diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md index 99ef7ed..4027012 100644 --- a/readme.md +++ b/readme.md @@ -20,32 +20,74 @@ ### Summary -Tone text (esoteric name Hanákana) is a Universal Writing System (UWS), capable of representing all human voice sounds in a concise and readable script. We like to think of them as **modern runes**. This means you can write any human language on Earth in tone text (constructed language or natural language) and read it without having to learn that language's specific quirks. Here is an example of the modern runes using the new [ToneEtch](https://github.com/teamtreesurf/tone/blob/make/text/ToneEtch.otf) font. +Tone text (esoteric name Hanákana) is a Universal Writing System (UWS), +capable of representing all human voice sounds in a concise and readable +script. We like to think of them as **modern runes**. This means you can +write any human language on Earth in tone text (constructed language or +natural language) and read it without having to learn that language's +specific quirks. Here is an example of the modern runes using the new +[ToneEtch](https://github.com/teamtreesurf/tone/blob/make/text/ToneEtch.otf) +font.
-Tone text is a sound-based script like the [Ancient Runes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runes), which means when you read see a symbol/letter, you know exactly how it is pronounced. There are no weird edge cases or specific words for which you have to memorize the sound. You simply learn the script and can pronounce the words and texts. +Tone text is a sound-based script like the +[Ancient Runes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runes), which means when +you read see a symbol/letter, you know exactly how it is pronounced. +There are no weird edge cases or specific words for which you have to +memorize the sound. You simply learn the script and can pronounce the +words and texts. -You can find how to pronounce the letters in the [PDF guide](https://github.com/teamtreesurf/tone/blob/make/text/guide.pdf). Print out the [exercises](https://github.com/teamtreesurf/tone/blob/make/text/exercise.pdf) to learn how to write and pronounce them too! +You can find how to pronounce the letters in the +[PDF guide](https://github.com/teamtreesurf/tone/blob/make/text/guide.pdf). +Print out the +[exercises](https://github.com/teamtreesurf/tone/blob/make/text/exercise.pdf) +to learn how to write and pronounce them too!
-You may note that Linguistics also has the International Phonetic Alphabet ([IPA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet)), which seems to accomplish a similar thing. But the IPA is not for writing anything but the most detailed pronunciation guides, not for writing sentences or long texts. Tone script is meant for the later, for writing like you would in a normal language. - -The ASCII encoding is mapped to IPA for your knowledge in the [call script](https://github.com/teamtreesurf/call). Ideally, tone script would be included in the Unicode standard, but [that is unlikely](http://www.unicode.org/pending/proposals.html). We have suggested it be used as a writing system [on Mars](https://twitter.com/teamtreesurf/status/1372723474741927938) 😂. Here is a [book](https://www.amazon.com/32-Languages-Words-Scripts-Multilingual/dp/1951702638) using it as well. +You may note that Linguistics also has the International Phonetic +Alphabet +([IPA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet)), +which seems to accomplish a similar thing. But the IPA is not for +writing anything but the most detailed pronunciation guides, not for +writing sentences or long texts. Tone script is meant for the later, for +writing like you would in a normal language. + +The ASCII encoding is mapped to IPA for your knowledge in the +[call script](https://github.com/teamtreesurf/call). Ideally, tone +script would be included in the Unicode standard, but +[that is unlikely](http://www.unicode.org/pending/proposals.html). We +have suggested it be used as a writing system +[on Mars](https://twitter.com/teamtreesurf/status/1372723474741927938) +😂. Here is a +[book](https://www.amazon.com/32-Languages-Words-Scripts-Multilingual/dp/1951702638) +using it as well.
@@ -53,7 +95,13 @@ Tone Text is also a monospaced font, to be used eventually for programming. All ### The Alphabet -These are the main sounds. Everything else are variations of these sounds. These "variations" are accomplished in a structured way, see the [guide](https://github.com/teamtreesurf/tone/blob/make/text/guide.pdf). Indic retroflex consonants are added with a dot on the tailless side. Arabic sounds are added with a dot on the tailed side usually. Clicks are mapped to the closest mouth-position-oriented sound. Ejectives and implosives are simply added with accent marks. Etc. +These are the main sounds. Everything else are variations of these +sounds. These "variations" are accomplished in a structured way, see the +[guide](https://github.com/teamtreesurf/tone/blob/make/text/guide.pdf). +Indic retroflex consonants are added with a dot on the tailless side. +Arabic sounds are added with a dot on the tailed side usually. Clicks +are mapped to the closest mouth-position-oriented sound. Ejectives and +implosives are simply added with accent marks. Etc.
@@ -100,7 +148,11 @@ l r ``` -Everything else is a modification on this base. Here are many more sounds. They are given the numerical value of the corresponding base symbol, and are ordered correspondingly, with retroflex, then pharyngealized, then ejectives, implosives, stops, tenses, clicks. The stops and pharyngealizations don't get any extra points. +Everything else is a modification on this base. Here are many more +sounds. They are given the numerical value of the corresponding base +symbol, and are ordered correspondingly, with retroflex, then +pharyngealized, then ejectives, implosives, stops, tenses, clicks. The +stops and pharyngealizations don't get any extra points. ``` N n @@ -154,18 +206,32 @@ Here is the consonant IPA phonology chart mapping. There are at least 10 classes of numerological encodings: -1. **36 sound encoding**. This is where letters are in order based on their sound, numbered 1-36. -1. 29 sound encoding. This counts the 14 voiced and unvoiced consonants as 7 instead of 14, as described below. -1. 22 shape encoding. These are the unique shapes ignoring mirror symmetry. qjfvQxschwkbaoeiE2uAI1. -1. **16 shape encoding**. These are the unique shapes ignoring rotational symmetry. qnfrQyszhmkpaeIO. -1. **9 shape encoding**. These are the unique shapes ignoring rotational _and_ mirror symmetry. They are also numbered similarly. qfQshkaeI. -1. 12 shape encoding. These are the tailless shapes, including all symmetries. They are numbered i, a, o, u. -1. 10 shape encoding. These are the tailless shapes, ignoring mirror symmetry. They are numbered i, a, u. -1. 4 shape encoding. These are the tailless shapes, ignoring rotational symmetry. They are numbered i, a, o, u. -1. 3 shape encoding. These are the tailless shapes, ignoring rotational _and_ mirror symmetry. They are numbered i, a, u. -1. 2 shape encoding. These are comparing tailed vs. tailless characters, ignoring rotational and mirror symmetry. - -The most common are the 36 sound encoding, the 16 shape encoding, and the 9 shape encoding. The 16 shape encoding is how you would play a game with one-sided tiles. The 9 shape encoding is how you would play a game with two-sided tiles. The 16 shape encoding can be encoded in hexadecimal. The 9 in digits 1-9. +1. **36 sound encoding**. This is where letters are in order based on + their sound, numbered 1-36. +1. 29 sound encoding. This counts the 14 voiced and unvoiced consonants + as 7 instead of 14, as described below. +1. 22 shape encoding. These are the unique shapes ignoring mirror + symmetry. qjfvQxschwkbaoeiE2uAI1. +1. **16 shape encoding**. These are the unique shapes ignoring + rotational symmetry. qnfrQyszhmkpaeIO. +1. **9 shape encoding**. These are the unique shapes ignoring rotational + _and_ mirror symmetry. They are also numbered similarly. qfQshkaeI. +1. 12 shape encoding. These are the tailless shapes, including all + symmetries. They are numbered i, a, o, u. +1. 10 shape encoding. These are the tailless shapes, ignoring mirror + symmetry. They are numbered i, a, u. +1. 4 shape encoding. These are the tailless shapes, ignoring rotational + symmetry. They are numbered i, a, o, u. +1. 3 shape encoding. These are the tailless shapes, ignoring rotational + _and_ mirror symmetry. They are numbered i, a, u. +1. 2 shape encoding. These are comparing tailed vs. tailless characters, + ignoring rotational and mirror symmetry. + +The most common are the 36 sound encoding, the 16 shape encoding, and +the 9 shape encoding. The 16 shape encoding is how you would play a game +with one-sided tiles. The 9 shape encoding is how you would play a game +with two-sided tiles. The 16 shape encoding can be encoded in +hexadecimal. The 9 in digits 1-9. Here is the 29 sound encoding. @@ -203,15 +269,18 @@ r ### Usage -To get access to the font for your own system, just click and download the [ToneEtch.ttf](https://github.com/teamtreesurf/tone/blob/make/text/ToneEtch.ttf) directly. +To get access to the font for your own system, just click and download +the +[ToneEtch.ttf](https://github.com/teamtreesurf/tone/blob/make/text/ToneEtch.ttf) +directly.