Arabic and Hebrew are the most well-known right-to-left scripts, but there are actually a few more RTL scripts in widespread use today. One of them is the Syriac script, a distant cousin of the Hebrew and Arabic scripts which is used to write the Neo-Aramaic languages spoken by Christian communities in Iraq and Syria. Like Arabic, Syriac is a cursive script with letters that flow into one another and which uses dots on some letters so that they can be told apart, although to a much lesser degree compared to the oversimplified Arabic letterforms.
Adaptation process
Overall, the consonants were straightforward. However, like Hebrew, some of these letters can have 2 pronunciations: a ‘hard’ plosive sound or a ‘soft’ fricative sound.
- /p/~/f/: ܦ
- /b/~/v/: ܒ
- /t/~/θ/: ܬ
- /d/~/ð/: ܕ
- /k/~/x/: ܟ
- /g/~/ɣ/: ܓ
In English, the plosive sounds are statistically more frequent on the whole than their fricative counterparts, so most of these letters shall get the ‘hard’ plosive pronunciations by default.
- /p/ = ܦ (as in ‘port’)
- /b/ = ܒ (as in ‘born’)
- /d/ = ܕ (as in ‘done’)
- /g/ = ܓ (as in ‘get’)
The only exceptions shall be ܟ and ܬ, which will now solely represent the ‘soft’ fricative pronunciation…
- /θ/ = ܬ (as in ‘thank’)
As there is another letter we can use for plain /t/! This one, ܛ, represents the incredibly similar /tˤ/ sound and is cognate to Hebrew ט, which has also changed it to a regular /t/: it would be a shame to leave it unused, so let’s repurpose this for /t/ in this adaptation. Likewise for ܩ /q/, let’s make it /k/.
- /t/ = ܛ (as in ‘test’)
- /k/ = ܩ (as in ‘call’)
The ܟ letter shall then be re-used for the /ŋ/ sound:
- /ŋ/ = ܟ (as in ‘sing’)
As for the other English language fricatives, there’s the rukkakha dot below diacritic which indicates the fricative counterpart. Let’s use these as shown:
- /f/ = ܦ݂ (as in ‘free’)
- /v/ = ܒ݂ (as in ‘van’)
- /ð/ = ܕ݂ (as in ‘the’)
- /ʒ/ = ܙ݂ (as in ‘closure’)
Since /ts/ ܨ is not a distinctive phoneme in English, let’s repurpose that letter for the much more common /t͡ʃ/ sound. Also, since Syriac was also adapted to write the Arabic language, it has extra letters for Arabic sounds such as /d͡ʒ/, which is basically the /g/ letter ܓ with a dot in the middle, similar to its Arabic script counterpart.
- /t͡ʃ/ = ܨ (as in ‘change’)
- /d͡ʒ/ = ܔ (as in ‘just’. From Arabic)
Vowels
Syriac has 2 systems for marking vowels via diacritics: Eastern and Western. I used the Eastern vowel pointers since they were simpler and hence easier to write than the Western ones.
Syriac has a rudimentary vowel-indicating system using the consonants for /ʔ/ ܐ, /j/ ܝ and /w/ ܘ to represent the long vowels /a/, /i/ and /u/ respectively: short vowels are generally written with vowel diacritics. Let’s re-use them as the basis of this orthography:
- /a/ = ܐ (as in ‘fun’ and ‘but’)
- /ɪ/~/j/ = ܝ (as in ‘bid’, ‘yet’)
- /ʊ/~/w/ = ܘ (as in ‘look’, ‘wood’)
The letters ܝ and ܘ are used for both vowel and consonant sounds – this is not a problem since they do not overlap with each other.
For /a/, let’s use the vowel diacritic ◌ܵ after a consonant, since the letter ܐ in its traditional form is quite wide and unwieldy:
- /a/ = ܐ, ◌ܵ (as in ‘fun’ and ‘but’)
There’s also a letter for /ʕ/ ܥ, a sound which doesn’t exist in English. Its Hebrew cognate ע got re-used for the /ɛ/ vowel sound in Yiddish, so I thought “why not do the same?” Its name ʕe also contains this vowel anyway, so I’ll go with that. /æ/ shall then be ܥܹ with a diacritic for /e/ ◌ܹ.
The remaining vowels /ə/, /ɔ/, /iː/ and /uː/ can then be written with their traditional Syriac counterparts.
- /ɛ/ = ܥ (as in ‘bed’)
- /æ/ = ܥܹ (as in ‘fan’)
- /ə/~/ɜ/ = ܐܸ, ◌ܸ (as in ‘-tion’ and the last vowel of ‘comma’)
- /ɔ/ = ܘܿ (as in ‘lot’)
- /iː/ = ܝܼ (as in ‘bead’)
- /uː/ = ܘܼ (as in ‘cool’)
Letters
Consonants
| /p/ ܦ (port) | /b/ ܒ (best) | /f/ ܦ݂ (fun) | /v/ ܒ݂ (van) | /m/ ܡ (moon) |
| /t/ ܛ (test) | /d/ ܕ (done) | /θ/ ܬ (thank) | /ð/ ܕ݂ (the) | /n/ ܢ (new) |
| /k/ ܩ (call) | /g/ ܓ (get) | /x/ ܚ (loch) | . | /ŋ/ ܟ (sing) |
| /s/ ܣ, ܤ (soon) | /z/ ܙ (zoo) | /ʃ/ ܫ (share) | /ʒ/ ܙ݂ (closure) | . |
| /tʃ/ ܨ (change) | /dʒ/ ܔ (just) | . | . | . |
| /w/ ܘ (way) | /ɹ/ ܪ (run) | /l/ ܠ (laugh) | /j/ ܝ (yell) | /h/ ܗ (house) |
Vowels
| /a/~/ʌ/ ܐ, ◌ܵ (sun) | /æ/ ܥܹ (can) |
| /ɛ/ ܥ (head) | /ə/~/ɜ/ ܐܸ, ◌ܸ (comma) |
| /ɪ/ ܝ (bid) | /iː/ ܝܼ (bead) |
| /ɔ/ ܘܿ (pot) | /ɔː/ ܘܿܘܿ (bought) |
| /ʊ/ ܘ (pull) | /uː/ ܘܼ (cool) |
Diphthongs
| /aɪ/ ܐܝ, ◌ܵܝ (high) | /aʊ/ ܐܘ, ◌ܵܘ (now) |
| /eɪ/ ܥܝ (day) | /ɔɪ/ ܘܿܝ (toy) |
| /oʊ/ ܘܿܘ (dough) | /ju/ ܝܘ (use) |
Rhotic vowel sequences
| /aː(ɹ)/ ܐܪ, ◌ܵܪ (far) | /ɔː(ɹ)/ ܘܿܪ (north) |
| /ɛː(ɹ)/ ܥܪ (chair) | /ɜː(ɹ)/~/ə(ɹ)/ ܐܸܪ, ◌ܸܪ (nurse) |
| /ɪə(ɹ)/~/ɪ(ɹ)/ ܝܸܪ (near) | /ʊə(ɹ)/ ܘܪ (tour) |
| /jʊə(ɹ)/ ܝܘܪ (cure) | /oː(ɹ)/ ܘܿܘܪ (force) |
Contextual letterforms
In Syriac script, most letters join with each together when forming words. These are the different forms the letters can take when used, arranged by their isolated, final, medial and initial forms:
| /p/ ܦ ܦ ܦ ܦ | /b/ ܒ ܒ ܒ ܒ | /f/ ܦ݂ ܦ݂ ܦ݂ ܦ݂ | /v/ ܒ݂ ܒ݂ ܒ݂ ܒ݂ | /m/ ܡ ܡ ܡ ܡ |
| /t/ ܛ ܛ ܛ ܛ | /d/ ܕ ܕ ܕ ܕ | /θ/ ܬ ܬ ܬ ܬ | /ð/ ܕ݂ ܕ݂ ܕ݂ ܕ݂ | /n/ ܢ ܢ ܢ ܢ |
| /k/ ܩ ܩ ܩ ܩ | /g/ ܓ ܓ ܓ ܓ | /x/ ܚ ܚ ܚ ܚ | /ŋ/ ܟ ܟ ܟ ܟ | |
| /s/ ܣ ܣ ܣ ܣ | /z/ ܙ ܙ ܙ ܙ | /ʃ/ ܫ ܫ ܫ ܫ | /ʒ/ ܙ݂ ܙ݂ ܙ݂ ܙ݂ | |
| /tʃ/ ܨ ܨ ܨ ܨ | /dʒ/ ܔ ܔ ܔ ܔ | |||
| /w/ ܘ ܘ ܘ ܘ | /ɹ/ ܪ ܪ ܪ ܪ | /l/ ܠ ܠ ܠ ܠ | /j/ ܝ ܝ ܝ ܝ | /h/ ܗ ܗ ܗ ܗ |
| /a/ ܐ ܐ ܐ ܐ | /ɛ/ ܥ ܥ ܥ ܥ | /ɪ/ ܝ ܝ ܝ ܝ | /ɔ/ ܘܿ ܘܿ ܘܿ ܘܿ | /ʊ/ ܘ ܘ ܘ ܘ |
| /æ/ ܥܹ ܥܹ ܥܹ ܥܹ | /ə/ ܐܸ ܐܸ ܐܸ ܐܸ | /iː/ ܝܼ ܝܼ ܝܼ ܝܼ | /ɔː/ ܘܿܘܿ ܘܿܘܿ ܘܿܘܿ ܘܿܘܿ | /uː/ ܘܼ ܘܼ ܘܼ ܘܼ |
| /aɪ/ ܐܝ ܐܝ ܐܝ ܐܝ | /eɪ/ ܥܝ ܥܝ ܥܝ ܥܝ | /ɔɪ/ ܘܿܝ ܘܿܝ ܘܿܝ ܘܿܝ | ||
| /aʊ/ ܐܘ ܐܘ ܐܘ ܐܘ | /oʊ/ ܘܿܘ ܘܿܘ ܘܿܘ ܘܿܘ | /juː/ ܝܘ ܝܘ ܝܘ ܝܘ |
Punctuation
Syriac uses reversed versions of Western punctuation, as in Arabic writing.
- Comma: ،
- Semicolon: ؛
- Question mark: ؟
Syllable structure
Unlike most writing systems that run from left to right, Syriac script runs from right to left with many letters that join cursively with each other.
E.g.
- /stɹakt/ = ܣܛܪܵܩܛ (breakdown: ܣ ܛ ܪܵ ܩ ܛ, literally ‘t k ra t s’)
- /stɹɛŋθs/ = ܣܛܪܥܟܬܤ (breakdown: ܣ ܛ ܪ ܥ ܟ ܬ ܤ, literally ‘s th ng e r t s’)
Sample texts
Note: the following text may have incorrect punctuation placement due to inadequate RTL formatting: the full stop is meant to go on the left, instead of the right.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
ܝܘܢܝܒ݂ܸܪܣܸܠ ܕܥܩܠܸܪܥܝܫܸܢ ܘܿܦ݂ ܗܝܘܡܸܢ ܪܵܝܛܤ
ܘܿܠ ܗܝܘܡܸܢ ܒܝܼܟܤ ܐܪ ܒܘܿܪܢ ܦ݂ܪܝܼ ܥܹܢܕ ܝܩܘܐܸܠ ܝܢ ܕܝܓܢܝܛܝ ܥܹܢܕ ܪܵܝܛܤ. ܕ݂ܥܝ ܐܪ ܥܢܕܵܘܕ ܘܝܬ ܪܝܼܙܸܢ ܥܹܢܕ ܩܘܿܢܫܸܢܤ ܥܹܢܕ ܫܘܕ ܥܹܩܛ ܛܘܿܘܸܪܕܤ ܘܵܢ ܐܸܢܵܕ݂ܸܪ ܝܢ ܐܸ ܣܦܝܪܝܛ ܘܿܦ݂ ܒܪܵܕ݂ܸܪܗܘܕ.
(ܐܪܛܝܩܸܠ 1 ܘܿܦ݂ ܕ݂ܝ ܝܘܢܝܒ݂ܸܪܣܸܠ ܕܥܩܠܸܪܥܝܫܸܢ ܘܿܦ݂ ܗܝܘܡܸܢ ܪܵܝܛܤ)
Excerpt from a short story I wrote a while ago
For comparison, you can view the original one here.
ܐܝ ܗܥܹܕ ܐܸ ܣܛܪܥܝܢܔ ܕܪܝܼܡ ܕ݂ܥܹܛ ܢܵܝܛ.
ܝܢ ܕ݂ܥܹܛ ܕܪܝܼܡ، ܐܝ ܦ݂ܵܘܢܕ ܡܵܝܣܥܠܦ݂ ܐܸܘܥܝܩܸܢܝܟ، ܠܵܝܝܟ ܘܿܢ ܣܘܿܦ݂ܛ ܓܪܝܼܢ ܓܪܵܤ، ܝܢ ܐܸ ܦ݂ܥܹܢܛܸܣܝ 8-ܒܝܛ ܘܸܪܠܕ ܣܸܪܵܘܢܕܸܕ ܒܵܝ ܩܘܿܡܦܝܘܛܸܪܤ. ܕ݂ܸ ܠܘܡܝܢܸܢܤ ܘܿܦ݂ ܒܠܝܟܩܝܟ ܡܘܿܘܕܥܡܤ ܥܹܢܕ ܘܘܿܪܡ، ܨܝܐܸܪܦ݂ܘܠ ܨܝܦܛܝܘܢ ܡܝܘܙܝܩ ܦ݂ܝܠܕ ܕ݂ܝ ܥܪ. ܘܿܠܕ݂ܘܿܘ ܥܒ݂ܪܝܬܝܟ ܠܘܩܕ ܒܠܘܿܩܝ ܥܹܢܕ ܣܩܘܥܪ، ܝܛ ܒܪܘܿܘܿܛ ܡܝ ܒܥܹܩ ܛܘ ܕ݂ܘܿܘܙ ܕܥܝܤ. ܘܿܦ݂ ܘܿܠ ܕ݂ܸ ܩܘܿܡܦܝܘܛܸܪܤ ܐܝ ܣܘܿܘܿ، 1 ܘܿܦ݂ ܕ݂ܥܡ ܘܸܤ ܦܠܥܝܝܟ ܡܵܝ ܦ݂ܥܝܒ݂ܪܸܛ ܣܘܿܟ! ܐܝ ܔܵܡܦ ܥܹܢܕ ܠܝܼܦ ܝܢ ܔܘܿܝ ܘܿܘܒ݂ܸܪ ܕ݂ܸ ܣܵܝܛ. ܐܝ ܕ݂ܥܢ ܣܘܿܘܿ ܡܵܝ ܗܵܘܤ، ܥܹܢܕ ܐܝ ܣܥܕ “ܗܵܝ” ܛܘ ܡܵܝ ܒܥܣܛ ܡܥܝܛܤ، ܗܘ ܘܸܪ ܘܥܝܛܝܟ ܐܘܛܣܵܝܕ. ܘܝ ܘܘܿܘܿܩܕ ܛܘܓܥܕ݂ܸܪ، ܗܥܹܒ݂ܝܟ ܐܸ ܨܝܐܸܪܝ ܨܥܹܛ ܐܸܒܵܘܛ ܕ݂ܸ ܩܘܿܡܦܝܘܛܸܪ ܓܥܝܡ ܐܝ ܘܸܤ ܘܸܪܩܝܟ ܘܿܢ ܐܸܪܠܝܐܸܪ.
“ܣܘܿܘ ܘܵܛܤ ܕ݂ܥܹܛ ܩܘܠ ܓܥܝܡ ܓܘܿܢܵ ܒܝ ܐܸܒܵܘܛ، ܥܝ؟” ܘܵܢ ܘܿܦ݂ ܕ݂ܥܡ ܐܣܩܕ.
“ܝܦ݂ ܝܘ ܠܸܒ݂ܕ ܡܵܪܝܘܿܘ، ܝܘܠ ܠܸܒ݂ ܕ݂ܝܤ!” ܐܝ ܣܥܕ.
“ܘܿܘܿܣܸܡ!!! ܩܥܹܢܛ ܘܥܝܛ ܛܘ ܣܝ ܝܛ!” ܝܢܣܵܝܕ ܡܝ ܕ݂ܸ ܦ݂ܵܝܐܸܪ ܛܘ ܩܝܼܦ ܡܝ ܓܘܿܘܝܟ ܒܝܩܥܝܡ ܣܛܪܘܿܟܓܸܪ.
ܘܝ ܘܘܿܘܿܩܕ ܝܢܛܘ ܐܸ ܒ݂ܝܒ݂ܝܕ ܣܵܢܣܥܛ. ܐܝ ܪܥܡܝܢܝܣܕ ܕ݂ܸ ܡܥܡܸܪܝܤ ܘܿܦ݂ ܦܵܣܛ ܣܵܡܸܪܤ، ܦܠܥܝܝܟ ܪܥܛܪܘܿܘ ܒ݂ܝܕܝܘܿܘ ܓܥܝܡܤ ܝܢ ܕ݂ܸ ܩܘܠ ܫܥܝܕ، ܝܒ݂ܸܢ ܕ݂ܘܿܘ ܕ݂ܸ ܣܵܢ ܐܘܛܣܵܝܕ ܦܝܼܩܕ ܥܹܛ 42 ܕܝܓܪܝܼܤ ܥܹܢܕ ܡܥܠܛܸܕ ܥܒ݂ܪܝܬܝܟ ܥܠܤ.
Alternate Script Bureau 