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Fraser script

{{Short description|Alphabetic writing system}}

{{Redirect|ꓤ|the consonant|Voiced uvular fricative}}

{{Infobox writing system

|name=Fraser

|type=Abugida

|time=c. 1915–present

|languages=Lisu

|fam1=Phoenician script

|fam2=Greek script

|fam3=Latin script

|sample=Fraser text.png

|imagesize=256

|creator=James O. Fraser

|unicode=[https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/UA4D0.pdf U+A4D0–U+A4FF], [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U11FB0.pdf U+11FB0–U+11FBF]

|iso15924=Lisu

}}

The Fraser or Old Lisu script is an artificial abugida for the Lisu language invented around 1915 by Sara Ba Thaw, a Karen preacher from Myanmar, and improved by the missionary James O. Fraser. It is a single-case (unicameral) alphabet. It was also used for the Naxi language, e.g. in the 1932 Naxi Gospel of Mark,{{Cite web|url=https://socidoc.com/queue/m-ko-te-dna-hsi-mark-1932-_5a02b933d64ab2e82e1e3176_pdf?queue_id=5a1b047ed64ab2e8253d9734|title=Naxi Gospel of Mark 1932|access-date=2017-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201234029/https://socidoc.com/queue/m-ko-te-dna-hsi-mark-1932-_5a02b933d64ab2e82e1e3176_pdf?queue_id=5a1b047ed64ab2e8253d9734|archive-date=2017-12-01|url-status=dead}} and used in the Zaiwa or Atsi language, e.g. in the 1938 Atsi Gospel of Mark.

The script uses uppercase letters from the Latin script (except for the letter Q) and rotated versions thereof (except for the letters M, Q and W) to write consonants and vowels. Tones and nasalization are written with Roman punctuation marks, identical to those found on a typewriter. Like the Indic abugidas, the vowel {{IPA|[a]}} is not written. However, unlike those scripts, the other vowels are written with full letters.

The local Chinese government in Nujiang de facto recognized the script in 1992 as the official script for writing in Lisu, although other Lisu autonomous territories continue to use the New Lisu (Latin script) for official matters.{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}}

Consonants

Note: You may need to download a Lisu-capable Unicode font if not all characters display.

class=wikitable

|+Fraser consonants

colspan="2" |LabialAlveolarAlveolar
sibilant		Post-
alveolar		VelarGlottal
rowspan="3" | Plosive

!Tenuis

| {{script|Lisu|ꓑ}} {{IPAblink|p}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓔ}} {{IPAblink|t}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓝ}} {{IPAblink|ts}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓚ}} {{IPAblink|tʃ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓗ}} {{IPAblink|k}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓮ}} {{IPAblink|ʔ}}1

Aspirate

| {{script|Lisu|ꓒ}} {{IPAblink|pʰ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓕ}} {{IPAblink|tʰ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓞ}} {{IPAblink|tsʰ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓛ}} {{IPAblink|tʃʰ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓘ}} {{IPAblink|kʰ}} ||

Voiced

| {{script|Lisu|ꓐ}} {{IPAblink|b}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓓ}} {{IPAblink|d}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓜ}} {{IPAblink|dz}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓙ}} {{IPAblink|dʒ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓖ}} {{IPAblink|ɡ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓨ}} {{IPAblink|ɦ}}3 4

rowspan="2" | Fricative

!Voiceless

| {{script|Lisu|ꓩ}} {{IPAblink|f}}4 || || {{script|Lisu|ꓢ}} {{IPAblink|s}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓫ}} {{IPAblink|ʃ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓧ}} {{IPAblink|x}} ||

Voiced

| || || {{script|Lisu|ꓤ}} {{IPAblink|z}}4 || {{script|Lisu|ꓣ}} {{IPAblink|ʒ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓭ}} {{IPAblink|ɯ}}?, {{IPAblink|ɣ}}2 ||

colspan="2" |Nasal

| {{script|Lisu|ꓟ}} {{IPAblink|m}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓠ}} {{IPAblink|n}} || || {{script|Lisu|ꓠꓬ}} {{IPAblink|ȵ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓥ}} {{IPAblink|ŋ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓦ}} {{IPAblink|h̃}}3

rowspan="3" |Approximant

!Tenuis

| {{script|Lisu|ꓪ}} {{IPAblink|w}}, {{IPAblink|u̯}}2 || {{script|Lisu|ꓡ}} {{IPAblink|l}} || || {{script|Lisu|ꓬ}} {{IPAblink|ʝ}}, {{IPAblink|i̯}}2 || ||

Aspirate

|| || || || {{script|Lisu|𑾰}} {{IPAblink|ʝʰ}}, {{IPAblink|i̯ʰ}}2 5 || ||

  1. Initial glottal stop is only written when the inherent vowel {{IPAblink|ɑ}} follows, and just like all consonants, the inherent vowel suffix {{script|Lisu|ˍ}} must not be written as that would indicate another {{IPAblink|ɑ}} follows ({{IPA|ʔɑɑ}} instead of {{IPA|ʔɑ}}). It is automatic before all initial vowels but {{IPAblink|ɯ}} and {{IPAblink|ə}}.
  2. {{script|Lisu|ꓭ}} represents a "vowel" in the Naxi language, presumably a medial {{IPAblink|ɯ}}, and a consonant {{IPAblink|ɣ}} in the Lisu language. {{script|Lisu|ꓪ}}, {{script|Lisu|ꓬ}} and {{script|Lisu|𑾰}} are likewise ambiguous.
  3. {{script|Lisu|ꓨ}} only occurs in an imperative particle. It is an allophone of {{script|Lisu|ꓦ}} {{IPAblink|h̃}}, which causes nasalization to the syllable.
  4. {{script|Lisu|ꓤ}}, {{script|Lisu|ꓨ}} and {{script|Lisu|ꓩ}} are used only in Lisu language.
  5. {{script|Lisu|𑾰}} is used only in Naxi language.

Vowels

File:Manuscripts in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum - DSC03963.JPG Bible in the Fraser script]]

class=wikitable

|+Fraser vowels

colspan="3" |Frontcolspan="3" |Central/back
High

| {{script|Lisu|ꓲ}} {{IPAblink|i}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓵ}} {{IPAblink|y}}

| || {{script|Lisu|ꓶ}} {{IPAblink|ɯ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓴ}} {{IPAblink|u}}

|

Mid

| {{script|Lisu|ꓰ}} {{IPAblink|e}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓱ}} {{IPAblink|ø}}

|{{script|Lisu|ꓬꓱ}} {{IPAblink|i̯ø}}|| {{script|Lisu|ꓷ}} {{IPAblink|ə}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓳ}} {{IPAblink|ʊ}}

|{{script|Lisu|ꓮꓳ}} [{{IPA|ɑw}}]/{{IPAblink|ɔ}}

Low

| {{script|Lisu|ꓯ}} {{IPAblink|ɛ}} ||

| || {{script|Lisu|ˍ}}** {{IPAblink|ɑ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓪ}} [{{IPA|wɑ}}]

|{{script|Lisu|ꓬ}} {{IPAblink|i̯ɑ}}

:**Only written after a syllable (consonant letter) to indicate a second vowel. Other vowels do not have special letters to emphasize a secondary vowel without glottal stop initial, such as {{script|Lisu|ꓡꓷꓰꓹ}} ({{IPA|[ləe]}}) is not written as {{script|Lisu|ꓡꓷˍꓰꓹ}} and can only be distinguished from {{Script|Lisu|ꓡꓷ ꓰꓹ}} ({{IPA|[lə ʔe]}}) by a space.

For example, {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓗ}}}} is {{IPA|[kɑ̄]}}, while {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓗꓲ}}}} is {{IPA|[kī]}}.

When consonant ꓠꓬ, ꓬ is used with vowel ꓬꓱ, ꓬ, without being ambiguous only one ꓬ is written.

When transcribing diphthongs and nasal codas, letters ꓮ and ꓬ can work like vowels just like English letter Y, making Fraser script behave like an abjadic alphabet like the Roman instead of an abugida like Tibetan; meanwhile space works like a delimiter like a Tibetan tseg, making a final consonant (such as ꓠ) possible without necessity of a halanta sign: 凉粉 {{Script|Lisu|ꓡꓬꓮꓳ ꓩꓷꓠ}} reads as {{IPA|/li̯ɛw fən/}} rather than as {{Script|Lisu|ꓡꓬ ꓮ ꓳ ꓩꓷ ꓠ}} {{IPA|/li̯ɑ ʔɑ ʔʊ fə nɑ/}}.{{cite book |last1=Bradley |title=Southern Lisu dictionary}}

Tones

Tones are written with standard punctuation. Lisu punctuation therefore differs from international norms: the comma is {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|꓾}}}} (hyphen period) and the full stop is {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|꓿}}}} (equal sign).

class=wikitable

|+Diacritics on the syllable {{script|Lisu|ꓝ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ]}}

{{script|Lisu|ꓝ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ̄]}}{{script|Lisu|ꓝꓸ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ́]}}{{script|Lisu|ꓝꓹ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ̌]}}
{{script|Lisu|ꓝꓻ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ̄ˀ]}}*{{script|Lisu|ꓝꓺ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ̄ˀ]}}{{script|Lisu|ꓝʼ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ̄̃]}}
{{script|Lisu|ꓝꓼ}} {{IPA|[tsàˀ]}}{{script|Lisu|ꓝꓽ}} {{IPA|[tsà]}}{{script|Lisu|ꓝˍ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ̄à]}}

:*It is not clear how the {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓻ}}}} mid tone differs from the unmarked mid tone.

The tones {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓸ}}}}, {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓹ}}}}, {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓺ}}}}, {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓻ}}}} may be combined with {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓼ}}}} and {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓽ}}}} as compound tones. However, the only compound tone still in common use is {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓹꓼ}}}}.

The apostrophe indicates nasalization. It is combined with tone marks.

The low macron indicates the Lisu "A glide", a contraction of {{IPA|[à]}} without an intervening glottal stop. The tone is not always falling, depending on the environment, but is written {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ˍ}}}} regardless.

Letter forms

Image:Fraser alphabet.png

Image:Fraser alphabet for Naxi.png

Although Fraser published a serif form of the script,James Fraser (1922) Handbook of the Lisu (Yawyin) language. Superintendent, Government printing, Rangoon almost all typesetting today is done in a sans-serif typeface.

Unicode

{{Main|1=Lisu (Unicode block)|2=Lisu Supplement|l2=Lisu Supplement (Unicode block)}}

The Fraser script was added to the Unicode Standard in October, 2009 with the release of version 5.2.

The Unicode block for the Fraser script, called 'Lisu', is U+A4D0–U+A4FF:

{{Unicode chart Lisu}}

An additional character, the inverted Y used in the Naxi language, was added to the Unicode Standard in March, 2020 with the release of version 13.0. It is in the Lisu Supplement block (U+11FB0–U+11FBF):

{{Unicode chart Lisu Supplement}}

See also

References

External links

  • [http://www.omniglot.com/writing/fraser.htm Omniglot entry on Fraser script]
  • [http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n3317.pdf Proposal for encoding the Old Lisu script in the BMP of the UCS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808022144/http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n3317.pdf |date=2017-08-08 }}
  • [https://phjamr.github.io/lisu.html Lisu Unicode, Open source font for users of the Lisu script]
  • [http://www.sil.org/asia/ldc/plenary_papers/david_bradley.pdf Issues in orthography development and reform] by David Bradley
  • [http://www.evertype.com/standards/iso10646/pdf/fraser-sample.pdf Sample text] from Michael Everson's website

{{list of writing systems}}

Category:Alphabets

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