Jelbic alphabets are alphabets used to write the Jelbic languages. Jelbic uses a wide variety of scripts, of which the Selucian (Latin), Tokundian (Cyrillic), Majatran (Arabic), and Nrakti (Armenian) are official.
Selucian[]
The Selucian script is widely regarded as the "neutral" Jelbic script, as it is not closely associated with any Jelbic nation or specific dialect. As such it serves as the writing system for inter-Jelbic communication, international organizations, and scientific writing.
| Selucian | IPA | Phonology |
|---|---|---|
| a | æ | like a in American "pad" |
| à | ǣ | like a in American "pad" but shorter |
| á | ɑː | like ar in "far" |
| b | b | like b in "burn" |
| d | d | like d in "dirt" |
| e | ə | like e in "tell" |
| é | eɪ | like ay in "bay" |
| f | f | like f in "fester" |
| g | ɡʱ | like g in "gurn" |
| h | ɦ | like h in British "ahead" |
| i | ɪ | like i in "instead" |
| í | iː | like ee in "bee" |
| j | j | like y in "yell" |
| k | kʱ | like c in "coal" |
| k | k | like c in "cat" |
| l | ɫ | like l in "milk" |
| m | m | like m in "met" |
| n | n | like n in "burn" |
| o | o̞ | like o in Spanish "todo" |
| p | pʱ | like p in "pen" |
| p | p | like p in "printer" |
| r | r̩ | like r in Czech "krk" |
| s | s | like s in "sit" |
| t | t | like t in "tape" |
| u | u | like u in "mural" |
| v | f | like f in "influence" |
| w | v | like v in "vine" |
| y | ɪ | like i in "bit" |
| z | z̪ | like z in German "zoo" |
Tokundian[]
The Jelbék language usually uses the Tokundian (OOC Cyrillic) alphabet, as a result of Deltarian influence, but it is also frequently written in the Selucian (OOC Latin) alphabet. The letters are named phonetically.
| Tokundian | Selucian | IPA | Phonology |
|---|---|---|---|
| а | a | æ | like a in "pad" |
| б | b | b | like b in "burn" |
| в | w | v | like w in German "Werken" |
| г | g | ɡʱ | like g in "gurn". Breathily voiced. |
| д | d | d | like d in "dirt" |
| е | e | ə | like e in "tell" |
| з | z | z̪ | like z in German "zoo" |
| и | i | ɪ | like i in "instead" |
| й | j | j | like y in "yell" |
| к | k | k | like ch in "mechanism". Aspirated if start of word. |
| л | l | ɫ | like l in "milk" |
| м | m | m | like m in "met" |
| н | n | n | like n in "burn" |
| о | o | o̞ | like o in Spanish "todo" |
| п | p | p | like p in "printer". Aspirated if start of word. |
| р | r | r̩ | like r in Czech "krk" |
| с | s | s | like s in "sit" |
| т | t | t | like t in "tape" |
| у | u | u | like u in "mural" |
| ф | v | f | like f in "influence". Not aspirated. |
| х | h | ɦ | voiced glottal fricative. No English Equivalent |
| ш | sh | ʃ | like sh in "shoe". |
| ѳ | f | 'f | like f in "fester". Aspirated |
| ъ | à | ǣ | like a in "pad" but very short |
| ы | y | ɪ | like y in "synchronised" |
| Ь | j | ʲ | kj is pronounced like k in "key" (as opposed to c in "cook") |
| ә | á | ɑː | like ar in "far" |
| є | é | eɪ | like ay in "bay" |
| ї | í | iː | like ee in "bee" |
| я | ja | ja | like ya in "yak" |
| ѥ | je | je | like ye in "yes" |
| ё | jo | jo | like yo in "Yom Kippur" |
| ю | ju | ju | like "you" |
| џ | c | d͡ʒ | like j in "jam" |
Majatran[]
The Majatran script originated as a variety of the Kathruan alphabet, and it was originally designed for classical Brmék. The Majatran script is written right to left. The appearance of a letter changes depending on its position in a word:
- isolated (in a one-letter word);
- final (in which case it is joined on the right to the preceding letter);
- medial (joined on both sides); and
- initial (joined on the left to the following letter).
Some letters cannot be joined to the left and so do not possess separate medial and initial forms. In medial position, the final form is used. In initial position, the isolated form is used.
| Isolated | Final | Medial | Initial | Name | Selucian equivalent | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ا | ـا | — | eliv | a, á, é | ǣ, ɑː, eɪ | |
| ٵ | ـٵ | — | eliv-hmzé | à, e | æ, ə | |
| ب | ـب | ـبـ | بـ | bé | b | b |
| پ | ـپ | ـپـ | پـ | pé | p | p |
| ت | ـت | ـتـ | تـ | té | t | t |
| ث | ـث | ـثـ | ثـ | fé | f | 'f |
| ج | ـج | ـجـ | جـ | cim | c | d͡ʒ |
| ح | ـح | ـحـ | حـ | ha | h | ɦ |
| د | ـد | — | dal | d | d | |
| ر | ـر | — | ré | r | r̩ | |
| ز | ـز | — | zé | z | z̪ | |
| س | ـس | ـسـ | سـ | sin | s | s |
| ش | ـش | ـشـ | شـ | shin | sh | ʃ |
| ص | ـص | ـصـ | صـ | sad | s | s |
| ط | ـط | ـطـ | طـ | ty | t | t |
| ع | ـع | ـعـ | عـ | gajn | g | ɡʱ |
| ف | ـف | ـفـ | فـ | vé | v | f |
| ق | ـق | ـقـ | قـ | kav | k | k |
| ك | ـك | ـكـ | كـ | kev | k | k |
| ل | ـل | ـلـ | لـ | lam | l | ɫ |
| م | ـم | ـمـ | مـ | mim | m | m |
| ن | ـن | ـنـ | نـ | nun | n | n |
| و | ـو | — | waw | w, o, u | v, o̞, u | |
| ه | ـه | ـهـ | هـ | hé | h, e, à | ɦ, ə, æ |
| ی | ـی | ـیـ | یـ | jé | j, i, í, é | j, ɪ, iː, eɪ |
| ئ | ـئ | ـئـ | ئـ | jé-hmzé | y, e | ɪ, ə |
Nrakti[]
| Nrakti | Selucian | IPA | Phonology |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ը ը | a | ǣ | like a in "pad" |
| Ա ա | á | ɑː | like ar in "far" |
| Ը ը | à | æ | like a in "pad" but very short |
| Բ բ | b | b | like b in "burn" |
| Ջ ջ | c | d͡ʒ | like j in "jam" |
| Դ դ | d | d | like d in "dirt" |
| Ե ե | e | ə | like e in "tell" |
| Է է | é | eɪ | like ay in "bay" |
| Թ թ | f | 'f | like f in "fester". Aspirated. |
| Գ գ | g | ɡʱ | like g in "gurn". Breathily voiced. |
| Հ հ | h | ɦ | voiced glottal fricative. No English Equivalent |
| Ի ի | i | ɪ | like i in "instead" |
| Իյ իյ | í | iː | like ee in "bee" |
| Յ յ | j | j | like y in "yell" |
| Կ կ | k | k | like ch in "mechanism". Aspirated if start of word. |
| Լ լ | l | ɫ | like l in "milk" |
| Մ մ | m | m | like m in "met" |
| Ն ն | n | n | like n in "burn" |
| Ո ո | o | o̞ | like o in Spanish "todo" |
| Պ պ | p | p | like p in "printer". Aspirated if start of word. |
| Ր ր | r | r̩ | like r in Czech "krk" |
| Ս ս | s | s | like s in "sit" |
| Շ շ | sh | ʃ | like sh in "shoe". |
| Տ տ | t | t | like t in "tape" |
| Ու ու | u | u | like u in "mural" |
| Ֆ ֆ | v | f | like f in "influence". Not aspirated. |
| Վ վ | w | v | like w in German "Werken" |
| Ւ ւ | y | ɪ | like y in "synchronised" |
| Զ զ | z | z̪ | like z in German "zoo" |
Jelbék Alphabet[]
The Jelbék Alphabet, derived from cave markings during the initial migration across Majatran, was used for ceremonial purposes, such as names of buildings on signs, names of people for accessories/decorations and titles in formal documents. Although it was used in some printed publications where the Luthorisation of the language was met with xenophobic disdain, this fell out of favour due to the ease with which the Luthori alphabet can be written cursively.
The Alphabet is fairly simple in design, monospaced and could be struck into stone with swift chiselling. It has five segments which are believed to relate to how each sound is projected, voiced, affricated or otherwise modified. Whilst theories differ over which segment relates to which, a unilateral consensus is held that the central horizontal segment denotes a vowel.
Correspondence chart[]
Correspondence chart of official and most widespread writing scripts
| Selucian | Tokundian | Majatran | Nrakti | IPA transcription |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A a | А а | n/a or ا | Ը ը | /æ/ |
| À à | Ъ ъ | n/a or ٵ or ه | Ա ա | /ǣ/ |
| Á á | Ә ә | ا | Ա ա | /ɑː/ |
| B b | Б б | ب | Բ բ | /b/ |
| C c | Џ џ | ج | Ջ ջ | /d͡ʒ/ |
| D d | Д д | د | Դ դ | /d/ |
| E e | Е е | n/a or ٵ or ه or ئ | Ե ե | /ə/ |
| É é | Є є | ا or ی | Է է | /eɪ/ |
| F f | Ѳ ѳ | ث | Թ թ | /'f/ |
| G g | Г г | غ | Գ գ | /ɡʱ/ |
| H h | Х х | ح or ه | Հ հ | /ɦ/ |
| I i | И и | n/a or ی | Ի ի | /ɪ/ |
| Í í | Ї ї | ی | Իյ իյ | /iː/ |
| J j | Й й | ی | Յ յ | /j/ |
| Ja ja | Я я | یا | Յը յը | /ja/ |
| Je je | Ѥ ѥ | یه | Յե յե | /je/ |
| Jo jo | Ё ё | یو | Յո յո | /jo/ |
| Ju ju | Ю ю | یو | Յու յու | /ju/ |
| K k | К к | ق or ك | Կ կ | /k/ |
| L l | Л л | ل | Լ լ | /ɫ/ |
| M m | М м | م | Մ մ | /m/ |
| N n | Н н | ن | Ն ն | /n/ |
| O o | О о | n/a or و | Ո ո | /o̞/ |
| P p | П п | پ | Պ պ | /p/ |
| R r | Р р | ر | Ր ր | /r̩/ |
| S s | С с | س or ص | Ս ս | /s/ |
| Sh sh | Ш ш | ش | Շ շ | /ʃ/ |
| T t | Т т | ط | Տ տ | /t/ |
| U u | У у | n/a or و | Ու ու | /u/ |
| V v | Ф ф | ف | Ֆ ֆ | /f/ |
| W w | В в | و | Վ վ | /v/ |
| Y y | Ы ы | n/a or ئ | Ւ ւ | /ɪ/ |
| Z z | З з | ز | Զ զ | /z̪/ |