Meitei script

Writing system used to write Meitei language

This article is about the historic and naturally evolved writing system. For the 20th century constructed script, see Naoriya Phulo script.

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Ukrainian. Click [show] for important translation instructions.

*   * Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
* Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 266 articles in the main category, and specifying`|topic=` will aid in categorization.
* Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
* You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is `Content in this edit is translated from the existing Ukrainian Wikipedia article at [[:uk:Маніпурі (письмо)]]; see its history for attribution.`
* You may also add the template `{{Translated|uk|Маніпурі (письмо)}}` to the talk page.
* For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

|

This article is missing information about how Lonsum works (syllable coda?); which ones are the basic fifteen consonants. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page. (February 2021)

|

(Learn how and when to remove this message)

Meitei script

(Meitei: ꯃꯩꯇꯩ ꯃꯌꯦꯛ, romanized: Meitei Mayek)

The original 18 letters used in the Meitei Mayek writing system

Script type|

Abugida

Time period

| 6th-18th centuries AD,[1] revived 1930 – present
Direction| Left-to-right
Official script| for Meitei language in India
Region|  India

* Manipur

Languages| Meitei (Manipuri) language
Related scripts

Parent systems

Egyptian hieroglyphs

* Proto-Sinaitic script
* Phoenician alphabet
* Aramaic alphabet
* Brahmi script
* Gupta script
* Meitei script

Sister systems

| Tibetan,[2][3][4] Lepcha, Khema, ʼPhags-pa, Marchen
ISO 15924
ISO 15924| Mtei (337), ​Meitei Mayek (Meithei, Meetei)
Unicode

Unicode alias

| Meetei Mayek

Unicode range

| Meetei Mayek (Unicode block)

This article contains the Meitei alphabet. Without proper rendering support, you may see errors in display.

Brahmic scripts

The Brahmi script and its descendants

Northern Brahmic

* Gupta
* Sharada
* Landa
* Gurmukhi
* Khojki
* Khudabadi
* Multani
* Mahajani
* Takri
* Dogri
* Siddham
* Nagari
* Devanagari
* Gujarati
* Modi
* Nandinagari
* Kaithi
* Sylheti Nagri
* Gaudi
* Bengali–Assamese
* Bengali
* Assamese
* Tirhuta
* Odia
* Nepalese
* Bhujimol
* Ranjana
* Soyombo
* Pracalit
* Tibetan
* Meitei
* Lepcha
* Limbu
* Khema
* Phagspa
* Zanabazar square
* Marchen
* Marchung
* Pungs-chen
* Pungs-chung
* Drusha
* Tamyig
* Kalinga
* Bhaiksuki
* Tocharian

Southern Brahmic

* Tamil-Brahmi
* Pallava
* Tamil
* Grantha
* Malayalam
* Tigalari
* Dhives Akuru
* Saurashtra
* Sinhala
* Khmer
* Khom Thai
* Proto-Tai script?
* Sukhothai
* Thai
* Fakkham
* Thai Noi
* Lao
* Tai Viet
* Dai Don
* Lai Tay
* Lai Pao
* Cham
* Kawi
* Balinese
* Batak
* Buda
* Javanese
* Old Sundanese
* Sundanese
* Lontara
* Makasar
* Ulu scripts
* Incung
* Lampung
* Lembak
* Ogan
* Pasemah
* Rejang
* Serawai
* Baybayin
* Buhid
* Hanunoo
* Tagbanwa
* Kulitan
* Mon–Burmese
* Burmese
* Chakma
* S'gaw Karen
* Shan
* Tanchangya
* Lik-Tai scripts
* Ahom
* Khamti
* Tai Le
* Modern Mon
* Tai Tham
* New Tai Lue
* Pyu
* Vatteluttu
* Kolezhuthu
* Malayanma
* Bhattiprolu
* Kadamba
* Telugu-Kannada
* Kannada
* Goykanadi
* Telugu

* v
* t
* e

The Meitei script (Meitei: ꯃꯩꯇꯩ ꯃꯌꯦꯛ, romanized: Meitei mayek), also known as the Kanglei script (Meitei: ꯀꯪꯂꯩ ꯃꯌꯦꯛ, romanized: Kanglei mayek)[5] or the Kok Sam Lai script (Meitei: ꯀꯣꯛ ꯁꯝ ꯂꯥꯏ ꯃꯌꯦꯛ, romanized: Kok Sam Lai mayek), after its first three letters[6][7] is an abugida in the Brahmic scripts family used to write the Meitei language, the official language of Manipur, Assam and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is first known from engravings on 6th century CE coins and copper plate inscriptions.[8] as verified by the various publications of the National Sahitya Akademi.[1] It was used until the 18th century, when it was replaced by the Bengali alphabet. A few manuscripts survive. In the 20th century, the script was revived and is again being used.[9] Beginning in 2021, the Government of Manipur began to use the Meitei alongside the Bengali-Assamese script, per the Manipur Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2021.[10]

Since Meitei does not have voiced consonants, there are only fifteen consonant letters used for native words, plus three letters for pure vowels. Nine additional consonants letters inherited from Indic languages are available for writing loan words. There are seven vowel diacritics and a final consonant (/ŋ/) diacritic. The names of the twenty-seven letters are based on parts of the human body.[11]

## History

[edit]

Yumbanlol (Yumpanlol), a group of 6th century ancient Meitei language copper plate inscriptions, written in Meetei script.

Regarding epigraphic records, Meitei script appears in the Yumbanlol (Yumpanlol), composed in the 6th century C.E. It was a group of copper plate inscriptions about an ancient Meitei language literary work.[12][13]

The Old Manipuri script also appears on coins issued during the reigns of Meitei Kings, Ura Konthouba (c. 568-653 CE) and Ayangba (c. 821-910 CE). These coins are presently preserved in the Mutua Museum in Imphal.[1]

The origin of the official script of Manipur is derived from religious book Wakoklon Puya.[14] But, there has been some controversy regarding the origin of the Meitei script. The Meitei script is a Brahmic abugida. According to Singh (1962), an archaic form of the script had developed by the 11th century, and it was in use until the early 18th century, when it was replaced by the Bengali script.[15] By contrast, Tomba (1993) claims that the script is a development of c. 1930, with all supposedly older documents being deliberate forgeries.[16] According to K.S. Singh and Mahoharan (1993), as per the modifications of the phonemic distributions of Meitei language, the script belongs to the Tibetan group of scripts.[2]

The earliest stone inscription, found in the village of Khoibu, Manipur, is also believed to date to time of Ura Konthouba. This inscription is presently kept in the Manipur State Museum, Imphal.[1]

Another early copper plate Meitei inscription dates to the 8th century CE, inscribed during the reign of King Khongtekcha (c. 721 AD). It was discovered by scholar Yumjao from Phayeng in 1935. It is one of the earliest known examples of Meitei literature.[17][18][19]

A stone inscription found[year needed] at Khoibu in Tengnoupal district, of current Manipur state, contains royal edicts of king Senbi Kiyamba (d. 1508), representing the earliest portion of the Chietharol Kumbaba or Royal Chronicle of Manipur. It is one of the primary texts in the Meitei script.[20][better source needed]

A Meitei language stone inscription in Meitei script about a royal decree of a Meitei king found in the sacred site of God Panam Ningthou in Andro, Imphal East, Manipur. Meitei manuscript

## Recent developments

[edit]

In 1980, a modernized version of the writing system was approved by Manipuri law for use in educational institutions.[21][22] The modernised version of the Meitei script was encoded in Unicode in 2009.

in 2022, a joint meeting consensus of the Meetei Erol Eyek Loinasillol Apunba Lup, the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union and the Editors' Guild, Manipur agreed that Meitei language newspapers would switch from the Bengali script to the Meitei script from 15 January 2023.[23][24][25][26][27]

## Letters

[edit]

One of the unique features of this script is the use of body parts in naming the letters.[28] Every letter is named after a human body part in the Meitei language. For example, the first letter "kok" means "head"; the second letter "sam" means "hair"; the third letter "lai" means "forehead", and so on.[29] This association appears in the book Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok Puya, which details how each script originated received its nomenclature and which is widely considered to be the source of the Meitei script.[30] Some letters have a second form (lonsom) that is used at the end of a word and are used to indicate stop consonants.

Meitei letter "Ama" (lit. One) in the symbol of Sanamahism (traditional Meitei religion)

In the traditional Meitei religion of Sanamahism Meitei letters and numerals are believed to be the creations of the supreme God.[31][32]

### Primary letters

[edit]

Letter  | Name  | IPA[33] | Meaning(s)[a] | Lonsum

|
|
|
|

ꯀ | ꯀꯣꯛ, kok | /k/  | head or brain  | ꯛ
ꯈ | ꯈꯧ, khou | /kʰ/  | throat, palate, neck  |
ꯉ | ꯉꯧ, ngou | /ŋ/  | pharynx, larynx  | ꯡ
ꯆ | ꯆꯤꯜ, chil | /t͡ʃ/  | lips  |
ꯇ | ꯇꯤꯜ, til | /t/  | saliva  | ꯠ
ꯊ | ꯊꯧ, thou | /tʰ/  | breast, chest, ribs  |
ꯅ | ꯅꯥ, nā | /n/  | ear  | ꯟ
ꯄ | ꯄꯥ, pā | /p/  | eyelash  | ꯞ
ꯐ | ꯐꯝ, pham | /pʰ/  | anus, buttocks, or uterus  |
ꯃ | ꯃꯤꯠ, mit | /m/  | eye  | ꯝ
ꯌ | ꯌꯥꯡ, yang | /j/  | spine  |
ꯂ | ꯂꯥꯏ, lai | /l/  | forehead  | ꯜ
ꯋ | ꯋꯥꯏ, wai | /w/  | navel, heart  |
ꯁ | ꯁꯝ, sam | /s/  | hair  |
ꯍ | ꯍꯨꯛ, huk | /h/  | joint
ꯑ | ꯑꯇꯤꯡꯉꯥ, atinga

ꯑꯇꯤꯌꯥ, atiya

| /ɐ/  | immortality, heaven, divinity, birth  |
ꯏ | ꯏ, i | /i(ː)/  | blood  | ꯢ
ꯎ | ꯎꯟ, un | /u(ː)/  | skin

### Additional consonants

[edit]

Letter  | Name  | IPA[33] | Evolved from

|
|
|

ꯒ | ꯒꯣꯛ, gok | /g/  | ꯀ
ꯘ | ꯘꯧ, ghou | /gʱ/  | ꯈ
ꫢ | ꫢ, cha | /t͡ʃʰ/  |
ꯖ | ꯖꯤꯜ, jil | /d͡ʒ/  | ꯆ
ꯓ | ꯓꯝ, jham | /d͡ʒʱ/  | ꯁ
ꫣ | ꫣ, nya | /ɲ/  |
ꫤ | ꫤ, tta | /ʈ/  |
ꫥ | ꫥ, ttha | /ʈʰ/  |
ꫦ | ꫦ, dda | /ɖ/  |
ꫧ | ꫧ, ddha | /ɖʱ/  |
ꫨ | ꫨ, nna | /ɳ/  |
ꯗ | ꯗꯤꯜ, dil | /d/  | ꯇ
ꯙ | ꯙꯧ, dhou | /dʱ/  | ꯊ
ꯕ | ꯕꯥ, bā | /b/  | ꯄ
ꯚ | ꯚꯝ, bham | /bʱ/  | ꯐ
ꯔ | ꯔꯥꯏ, rai | /ɾ/  | ꯂ
ꫩ | ꫩ, sha | /ɕ/  |
ꫪ | ꫪ, ssa | /ʂ/  |

### Vowel diacritics

[edit]

Syllables are written by adding vowel diacritics (cheitap eeyek) to consonants.

Diacritics[38] diacritic  |

aa-tap

IPA: /a/

ee-nap

IPA: /i/

'uu-nap

IPA: /u/

yet-nap

IPA: /e/

ot-nap

IPA: /o/

chei-nap

IPA: /ɐj/

sou-nap

IPA: /ɐw/

nung

IPA: /əŋ/

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

ꯀ plus diacritic  |

ꯠ plus diacritic  |

### Numerals

[edit]

Meitei numerals 0-9

phun

ama

ani

ahum

mari

mangā

taruk

taret

nipāl

mapāl

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

## Unicode

[edit]

Meetei Mayek (Meitei script) was added to the Unicode Standard in October, 2009 with the release of version 5.2.

The Unicode block for the Meitei script is U+ABC0 – U+ABFF.

Characters for historical orthographies are part of the Meetei Mayek Extensions block at U+AAE0 – U+AAFF.

Meetei Mayek[1][2]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)

| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | E | F
U+ABCx  | ꯀ | ꯁ | ꯂ | ꯃ | ꯄ | ꯅ | ꯆ | ꯇ | ꯈ | ꯉ | ꯊ | ꯋ | ꯌ | ꯍ | ꯎ | ꯏ
U+ABDx  | ꯐ | ꯑ | ꯒ | ꯓ | ꯔ | ꯕ | ꯖ | ꯗ | ꯘ | ꯙ | ꯚ | ꯛ | ꯜ | ꯝ | ꯞ | ꯟ
U+ABEx  | ꯠ | ꯡ | ꯢ | ꯣ | ꯤ | ꯥ | ꯦ | ꯧ | ꯨ | ꯩ | ꯪ | ꯫ | ꯬ | ꯭ |  |
U+ABFx  | ꯰ | ꯱ | ꯲ | ꯳ | ꯴ | ꯵ | ꯶ | ꯷ | ꯸ | ꯹ |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes

1.^ As of Unicode version 16.0
2.^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points
Meetei Mayek Extensions[1][2]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)

| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | E | F
U+AAEx  | ꫠ | ꫡ | ꫢ | ꫣ | ꫤ | ꫥ | ꫦ | ꫧ | ꫨ | ꫩ | ꫪ | ꫫ | ꫬ | ꫭ | ꫮ | ꫯ
U+AAFx  | ꫰ | ꫱ | ꫲ | ꫳ | ꫴ | ꫵ |  ꫶ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes

1.^ As of Unicode version 16.0
2.^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

## Software

[edit]

Main article: Meitei input methods

A typical Meitei Mayek keyboard

Meitei Mayek keyboards and other input methods are available at or supported by:

* Gboard
* Apple iOS 13
* Linux
* Macintosh operating systems
* Microsoft SwiftKey
* Windows

## In popular culture

[edit]

* The Living God: Medicine and The Ancient Meetei Civilization, 2015 documentary film

## See also

[edit]

* Arts portal
* Asia portal
* Languages portal
* India portal
* Writing portal

* Meitei inscriptions
* List of Meitei-language newspapers
* Meetei Mayek (Unicode block)
* Meetei Mayek Extensions (Unicode block)
* Wikipedia:Meitei script display help
* Bengali–Assamese script
* Bengali alphabet
* Mayek (disambiguation)

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Some of the meanings rendered by some letters (characters) are different according to different sources. So, if found different, they're added together in the same section.[34][35][36][37]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Datta, Amaresh (1987). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature. Sahitya Akademi. p. 142\. ISBN 978-81-260-1803-1.
2. ^ a b Chelliah, Shobhana Lakshmi (2011). A Grammar of Meithei. De Gruyter. p. 355\. ISBN 9783110801118. "Meithei Mayek is part of the Tibetan group of scripts, which originated from the Gupta Brahmi script"
3. ^ Singh, Harimohon Thounaojam (January 2011), The Evolution and Recent Development of the Meetei Mayek Script, Cambridge University Press India, p. 28
4. ^ Hyslop, Gwendolyn; Morey, Stephen; Post, Mark W (January 2011). North East Indian Linguistics Volume 3. Cambridge University Press India. ISBN 9788175967939.
5. ^ Noni, Arambam; Sanatomba, Kangujam (16 October 2015). Colonialism and Resistance: Society and State in Manipur. Routledge. pp. 223, 235, 237. ISBN 978-1-317-27066-9.
6. ^ মণিপুরদা লোলয়ান চঙলকপা অমদি মীতৈ ইয়েক্না থোঙজিন্দা ৱারৌজনা লেপ্লরবদা ! (PDF). hueiyenlanpao.com (in Manipuri).
7. ^ "Lost and revived: The story of Meitei script". The Indian Express. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
8. ^ Fresh Fictions: Folk Tales, Plays, Novellas from the North East. Katha. 2005. p. 4\. ISBN 978-81-87649-44-1.
9. ^ Laithangbam, Iboyaima (23 September 2017). "Banished Manipuri script stages a comeback". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
10. ^ "GAZETTE TITLE: The Manipur Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2021". manipurgovtpress.nic.in.
11. ^ Ray, Sohini (2009). "Writing the Body: Cosmology, Orthography, and Fragments of Modernity in Northeastern India". Anthropological Quarterly. 82 (1): 150. ISSN 0003-5491. JSTOR 25488260.
12. ^ "National Mission of Manuscripts : 88 Vijñānanidhi: m a n". National Mission of Manuscripts. Manuscript Treasures of India, Ministry of Culture, Government of India. p. 88, 89. Retrieved 29 April 2024.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: others (link)
13. ^ "Vijnananidhi". namami.gov.in. Ministry of Culture, Government of India. p. 88, 89.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: others (link)
14. ^ Ray, Sohini (2009). "Writing the Body: Cosmology, Orthography, and Fragments of Modernity in Northeastern India". Anthropological Quarterly. 82 (1): 129–154. ISSN 0003-5491. "The philosophy of the letters is found in a religious manuscript named "Wakoklon Hilel Thilel Salai Amilon Pukok Puya""
15. ^ K.B. Singh, The Meiteis of Manipur (1989 [1962]), p. 157.
16. ^ Frans Welman, Out of Isolation – Exploring a Forgotten World (2011), 468f., citing O.Tomba, The Need to rewrite Manipuri History, Imphal, 1993.
17. ^ Devi, Yumlembam Gopi (16 June 2019). Glimpses of Manipuri Culture. LP. p. 25\. ISBN 978-0-359-72919-7.
18. ^ Paniker, K. Ayyappa (1997). Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections (Assamese-Dogri). Sahitya Akademi. p. 325\. ISBN 978-81-260-0365-5.
19. ^ Sen, Sipra (1992). Tribes and Castes of Manipur: Description and Select Bibliography. Mittal Publications. p. 28\. ISBN 978-81-7099-310-0.
20. ^ Everson, Michael (20 September 2006). "Preliminary Proposal for Encoding the Meithei Mayek Script in the BMP of the UCS" (PDF). Unicode.
21. ^ "Approved Meitei Mayek Govt Gazette 1980". e-pao.net. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
22. ^ Devi, S. (May 2013). "Is Manipuri an Endangered Language?" (PDF). Language in India. 13 (5): 520–533.
23. ^ "Meetei Mayek in newspapers". www.thesangaiexpress.com. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
24. ^ "Meetei Mayek in newspapers: 29th jan22 ~ E-Pao! Headlines". e-pao.net. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
25. ^ "Meetei Mayek to Replace Bengali Script in Manipuri Newspapers from 2023". Pratidin Time. 30 January 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
26. ^ "All Bengali script Manipuri Dailies in Manipur to Print in Meitei Eyek (Script) from 15th January 2023". HYNews. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
27. ^ "State dailies to cease Bengali script Manipuri papers from Jan, 2023: 29th jan22 ~ E-Pao! Headlines". e-pao.net. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
28. ^ "A comparative study of Meetei Mayek" (PDF). typoday. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
29. ^ "Atlas of Endangered Alphabets: Indigenous and minority writing systems, and the people who are trying to save them". 29 November 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2023. "The Meitei Mayek script has a unique built-in learning device: the use of body parts in naming the letters. Every letter is named after a human body part in the Manipuri. The first letter, "kok" means "head," for example; the second letter, "sam" means "hair"; the third letter "lai" means "forehead.""
30. ^ Ray, Sohini (2009). "Writing the Body: Cosmology, Orthography, and Fragments of Modernity in Northeastern India". Anthropological Quarterly. 82 (1): 129–154. doi:10.1353/anq.0.0047. ISSN 0003-5491. JSTOR 25488260. S2CID 140755509.
31. ^ "Discovery of Kangleipak 11". e-pao.net. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
32. ^ "Discovery of Kangleipak 12". e-pao.net. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
33. ^ a b "Manipuri (Meeteilon / Meithei)". Omniglot. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
34. ^ Arambarn Parratt, Saroj Nalini, ed. (2009), "Meetei Mayek or Meetei script chart", The Court Chronicle of the Kings of Manipur, Foundation Books, pp. 145–148, doi:10.1017/UPO9788175968547.006, ISBN 978-81-7596-854-7, retrieved 6 March 2023
35. ^ Watham, S.; Vimal, V. (2013). "Transliteration from Hindi Script to Meetei Mayek: ( A Rule Based Approach )". S2CID 16339978. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|url=` (help)
36. ^ "Meetei Mayek: The Script". tabish.freeshell.org. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
37. ^ "Meitei Mayek Alphabets". www.researchgate.net.
38. ^ "Manipuri / Meitei Script Alphabet". www.omniglot.com. Retrieved 14 February 2024.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Chelliah, Shobhana L. (1997). A grammar of Meithei. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. ISBN 0-19-564331-3.
* Chelliah, Shobhana L. (2002). Early Meithei manuscripts. In C. I. Beckwith (Ed.), Medieval Tibeto-Burman languages: PIATS 2000: Tibetan studies: Proceedings of the ninth seminar of the International Association of Tibetan Studies, Leiden 2000 (pp. 59–71). Leiden, Netherlands: Brill.
* Chelliah, Shobhana L. (2002). A glossary of 39 basic words in archaic and modern Meithei. In C. I. Beckwith (Ed.), Medieval Tibeto-Burman languages: PIATS 2000: Tibetan studies: Proceedings of the ninth seminar of the International Association of Tibetan Studies, Leiden 2000 (pp. 189–190). Leiden, Netherlands: Brill.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Meitei script.

* Omniglot, a guide to written language
* MANIPURI FONTS at Directorate of Language Planning and Implementation

* v
* t
* e

Types of writing systems

| Overview|

* History of writing
* Grapheme

|

Lists|

* Writing systems
* undeciphered
* inventors
* constructed
* Languages by writing system / by first written accounts

Types

Abjads

* Numerals

* Aramaic
* Hatran
* Arabic
* Elifba
* Egyptian hieroglyphs
* Elymaic
* Hebrew
* Ashuri
* Cursive
* Rashi
* Solitreo
* Tifinagh
* Mandaic
* Manichaean
* Nabataean
* Ancient North Arabian
* Pahlavi
* Book
* Inscriptional
* Inscriptional Parthian
* Psalter
* Pegon
* Phoenician
* Paleo-Hebrew
* Pitman shorthand
* Proto-Sinaitic
* Punic
* Samaritan
* South Arabian
* Zabur
* Musnad
* Sogdian
* Syriac
* ʾEsṭrangēlā
* Serṭā
* Maḏnḥāyā
* Teeline Shorthand
* Ugaritic

Abugidas

| Brahmic|

| Northern|

* Bengali–Assamese
* Bhaiksuki
* Brahmi script
* Devanagari
* Dogri
* Gujarati
* Gupta
* Gurmukhi
* Kaithi
* Kalinga
* Khema
* Khojki
* Khudabadi
* Laṇḍā
* Lepcha
* Mahajani
* Marchen
* Meitei
* Modi
* Multani
* Nagari
* Nandinagari
* Nepalese scripts
* Bhujimol
* Golmol
* Himmol
* Kummol
* Kvemmol
* Pachumol
* Pracalit
* Ranjana
* Tamyig
* Tirhuta
* Limbu
* Litumol
* Odia
* Karani
* ʼPhags-pa
* Sharada
* Siddhaṃ
* Soyombo
* Sylheti Nagri
* Takri
* Tibetan
* Uchen
* Umê
* Tocharian
* Zanabazar square

|

Southern|

* Ahom
* Balinese
* Batak
* Baybayin
* Bhattiprolu
* Buda
* Buhid
* Chakma
* Cham
* Fakkham
* Grantha
* Goykanadi
* Hanunoo
* Javanese
* Kadamba
* Kannada
* Karen
* Kawi
* Khmer
* Khom Thai
* Kulitan
* Lanna
* Langdi
* Lao
* Leke
* Lontara
* Bilang-bilang
* Makasar
* Malayalam
* Old Maldivian
* Dhives Akuru
* Eveyla Akuru
* Mon–Burmese
* Pallava
* Pyu
* Saurashtra
* Shan
* Sinhala
* Sukhothai
* Sundanese
* Old Sundanese
* Tagbanwa
* Tai Le
* New Tai Lue
* Tai Noi
* Tai Tham
* Tai Viet
* Lai Tay
* Tamil
* Tamil-Brahmi
* Tanchangya
* Telugu
* Thai
* Tigalari
* Ulu scripts
* Incung
* Lampung
* Lembak
* Ogan
* Pasemah
* Rejang
* Serawai
* Vatteluttu
* Kolezhuthu
* Malayanma

Others|

* Bharati
* Boyd's syllabic shorthand
* Canadian syllabics
* Blackfoot
* Déné syllabics
* Dham
* Fox I
* Geʽez
* Gunjala Gondi
* Japanese Braille
* Sarati
* Jenticha
* Kharosthi
* Mandombe
* Masaram Gondi
* Meroitic
* Miao
* Mwangwego
* Pahawh Hmong
* Sorang Sompeng
* Tengwar
* Thaana
* Thomas Natural Shorthand
* Warang Citi
* Mwangwego
* Rma

Alphabets

| Linear|

* Adlam
* Ariyaka
* Armenian
* Avestan
* Pazend
* Avoiuli
* Bassa Vah
* Carian
* Caucasian Albanian
* Cirth
* Coelbren
* Coorgi–Cox alphabet
* Coptic
* Cyrillic
* Bosnian
* Early
* Deseret
* Duployan shorthand
* Chinook
* Eclectic shorthand
* Elbasan
* Enochian
* Etruscan
* Formosan
* Fox II
* Fraser
* Gabelsberger shorthand
* Gadabuursi
* Garay alphabet
* Georgian
* Asomtavruli
* Nuskhuri
* Mkhedruli
* Veso Bey
* Glagolitic
* Gothic
* Gregg shorthand
* Greek (Archaic)
* Greco-Iberian alphabet
* Hangul
* Hanifi
* Jenticha
* Kaddare
* Kayah Li
* Klingon
* Latin
* Beneventan
* Blackletter
* Carolingian minuscule
* Fraktur
* Gaelic
* Insular
* Interlac
* IPA
* Kurrent
* Merovingian
* Sigla
* Sütterlin
* Tironian notes
* Visigothic
* Luo
* Lycian
* Lydian
* Manchu
* Medefaidrin
* Molodtsov
* Mru
* Mundari Bani
* N'Ko
* Ogham
* Ol Chiki
* Old Hungarian
* Old Italic
* Old Permic
* Orkhon
* Old Uyghur
* Mongolian
* Evenki
* Galik alphabet
* Manchu
* Oirat
* Vagindra
* Ol Onal
* Osage
* Osmanya
* Pau Cin Hau
* Phrygian
* Pisidian
* Runic
* Anglo-Saxon
* Cipher
* Dalecarlian
* Elder Futhark
* Younger Futhark
* Gothic
* Marcomannic
* Medieval
* Staveless
* Shavian
* Sidetic
* Sorang Sompeng
* Sunuwar
* Tifinagh
* Todhri
* Tolong Siki
* Vellara
* Visible Speech
* Vithkuqi
* Wancho
* Warang Citi
* Yezidi
* Zaghawa

|

Non-linear|

* Braille
* Maritime flags
* Telegraph code
* New York Point
* Flag semaphore
* Moon type

Ideograms

* Adinkra
* Aztec
* Blissymbols
* Dongba
* Ersu Shaba
* Emoji
* Isotype
* Kaidā
* Miꞌkmaw
* Mixtec
* New Epoch Notation Painting
* Nsibidi
* Ojibwe Hieroglyphs
* Olmec
* Siglas poveiras
* Testerian
* Yerkish
* Zapotec

Logograms

| Chinese family of scripts|

| Chinese characters|

* Simplified
* Traditional
* Oracle bone script
* Bronze scripts
* Seal script
* large
* small
* bird-worm
* Hanja
* Kanji
* Chữ Nôm
* Sawndip
* Bowen

|

Chinese-influenced|

* Jurchen
* Khitan large script
* Sui
* Tangut

Cuneiform|

* Akkadian
* Assyrian
* Elamite
* Hittite
* Luwian
* Sumerian

Other logosyllabic|

* Anatolian
* Bagam
* Cretan
* Isthmian
* Maya
* Proto-Elamite
* Tenevil
* Yi (Classical)

Logoconsonantal|

* Demotic
* Hieratic
* Hieroglyphs

Numerals|

* Hindu-Arabic
* Abjad
* Attic (Greek)
* Muisca
* Roman

Other|

* Sitelen Pona

Semi-syllabaries

| Full|

* Linear Elamite
* Celtiberian
* Northeastern Iberian
* Southeastern Iberian
* Khom
* Dunging

|

Redundant|

* Espanca script
* Pahawh Hmong
* Khitan small script
* Southwest Paleohispanic
* Bopomofo
* Quốc Âm Tân Tự

Sign languages

* ASLwrite
* SignWriting
* si5s
* Stokoe notation

Syllabaries

* Afaka
* Bamum
* Bété
* Byblos
* Canadian Aboriginal
* Cherokee
* Cypriot
* Cypro-Minoan
* Ditema tsa Dinoko
* Eskayan
* Geba
* Great Lakes Algonquian
* Iban
* Idu
* Kana
* Hiragana
* Katakana
* Man'yōgana
* Hentaigana
* Sōgana
* Jindai moji
* Kikakui
* Kpelle
* Linear B
* Linear Elamite
* Lisu
* Loma
* Nüshu
* Nwagu Aneke script
* Old Persian cuneiform
* Sumerian
* Vai
* Woleai
* Yi
* Yugtun

* v
* t
* e

Braille ⠃⠗⠁⠊⠇⠇⠑

Braille cell|

* 1829 braille
* International uniformity
* ASCII braille
* Unicode braille patterns

Braille scripts|

| French-ordered|

* Albanian
* Azerbaijani
* Cantonese
* Catalan
* Chinese (mainland Mandarin) (largely reassigned)
* Czech
* Dutch
* English (Unified English)
* Esperanto
* French
* German
* Ghanaian
* Guarani
* Hawaiian
* Hungarian
* Iñupiaq
* IPA
* Irish
* Italian
* Latvian
* Lithuanian
* Luxembourgish (extended to 8-dot)
* Maltese
* Māori
* Navajo
* Nigerian
* Philippine
* Polish
* Portuguese
* Romanian
* Samoan
* Slovak
* South African
* Spanish
* Taiwanese Mandarin (largely reassigned)
* Turkish
* Vietnamese
* Welsh
* Yugoslav
* Zambian

| Nordic family|

* Estonian
* Faroese
* Icelandic
* Scandinavian
* Danish
* Finnish
* Greenlandic
* Northern Sámi
* Norwegian
* Swedish

|

Russian lineage family
i.e. Cyrillic-mediated scripts|

* Belarusian
* Bulgarian
* Kazakh
* Kyrgyz
* Mongolian
* Russian
* Tatar
* Ukrainian

Egyptian lineage family
i.e. Arabic-mediated scripts|

* Arabic
* Persian
* Urdu (Pakistan)

Indian lineage family
i.e. Bharati Braille|

* Devanagari (Hindi / Marathi / Nepali)
* Bengali (Bangla / Assamese)
* Gujarati
* Kannada
* Malayalam
* Odia
* Punjabi
* Sinhala
* Tamil
* Telugu
* Urdu (India)

Other scripts|

* Amharic
* Armenian
* Burmese
* Dzongkha (Bhutanese)
* Georgian
* Greek
* Hebrew
* Inuktitut (reassigned vowels)
* Khmer
* Thai and Lao (Japanese vowels)
* Tibetan

Reordered|

* Algerian Braille (obsolete)

Frequency-based|

* American Braille (obsolete)

Independent|

* Chinese semi-syllabaries
* Cantonese
* Mainland Chinese Mandarin
* Taiwanese Mandarin
* Two-cell Chinese (Shuangpin)
* Japanese
* Korean

Eight-dot|

* Luxembourgish
* Kanji
* Gardner–Salinas braille codes (GS8)

Symbols in braille|

* Braille music
* Canadian currency marks
* Computer Braille Code
* Gardner–Salinas braille codes (science; GS8/GS6)
* International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
* Nemeth braille code

Braille technology|

* Braille e-book
* Braille embosser
* Braille translator
* Braille watch
* Mountbatten Brailler
* Optical braille recognition
* Perforation
* Perkins Brailler
* Refreshable braille display
* Slate and stylus
* Braigo

People|

* Louis Braille
* Charles Barbier
* Róża Czacka
* Valentin Haüy
* Harris Mowbray
* Thakur Vishva Narain Singh
* Sabriye Tenberken
* William Bell Wait

Organisations|

* Braille Institute of America
* Braille Without Borders
* Japan Braille Library
* National Braille Association
* Blindness organizations
* Schools for the blind
* American Printing House for the Blind

Other tactile alphabets|

* Decapoint
* Moon type
* New York Point
* Night writing
* Vibratese

Related topics|

* Accessible publishing
* Braille literacy
* RoboBraille

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[c.]: circa