.

AfricanGod2:


Can you explain how that works, or help me out with resources to learn how to implement it.

This means the encoding is the same as what we're typing with now as opposed to a complete new character set. It's just a font face whereas a proper encoding would mean you could design keyboard and input preferences for the specific writing system, for example you can't google a specific type face but you can google '日本語' and the characters will show up with the same shape.

Right now I'm just developing the font face to make it easier to type, although nsibiri characters will have to be manually added into the writing as images. When I've made sure the font file is complete (and won't break your computer) I'll make it available to download.

AfricanGod2:
Culled from http://nihongoshark.com/the-japanese-writing-system/

Good one. Hopefully the fact that there are only 1400 nsibiri characters as opposed to 3000+ in Japanese kanji and 8000+ in Chinese hanzi will help learning.

Thanks for your reply regarding the font face odensibiri. I have another question, and it stems from the fact that I can't speak Igbo. While writing the pseudo Kanji post I noticed Chiemeka was split into Chi e me ka, meaning Ka on it's own is a word right? But looking up the symbol for ka on the scribd list the Akagu listed there doesn't say that the Nsibidi character representing ka is pronounced as ka, instead it says it's pronounced as chie, and can form Ichie (gods according to GTranslate) and two variants of Ochie (Old according to GT). Does this mean Chiemeka is one word on it's own, and so changes the sounds of the characters that form it, or is Ka a separate word and I just don't understand?

One way to explain this might be to break up the meaning of Chiemeka and explain how each meaning matches the Nsibidi characters.

AfricanGod2, excellent pseudo Kanji post. That post shows that the initiative is doable. It just simply needs a medium for dissemination. Anyway, I would hope that I am wrong about my earlier assertion, but for the time being it seems difficult to conceive otherwise. In simple terms, I believe that the diaspora remains biggest asset in this initiative.

ChinenyeN:
AfricanGod2, excellent pseudo Kanji post. That post shows that the initiative is doable. It just simply needs a medium for dissemination. Anyway, I would hope that I am wrong about my earlier assertion, but for the time being it seems difficult to conceive otherwise. In simple terms, I believe that the diaspora remains biggest asset in this initiative.

I'll shift it to the first page, that way it's most helpful if this thread makes fp.

*modified*
Odensibiri you can take down any material my post makes redundant.

Wow extraordinary

Fulaman198:
Wow extraordinary

You're a mod right? Do you think this Nsibidi learning thread is good enough for fp?

AfricanGod2:


You're a mod right? Do you think this Nsibidi learning thread is good enough for fp?

Yeah I've requested that it should be on the front-page. Hopefully super mods listen

AfricanGod2:
Thanks for your reply regarding the font face odensibiri. I have another question, and it stems from the fact that I can't speak Igbo. While writing the pseudo Kanji post I noticed Chiemeka was split into Chi e me ka, meaning Ka on it's own is a word right? But looking up the symbol for ka on the scribd list the Akagu listed there doesn't say that the Nsibidi character representing ka is pronounced as ka, instead it says it's pronounced as chie, and can form Ichie (gods according to GTranslate) and two variants of Ochie (Old according to GT). Does this mean Chiemeka is one word on it's own, and so changes the sounds of the characters that form it, or is Ka a separate word and I just don't understand?

One way to explain this might be to break up the meaning of Chiemeka and explain how each meaning matches the Nsibidi characters.

The symbol for 'ká' 'greater than' is from an older version of the script. I wasn't sure how to represent possible affixes (now they're completely in akagu and those symbols elided) and even then that was a test and it would be replaced with the character for 'ká' as in 'Chi' (spirit, nsibiri) + ẹ̀ (affix 'to be', akagu) + mẹ́ ('do, act', nsibiri) + ká ('greater than, surpass', nsibiri). Sorry for the confusion.

One of the reasons I wanted people in Igbo-speaking areas to be the ones that engage with it the most was so that the characters were modified (as in sound and grammar) to their languages, so that people can write nsibiri in that Igbo language. If you look at my 'Ikpo nsibiri' you'll see I've used a range of dialects as it is not based on any particular dialect. That was presumably one of the advantage of nsibiri, intelligibility between broader forms of Igbo thus eliminating the need for a rigid literary standard for Igbo. Most probably know what I may be talking about, but for example of those who don't speak Igbo an example would be (in random forms) with the word for 'thing', in various forms as: 'ihnye', 'ife', 'hnye', 'hẹ', 'hen', 'fe', and so one, all of these words would be represented by one character. Of course, the range of this intelligibility would be uncertain sometimes because of the grammar of the various form.

Apart from that, if there's a sizeable group of people churning out literature in Igbo, the point of this project, then i don't mind where they are because the chances are they'll inevitably impact other Igbo speakers from other areas if, for example, a piece of literature goes big and/or the writing system goes fashionable. I also take the advice of reaching out to Igbo organisations, whatever influence they have. I could get support from the stance of nsibiri being a part of the cultural heritage of Igbo people so people won't see it as much as someone 'making something up'. My mission is also to spread the characters to Cross River languages (maybe a version of akagu for those languages can be created as akagu is specifically designed for Igbo).

odensibiri:

The symbol for 'ká' 'greater than' is from an older version of the script. I wasn't sure how to represent possible affixes (now they're completely in akagu and those symbols elided) and even then that was a test and it would be replaced with the character for 'ká' as in 'Chi' (spirit, nsibiri) + ẹ̀ (affix 'to be', akagu) + mẹ́ ('do, act', nsibiri) + ká ('greater than, surpass', nsibiri). Sorry for the confusion.

As is found in this list. Got it. Three more questions:
a) How are Igbo affixes identified
b) Are all affixes written with Akagu (what are the rules?....in simple English Mr Genius )
c) from the broken down Chiemeka, it seems to mean: A spirit (God) will do greater things. Is this correct?

[img]http://2.bp..com/-IutX8lq5sOM/UtxpPBxFD3I/AAAAAAAABL4/oUhKdqvUE_Q/s1600/Aha+Igbo.png[/img]

odensibiri:
One of the reasons I wanted people in Igbo-speaking areas to be the ones that engage with it the most was so that the characters were modified (as in sound and grammar) to their languages, so that people can write nsibiri in that Igbo language. If you look at my 'Ikpo nsibiri' you'll see I've used a range of dialects as it is not based on any particular dialect. That was presumably one of the advantage of nsibiri, intelligibility between broader forms of Igbo thus eliminating the need for a rigid literary standard for Igbo. Most probably know what I may be talking about, but for example of those who don't speak Igbo an example would be (in random forms) with the word for 'thing', in various forms as: 'ihnye', 'ife', 'hnye', 'hẹ', 'hen', 'fe', and so one, all of these words would be represented by one character. Of course, the range of this intelligibility would be uncertain sometimes because of the grammar of the various form.

I see what you mean about the character modification. It'll function similarly to the Hanzi which allows speakers of the Cantonese and Mandarin dialects to understand the same script. ...I never knew Igbo dialects varied so widely, though I remember something about Achebe speaking about avoiding dialectal imperialism.

.

.

Not bad , not bad.

The Vai people of Liberia had a similar system for writing too.

Good one OP.

This is great. God Bless You Immensely

Hmmmm

that awkward moment when we have to design our own os.

tohpahz:
Hmmmm

hasn't d votin started yet?

tochstorm:
that awkward moment when we have to design our own os.

cos windows does not support nsibiri and akago. * powers on my programming machine, cracks my knucklea* here goes nothing!

Nna ehn, hapu that thing biko. The normal Asusu-Igbo self osirike to write not to talk of nka.

All I see is Chinese

Some of the preceding posts are clear examples of what I mean by Nigerians trivializing the initiative.

Very educative.

Subscribing immediately.

Spirit writing!

timilehing:
Nna ehn, hapu that thing biko. The normal Asusu-Igbo self osirike to write not to talk of nka.

As in ehnnn very strong

this will have a superb advantage! but spreading it will be tough.

if only we had a reasonable governance or leadership, this is something that can be introduced into the school systems in the east at least. and even made a major or elective in the universities.

timpaker:
All I see is Chinese

It is not Chinese....it isn't even similar to Chinese Script..

Be happy that at least one Nigerian tribe is developing its indigenous writing system...and modernizing it...the same way the Japanese did it decades ago.

And Nsidibi existed long before the colonial period.