for the Japanese-like script apply here.

If i'm misunderstanding, feel free to explain.

Yep that makes complete sense just any other kind of character system that fits Somalis well but also following the Blueprint I laid out.

But what do you think of the idea as a whole? like 1/10 unapologetically and brutally honest.

 

[balanbalis]

Yep that makes complete sense just any other kind of character system that fits Somalis well but also following the Blueprint I laid out.

But what do you think of the idea as a whole? like 1/10 unapologetically and brutally honest.

I'm just really confused on how these characters would look since Somali plants do get repetitive at one point, there are a lot of star shaped plants.

I honestly believe a revised latin script (that takes advantage of accents and with new letters to represent the 'cayn' 'gha' 'dha' 'kha' letters, would be more achievable.

Or perhaps a more nostalgic script based on the characters found in Somali Cave Paintings combined with the Sumado symbol system

I can't judge without seeing an actual example so I'd say 4/10 being brutally honest. Biased because the Adenium Somalense is so beautiful.

 

[Daisybilaawe]

I'm just really confused on how these characters would look since Somali plants do get repetitive at one point, there are a lot of star shaped plants.

I honestly believe a revised latin script (that takes advantage of accents and with new letters to represent the 'cayn' 'gha' 'dha' 'kha' letters, would be more achievable.

Or perhaps a more nostalgic script based on the characters found in Somali Cave Paintings combined with the Sumado symbol system

I can't judge without seeing an actual example so I'd say 4/10 being brutally honest. Biased because the Adenium Somalense is so beautiful.

I was on the path of maybe incorporating all Somali Flora to some extent rather than one type which would be more visually diverse and have more expression and potential concepts that can be depicted.

cave painting I can't personally think of any way you could make a writing system out of it and would be less options compared to Flora encompassing all of Somaliweyn.

But All form of Endemic Flora grow in every part of Somaliweyn so then you'd just have a Writing System and Calligraphy that derives solely from the land in which the language and people are from.

 

[balanbalis]

cave painting I can't personally think of any way you could make a writing system out of it and would be less options compared to Flora encompassing all of Somaliweyn.

I meant the almost proto-script-like characters drawn in caves, they likely did not relate to any verbal words but had the potential to develop into writing

 

[Daisybilaawe]

I meant the almost proto-script-like characters drawn in caves, they likely did not relate to any verbal words but had the potential to develop into writing

yes but Siad Barre once attempt to decode it.

but still what can I do to bump it up from a 4/10 to a 10/10

 

[balanbalis]

yes but Siad Barre once attempt to decode it.

Yeah, I just meant create a script inspired by those shapes etc

but still what can I do to bump it up from a 4/10 to a 10/10

Draw a draft script, try gain SSpot support, then take over the Somali govt and implement it

 

[Daisybilaawe]

Yeah, I just meant create a script inspired by those shapes etc


Draw a draft script, try gain SSpot support, then take over the Somali govt and implement it

I see so the lack of draft was a 4/10 but purely on the whole concept of it?