Hharmari Writing System
Hake (ne merluch) and spondylus (no spondilo) written with Hharmari script.
I've been developing a writing system for fun. This is the first draft!
The Hharmari writing system uses an abugida, so consonants are typically grouped together with vowels. The consonants tend to be the primary part, and the vowels are usually written above them as diacritics, though they can also stand on their own.
To show how that looks, here is a Latin linear transcription, a Latin stacked transcription, and Hharmari script.
Hharmari can be used to represent many (but not all) sounds from Spanish and English. On the left of the table is how you would transcribe each symbol in Latin script. Then, there are the IPA symbols, and a Spanish or English example. Finally, you can see the Hharmari letters in the columns labeled 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. These slots represent a "form" in a sound group, and later, I'll show how and why you can switch between one form and another.
The dotted circle ◌ represents the spot where the primary, non-diacritic letter (usually a consonant) goes.
| Latin | IPA | Spanish/English* Example | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Ai Au | a aɪ au | paso / price* / automóvil |  |
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| P B | p b/β | pato / bebé |  |
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| T D Dh | t d/ð ð | atar / dedo / this* |  |
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| E Ei | e ei | peso / rey |  |
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| V F | v f | faro / leave* |  |
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| K G | k ɡ | kilo / lengua |  |
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| Hh H Th | x h θ | EU Spanish ojo, Scottish loch* / hello / thing* |  |
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| I Y Ih | i j ɪ | piso / yes* / sing* |  |
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| X J Jh | ks dʒ ʒ | exit* / jive* / pleasure* |  |
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| R Rr L | ɾ r l | caro, American atom* / carro* / luna* |  |
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| N M | n m | sin / meta |  |
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| O A' U' | o ʌ ʊ | poso / sung* / hook* |  |
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| S Z | s z | casa / zoo* |  |
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| U W | u w | puso / web |  |
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| Ch Sh | tʃ ʃ | chico / shy* |  |
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| Ny Ng | ɲ ŋ | caña / sing* |  |
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| Lone Vowel Holder | Used if a vowel is not above a consonant, and the vowel does not have a non-diacritic form. |  |
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| Form Modifier | Optional, used to change the pronunciation of a letter to another form if the shape of the "wrong" letter is subjectively more pleasing in context. |  |
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Generally, you want to stack vowels on consonants. You can stack consonants on consonants too, but you shouldn't stack consonants on vowels, as this will create stacks that are too high.
Aside from that rule, how you choose to transcribe a word is up to you. You can transcribe things phonetically, or you may find it easier to transcribe things literally, so it looks like a disemvoweled version of the source language.
To wrap things up, here is my username transcribed phonetically in three different ways. The first one is a Latin stacked version, the second one is Hharmari with unmodified forms, and the third one is Hharmari with forms that have been modified so that the curves of the letters all point to the right.
Maybe you'd like to try transcribing your name as well?