Tag - Alfuni

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Saturday, March 12 2016

Alfuni script: Universal, but not too much

After the 2 scripts of last September, which were adapting the principles of Alfuni to specific situations, here is the latest version balancing a wide range of sounds, with minimalist graphical variation. Some will blame a lack of contrast, but i do like the regularity and harmony it gives!

(as usual, the table links to the TTF font, for those who'd like to write with it, or tweak it further!)

One key originality of this script is to propose a logical link between consonants and vowels. This idea first came in 2008 with the Phono-Braille.

It also proposes a selection of tones and punctuation, but the table is already big..

Sample in classical Chinese:

Link to the language creation forum: Alfuni

Tuesday, September 15 2015

Alfunepta script: Alfuni on 7 segments

Here is a version of my universal script Alfuni, simplified to fit a 7 segment digital display. This script is not strictly phonetic as it is mostly meant to offer a panel of characters to write most languages of the world. Letters can bear several phonetic values. The script can even be used with simple literal match, eg: write "Fountains" instead of the phonetic "Fawtenz", especially when Alfunepta doesn't have the required sounds.

The TTF file is available by clicking on the picture.

Here is the usual 1st article of the universal declaration of human rights, as sample text (literal match is used):

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Saturday, September 5 2015

Alfunanto script: Alfuni for Esperanto

In the wake of some discussions about new Esperanto writing systems, I had the idea of recycling my old Alfuni script for the reduced scope of Esperanto sounds.


(click on the picture to download the TTF font)

  • Plosives are tall, fricatives are deep, africatives are therefore both tall and deep.
  • Mute are straight, voiced are crooked.
  • Nasal and approximant are marked by a hook
  • Vowels are small

Letters within a word can be grouped without ambiguity, which saves space. I also introduce the consonant Dz, for the sake of symmetry.

Simplifications include the combination of vowels into the consonant table, a feature that i tend now to always keep (W and U, Y and I, clearly match. H and A match in Arabic)

Here is the 1rst article of the universal declaration of human rights:

Ĉiuj homoj estas denaske liberaj kaj egalaj laŭ digno kaj rajtoj.
Ili posedas racion kaj konsciencon, kaj devus konduti unu la alian en spirito de frateco.

Friday, January 18 2008

Alfuni, l'aphabet universel ! / A Universal phonetic alphabet (french tutorial)

Voilà un gros projet que je traîne depuis le lycée ! C'est la lecture des annexes du Seigneur des Anneaux qui m'a intéressé à l'alphabet elfique inventé par Tolkien. Cet alphabet présentait quelques idées magnifiques, telle que le fait que des sons similaires aient des écritures semblables, grâce à la magie des classification phonétiques. Mais Tolkien avait un autre but : créer quelque chose de réaliste, simulant une culture ancienne, ajoutant des erreurs, exceptions et simplifications ça et là...

Voici enfin ma version, l'Alfuni, que je pense relativement aboutie... enfin, je me dis qu'il fut que sorte quelque chose quand même, on allait pas attendre 2 ans de plus !

bonne lecture, et dans l'attente de vos impressions.


PS: Since many search lead to this page looking for the International Phonetic Alphaget (API), here it is :

Click on it to get the pdf.