Neha Patil (Editor)

Kpelle syllabary

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Type
  
Time period
  
1935–?

ISO 15924
  
Kpel, 436

Languages
  
Kpelle language

Direction
  
Left-to-right

The Kpelle syllabary was invented c. 1935 by Chief Gbili of Sanoyie, Liberia. It was intended for writing the Kpelle language, a member of the Mande group of Niger-Congo languages spoken by about 490,000 people in Liberia and around 300,000 people in Guinea.

The syllabary consists of 88 graphemes and is written from left to right in horizontal rows. Many of the glyphs have more than one form.

It was used to some extent by speakers of Kpelle in Liberia and Guinea during the 1930s and early 1940s but never achieved popular acceptance. It has been classed as a failed script.

Today Kpelle is written with a version of the Latin alphabet.

References

Kpelle syllabary Wikipedia


Similar Topics