Social:Clear Script

Short description: Writing system for the Oirat language

Clear Script Oirat alphabet
Type	Alphabet
Languages	Oirat Sanskrit Tibetic
Creator	Zaya Pandita
Time period	ca. 1648 – today
Parent systems	Proto-Sinaitic script Phoenician alphabet Aramaic alphabet Syriac alphabet Sogdian alphabet Old Uyghur alphabet Mongolian script Clear Script
Sister systems	Manchu alphabet Vagindra script
Direction	Top-to-bottom
ISO 15924	Mong, 145
Unicode alias	Mongolian
Unicode range	U+1800 – U+18AF

A border sign in Clear Script (Priyutnensky District, Kalmykia)

The Clear Script (Template:Lang-xal, [todo bit͡ʃ(ə)k]; Mongolian: Тод бичиг / ᠲᠣᠳᠣ
ᠪᠢᠴᠢᠭ, romanized: tod bichig / todo bičig, [tɔd bit͡ʃək], Template:Lang-bxr, ([tɔdɔ bɛʃək]), or just todo) is an alphabet created in 1648 by the Oirat Buddhist monk Zaya Pandita for the Oirat language. It was developed on the basis of the Mongolian script with the goal of distinguishing all sounds in the spoken language, and to make it easier to transcribe Sanskrit and the Tibetic languages.

History

The Clear Script is a Mongolian script, whose obvious closest forebear is vertical Mongolian. This Mongolian script was derived from the Uyghur alphabet. The Clear Script was developed as a better way to write Mongolian, specifically of the Western Mongolian groups of the Oirats and Kalmyks. It resolved ambiguities in the written language by assigning symbols to vowels, and adding new symbols and diacritics to show vowels and vowel lengths, and to distinguish between voiced and unvoiced consonants. Symbols that were preserved from the traditional Mongolian script were assigned a fixed meaning.

There were even some marks enabling distinctions that were unimportant for words written in the Oirat language but were useful for the transcription of foreign words and names, such as between and .

Usage

The Clear Script was used by Oirat and neighboring Mongols, mostly in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It was widely used by its creator and others to translate Buddhist works so that they might better spread the Buddhist religion throughout western Mongolia. Though the script was useful for translating works from other languages, especially Tibetan, it was also used more informally, as evidenced by some letters from the late 1690s.

Around the 19th and early 20th centuries, some Altaians in Russia were able utilize the script to read and write texts due to contacts with Mongolian Buddhists.

The script was used by Kalmyks in Russia until 1924, when it was replaced by the Cyrillic script. In Xinjiang, Oirats still use it, although today Mongolian education takes place in Chakhar Mongolian all across China.

Writing in the Clear Script

This script is a vertical script, as was its 'vertical Mongolian' parent script. Letters and diacritics are written along a central axis. Portions of letters to the right of the axis generally slant up, and portions to the left of the axis generally slant down. The only signs that do not follow these rules are the horizontal signs for , , and part of . Words are delineated by a space, as well as different letter forms. Though most letters only come in one shape, there are some letters that look different depending on where in the word they occur, whether they are initial, medial, or final.

There is an alphabetic order in the Clear Script, as in other related scripts, but the order for it is not the same as its Mongolian parent script: , , , , , , ; , , , , , & , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Tables

Vowels

Single vowels
Initial	Medial	Final	IPA	Trans­lit.​		Notes​
				Dan.​ & Kara	ALA-​LC
All these form ligatures with a preceding bow-shaped consonant.
ᠠ‍	‍ᠠ‍	‍ᠠ	ɑ, ∅			Final example ligature: ‍ᡋᠠ . Note that the tail of a final extends to the left in ligatures. Confer Kalmyk Oirat а and [∅] Error: {{Lang}}: Latn text/non-Latn script subtag mismatch (help). This letter's forms are shared with Hudum script .
ᡄ‍	‍ᡄ‍	‍ᡄ	e, ∅			Initial/medial/final example ligature: ᡋᡄ . Confer Kalmyk Oirat э and [∅] Error: {{Lang}}: Latn text/non-Latn script subtag mismatch (help).
ᡅ‍	‍ᡅ‍	‍ᡅ	i, ∅			Final example ligature: ᡋᡅ . Note that the shape of a final differs in ligatures. Confer Kalmyk Oirat и and [∅] Error: {{Lang}}: Latn text/non-Latn script subtag mismatch (help).
ᡆ‍	‍ᡆ‍	‍ᡆ	ɔ			Initial/medial/final example ligature: ᡋᡆ . Note that and look identical. Also note the rounded shape of . Confer Kalmyk Oirat о and [∅] Error: {{Lang}}: Latn text/non-Latn script subtag mismatch (help).
ᡇ‍	‍ᡇ‍	‍ᡇ	ʊ, ∅			Initial/medial/final example ligature: ᡋᡇ . Confer Kalmyk Oirat у and [∅] Error: {{Lang}}: Latn text/non-Latn script subtag mismatch (help).
ᡈ‍	‍ᡈ‍	‍ᡈ	ø, ∅			Initial/medial/final example ligature: ᡋᡈ . Note the rounded shape of . Confer Kalmyk Oirat ө and [∅] Error: {{Lang}}: Latn text/non-Latn script subtag mismatch (help).
ᡉ‍	‍ᡉ‍	‍ᡉ	y, ∅			Initial/medial/final example ligature: ᡋᡉ . Note that and look identical. Confer Kalmyk Oirat ү and [∅] Error: {{Lang}}: Latn text/non-Latn script subtag mismatch (help).

Long vowels
Initial	Medial	Final	IPA	Trans­lit.		Notes
				Dan.	ALA-LC
ᠠᡃ‍	‍ᠠᡃ‍	—	ɑː			Final example ligature: ‍ᡗᠠᡃ . Confer Kalmyk Oirat аа and а .
ᡄᡃ‍	‍ᡄᡃ‍	‍ᡄᡃ ⟨?⟩	eː, æː			Confer Kalmyk Oirat ээ and э .
ᡅᡅ‍ ⟨?⟩	‍ᡅᡅ‍ ⟨?⟩	—	iː			Diphthongs ending in are shaped and transliterated in the same manner. Confer Kalmyk Oirat ии and и .
—	—	‍ᡅᡅ
ᡆᡃ‍	‍ᡆᡃ‍	‍ᡆᡃ ⟨?⟩	ɔː			Confer Kalmyk Oirat оо and о .
ᡇᡇTemplate:Fvs‍	‍ᡇᡇTemplate:Fvs‍	‍ᡇᡇTemplate:Fvs	ʊː			Confer Kalmyk Oirat уу and у .
ᡈᡃ‍	‍ᡈᡃ‍	‍ᡈᡃ ⟨?⟩	øː, æː			Confer Kalmyk Oirat өө and ө .
ᡉᡉ‍	‍ᡉᡉ‍	‍ᡉᡉ	yː			Confer Kalmyk Oirat үү and ү .

Consonants

Native consonants
Initial	Medial	Final	IPA	Trans­lit.		Notes
				Dan. & Kara	ALA-LC
ᡋ‍	‍ᡋ‍	‍ᡋ	b			Confer Kalmyk Oirat б . This letter's initial/medial form is shared with Hudum .
ᡏ‍	‍ᡏ‍	‍ᡏ	m			Confer Kalmyk Oirat м . This letter's initial/medial form is shared with Hudum .
ᠯ‍	‍ᠯ‍	‍ᠯ	l			Confer Kalmyk Oirat л . This letter is shared with Hudum .
ᠰ‍	‍ᠰ‍	‍ᠰ	s			Confer Kalmyk Oirat с . This letter is shared with Hudum .
ᠱ‍	‍ᠱ‍	‍ᠱ	ʃ			Confer Kalmyk Oirat ш . This letter is shared with Hudum .
ᠨ‍	‍ᠨ‍	‍ᠨ	n			Confer Kalmyk Oirat н . This letter is shared with Hudum .
	‍ᠨTemplate:Fvs‍
ᡍ‍	‍ᡍ‍	—	x			Used before back vowels. As in ᡍᠠᠷᠠ 'black'. Confer Kalmyk Oirat х .
ᡍTemplate:Fvs‍	‍ᡍTemplate:Fvs‍	—	k			Used before front vowels. As in ᡍᡈᡍᡈ 'blue'. Confer Kalmyk Oirat к .
ᡎ‍	‍ᡎ‍	—	ɢ			Used before vowels. As in ᡎᠠᠯ 'fire'. Confer Kalmyk Oirat һ .
—	‍ᡎTemplate:Fvs‍	‍ᡎ	ɡ			Used syllable-finally, and irrespective of vowel harmony. As in ᡔᠠᡎ 'time'. Confer Kalmyk Oirat г .
		—				As in ᡎᡄᠷ 'ger'. Confer Kalmyk Oirat г .
ᡐ‍	‍ᡐ‍	—	t			Confer Kalmyk Oirat т .
ᡑ‍	‍ᡑ‍	‍ᡑ	d			Confer Kalmyk Oirat д .
ᡔ‍	‍ᡔ‍	—	t͡s	, †		†. Ambiguous value (, ) from the 18th century until post-war reform. As in modern/older ᡔᠠᡅ 'tea'. Confer Kalmyk Oirat ц .
ᡒ‍	‍ᡒ‍	—	t͡ʃ		—	Introduced in the 1950s. As in modern ᡒᡅ ? (older ᡔᡅ ) 'you'. Confer Kalmyk Oirat ч .
ᠴ‍	‍ᠴ‍	—	z	, †		†. Ambiguous value (, ) from the 18th century until post-war reform. As in modern/older ᠴᡇᠨ 'summer'. Confer Kalmyk Oirat з .
ᡓ‍	‍ᡓ‍	—	d͡ʒ		—	Introduced in the 1950s. As in modern ᡓᡅᠯ ? (older ᠴᡅᠯ ) 'year'. Confer Kalmyk Oirat ж .
ᡕ‍	‍ᡕ‍	—	j			Confer Kalmyk Oirat й .
ᠷ‍	‍ᠷ‍	‍ᠷ	r			Confer Kalmyk Oirat р . This letter is shared with Hudum .
—	‍ᡊ‍	‍ᡊ	ŋ			Confer Kalmyk Oirat ң .

Letters used in foreign words
Initial	Medial	Final	IPA	Translit.		Notes
				Dan. & Kara	ALA-LC
ᡌ‍	‍ᡌ‍	—	p	—		Confer Kalmyk Oirat п .
ᡙ‍	‍ᡙ‍	—				Confer Kalmyk Oirat г .
ᡘ‍	‍ᡘ‍	‍ᡘ			—	Confer Kalmyk Oirat г .
ᡗ‍	‍ᡗ‍	—	k	,		Confer Kalmyk Oirat к .
ᡚ‍	‍ᡚ‍	—		—		Confer Kalmyk Oirat җ .
—	‍ᡛ‍	—
ᡜ‍	‍ᡜ‍	—
ᢘ‍	‍ᢘ‍	‍ᢘ			—
ᢙ‍	‍ᢙ‍	—
ᠸ‍	‍ᠸ‍	‍ᠸ			—	Confer Kalmyk Oirat ф . This letter is shared with Hudum .
ᡖ‍	‍ᡖ‍	‍ᡖ	w			Confer Kalmyk Oirat в .

Ligatures

Ligatures
Initial	Medial	Final	Trans­lit.		Notes
			Dan.	ALA-LC
ᡋᠠ‍	‍ᡋᠠ‍	‍ᡋᠠ
ᡋᡄ‍	‍ᡋᡄ‍	‍ᡋᡄ
ᡋᡅ‍	‍ᡋᡅ‍	‍ᡋᡅ
ᡋᡆ‍	‍ᡋᡆ‍	‍ᡋᡆ			Written the same as .
ᡋᡇ‍	‍ᡋᡇ‍	‍ᡋᡇ
ᡋᡈ‍	‍ᡋᡈ‍	‍ᡋᡈ
ᡋᡉ‍	‍ᡋᡉ‍	‍ᡋᡉ			Written the same as .
ᡗᠠ‍	‍ᡗᠠ‍	‍ᡗᠠ
ᡍᡄ‍	‍ᡍᡄ‍	‍ᡍᡄ
ᡍᡅ‍	‍ᡍᡅ‍	‍ᡍᡅ
ᡗᡆ‍	‍ᡗᡆ‍	‍ᡗᡆ
ᡗᡇ‍	‍ᡗᡇ‍	‍ᡗᡇ
ᡍᡈ‍	‍ᡍᡈ‍	‍ᡍᡈ
ᡍᡉ‍ ⟨?⟩	‍ᡍᡉ‍ ⟨?⟩	‍ᡍᡉ ⟨?⟩
ᡘᠠ‍	‍ᡘᠠ‍	‍ᡘᠠ
ᡎᡄ‍ ⟨?⟩	‍ᡎᡄ‍ ⟨?⟩	‍ᡎᡄ ⟨?⟩
ᡎᡅ‍ ⟨?⟩	‍ᡎᡅ‍ ⟨?⟩	‍ᡎᡅ ⟨?⟩
ᡘᡆ‍	‍ᡘᡆ‍	‍ᡘᡆ
ᡘᡇ‍	‍ᡘᡇ‍	‍ᡘᡇ
ᡎᡈ‍	‍ᡎᡈ‍	‍ᡎᡈ
ᡎᡉ‍	‍ᡎᡉ‍	‍ᡎᡉ
Other bow-shaped ligatures are formed in the same manner.

See also

• Mongolian writing systems
• Mongolian script
• Soyombo alphabet

External links

• Oirat Clear Script at Omniglot
• Traditional Mongolian Notepad (for Windows XP/Vista)