Somewhere I belong: Non-abugidic alphasyllabaries, non-alphasyllabic abugidas and their typological classification

Abstract

<p>Since their coinage a quarter-century ago, the terms <i>abugida</i> and <i>alphasyllabary</i> (Daniels & Bright, 1996; Bright, 1999) have revolutionised our conceptualisation of writing systems. Together with alphabet, these terms have proven invaluable in understanding and classifying subtypes of segmentaries—writing systems whose grain size is the phonological segment (Gnanadesikan, 2017). Nevertheless, there remain areas of ambiguity. While segmentaries that are neither abugidas nor alphasyllabaries are usually classified as alphabets, those that are either abugidas or alphasyllabaries—but not both—may be classified under various labels, and inconsistently so. Adding to the mix is the concept of akshara, which, depending on interpretation, may form a distinct typological category or a subset of an existing one. While Gnanadesikan (2017) has made significant strides in refining and constraining the above typological categories and associated terminology, she also highlights the need for additional research, for instance, on the appropriate classification of Canadian Syllabics-based writing systems. Moreover, certain writing systems such as Braille-based ones are only rarely covered from the perspective of writing system typology (Sproat, 2010), despite the potential they carry to inform our understanding of the field.</p> Using Gnanadesikan’s (2017) typological classification of segmentaries as the point of departure, this talk proposes an augmented classification of vowelled segmentaries based on various graphe(ma)tic criteria. The classification is illustrated by applying it to various writing systems, including homoscriptal ones that are typologically distinct, as well as lesser studied ones. Particular attention will be paid to the classification of writing systems of unsettled typological status, and the justification for their classification. The talk concludes by identifying potential avenues for further refinement and inquiry.