Date of Award

2023

First Advisor

Nancy Bonvillain

Second Advisor

Monk Schane-Lydon

Abstract

English orthography is frequently maligned and very irregular. Despite this, attempts to reform the system have very rarely succeeded, mostly for good reason. Although it is difficult to learn, its irregularities are actually generally beneficial for the reader, providing distinctive and recognizable word outlines and distinguishing homophones. Although I do not disagree that a wholly new writing system for English will never be widely accepted and is completely unnecessary, I have nevertheless designed one, as the idea of doing so excited me. To do so, I eschewed researching previous attempts to reinvent the English writing system, and instead looked to examples of great writing systems for other languages, namely Hangul (Korean), and the Cree Syllabary (Cree). Despite being invented in the 1500s, Hangul constitutes a remarkably scientific understanding of Korean phonology in the design of its characters. As well, it sorts these characters into blocks based on syllables, which, in addition to being greatly unusual, confers many benefits to readers and writers of the system. In spite of its name, the Cree Syllabary features more analytical features than a typically syllabary, including the rotation of consonant characters to derive different vowels following them. After describing these systems, I explain the system of my own invention, Lamorian.

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