Reúhel Writing System, Part I

This is the first part of the writing system used by the people of Reústma and Kurrana in my novel The Way of the Shadow Blade. I know there might seem to be kind of an irony to developing this stuff so far considering that like most of the main characters, Erik is illiterate. Still, it's very likely that he, Michael, and some others have heard things about how this writing system works, so I felt it deserved to be developed.

This is the first (and main) part of the Reúhel writing system; the other part is the pictographs (click here to view).

Those of you who have never been exposed to this kind of system may need a little help getting the hang of it, so please bear with me. If you are familiar with languages from India or other countries in that area, you can skip most of this explanation.

SO...this kind of writing system is called an abugida or syllabic alphabet, but I'm going to be using "abugida" because it's shorter. Unlike the Erekett-Aramansch alphabet I already made, which works mostly like the Latin alphabet, the only "letters" in this system are consonants. An unmarked consonant is assumed to have an "e" (pronunciation issues below). Consonants with any markings take the vowels indicated on the sheet, or in the case of a "mute" mark, there is no vowel following it, meaning it's just a consonant only. Also, note the assumed "h" that occurs before an initial "l," "r," and "v," ("y" in some dialects as well, making the letter yut sound like hyut) because the Reúhel usually cannot pronounce these letters alone at the start of a word. (The exception is sometimes after a word that ended in a vowel, and usually when the first syllable of the new word is not accented--which is what happened to "lokiye".) The letter hai is not to be included at the start of these words, but is pronounced always.

The number system is rather complicated, if you look at the examples for how a number like "211" is written. For this reason, some of the seafaring merchants and others dealing with overseas trade have taken to using Aramansch numbers written horizontally. However, this is highly discouraged and government officials and nobles have been known to fine people if they're caught. The reason for this is that after a history of invasions that threatened their language and culture, they are very sensitive about the "invasion" of foreign material into their culture. I should note that they don't mind foreign merchants using their own language, but to do business as a citizen one must use proper Reúhel for recordkeeping. (What may happen in several centuries, though, is up in the air considering the power of the Erekett nations.)

Reúhel is usually written with a brush similar to a Japanese sumi brush, as opposed to Aramansch quill--at this time, the Reúhel way is spreading as a novelty in the noble courts in Erekett nations, because a quill pen is not the easiest thing to work with maintenance-wise! (I didn't use a brush, but approximated what the strokes would look like.)


PRONUNCIATION:

a = "ah"
ai = "eye"
b = soft "b" as in Spanish
d = soft "d"
dh = pronounced like "th" in "this"

e = Accented: something like an English short "e" slurred into an "oo" sound. To pronounce, start with an "eh" and then round your lips. This is a long vowel in duration when accented, so don't worry about drawing it out a bit as you learn. Non-accented pronounced as a simple "eh" (as in "Willen").

ey = as in "hey"
eú = must be separated out to distinguish from "e"
f = "f" as in "far"
g = as in "get", pronounced softly
h = as in "hat", gently breathed
i = as in "bit"
iy = "ee"
k = as in "keep"
l = similar to Spanish
m = as in "meet"
n = as in "net"
o = as in "boat"
p = as in "pet", pronounced softly
r = trilled "r"
rr = strongly trilled "r"
s = as in "set"
sh = as in "share"
t = as in "team", softly pronounced
th = "th" as in "math"
u = pronounced as in "boot" when accented, sometimes like "put" when unaccented
v = as in "vet"
w = as in "will"
y = as in "yet"
z = as in "zed"
zh = "j" as in French "jour"


(P.S.: If you speak Hindi or any other language using the Devanagari or similar alphabet, be careful with this--don't try to combine consonant symbols into one! Also remember that the inherent vowel is different in Reúhel than in Hindi, and do not forget that the initial "h" is assumed and not written for some letters.)

The Way of the Shadow Blade is (c) to Minstrel Ayreon.