₦airaland Forum

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:
Sounds like a plan, and I guess you're right about SPILC. Right, so I tried finding a way to type with the svg downloads but i can't. How do you type using Nisibiri and Akagu?

At the moment I'm just using a Latin type face which is quite limited.

ChinenyeN:
I truly am of the opinion that Nigerians back home will trivialize the effort. Maybe I'm wrong (and I would hope to be wrong), but I feel that your best audience would be diasporan Igbo and Cross Rivers peoples (youth in particular).
Nonetheless, I understand the importance of having this sink in and permeate back home.

That's what I suspect. I think this project is radical enough to pique interests. I can see at as something younger kids may be interested in and if I can convey the benefits then it can slowly pick up as a way of communicating Igbo. I think the perception of the project also rests on me and my representation. Either way I think I can rely on the diaspora to fall back on.

Okay, I think they should be left alone.

.

Ihuomadinihu:
Ok. In that case,Akagu is modelled after English?

It's modelled on Igbo.

AfricanGod2:
Odensibiri how would one write 1 - 100, and what's 200, 500, 600, 700...1000 1000 000, 1 000 000 000

With the Hindu numbers since they are the most practical and virtually all writing systems use them including Arabic script and Chinese hanzi. There are nsibiri characters for some digits and the names of numbers, like a character for nnari or oguise (depending on your dialect).

AfricanGod2:
Organizations like this http://nsibidiinstitute.org/about/our-vision/ , the ministries of culture and education of the Seastern states and that of the FG, and Lagos; the AU: http://www.acalan.org/eng/about_acalan/about_acalan.php, SPILC, Ohanaeze, http://www.worldigbocongress.com/, Nairaland, the art associations and literary foundations of Nigeria, writers like Wole Shoyinka and Chimamanda, university professors, and the numerous Igbo unions accross the country and the world. If Nsibidi is as good as you say it is, then by the time you've exhausted this list you would have found a platform ready to fund the teaching of the new script to those who want to learn. It's hardly realistic to expect widespread learning or participation when the only platform available is a blog online, or when you're the only one teaching, so I wish you the best. In the meantime, I eagerly await your posts on NL.

I think those will come about if I was a position to go 100% on the project. If the SPILC were active (I'm not sure they have headquarters or are still active) and relevant, of course I would have got in touch, but I've found there's little 'regulation' of the Igbo language out of WAEC if at all. Right now I'm okay with slowly building up an audience who are at least interested.

Ihuomadinihu:
Am very interested in this. I don't understand why we couldn't retain our writing system,the white man came and everything was cast away. Apart from Nsibidi,am meant to understand that similar writing systems existed in the past. @Op,thanks,i will certainly go through the sites. I think Akagu is less complex unlike Nsibidi.

Yes, akagu is an alphabet, while nsibiri is a set of 1400 characters.

AfricanGod2:
I gave writing a shot after reading the material on your blog . The akagu certainly lends itself to writing but I haven't tried the Nsibiri which may be helped by an alphabetical list.
btw I can't speak Igbo.

And about the launch thing, yes in a way you've launched it, but you've not officially lauched it. An analogy would be launching a TV channel then afterwards holding an official event that's made public where the channel is introduced to the public. Something that usually involves performances and speeches, and also usually ends up published in a newspaper or two or more

That looks great. I'm going to make a more detailed guide on akagu. I see what you mean by launch.

.

Akagu alphabet, the greyed boxes contain sounds/characters with tones:

[img]http://1.bp..com/-71aqpuVrSks/TmLaTsVOVMI/AAAAAAAAAi0/UDfMzYcJGqw/s1600/Igbo%2Balphabet.jpg[/img]

Sample text:

https://lh3.ggpht.com/-hxqvdWsWc0I/VDe7gJEDedI/AAAAAAAAANo/imZvxt7pLEc/s1600/Echi%252520Di%252520Ime.jpg

The full character table of nsibiri:

[img]http://3.bp..com/-k_hAzNCbJ2s/UyyXV-fQmSI/AAAAAAAABMI/0QYjicO_KCM/s1600/Ule+Nsibidi.png[/img]

ChinenyeN:
This was going to be the focus of my follow-up question. Anyway, this essentially means that Akagu sits in the private-use area. That's still progress. Is the character set downloadable?

The vectorised character set can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6nhxvartf1xv6g6/Akagu%20zuru.svg?dl=0
And nsibiri: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9z4stgr19i7ga0h/Ule%20Nsibidi.svg?dl=0

Yes, the script will have to build up moment which I believe is happening. There's interest there, the main focus of the project has always been on people in Nigeria who use Igbo daily because they either have to or that's all they really have (apart from pigeon), rather than the diaspora interest that's happening now. The reason why it's taking time is because I'm not in Nigeria right now.

AfricanGod2:
@odensibiri The system hasn't been officially launched, it's inventor hasn't begun teaching it, and it still seems to be in development so a unicode encoding seems a long way off. Being optimistic, let's say after it is launched it takes the same time to get as many users as Mwangwego (launched in 2003) now has. Using that time frame, it may be another 10 to 15 years before anyone can make a successful proposal.
*modified*
Do you know when and how this script is going to be launched?

The project was put out in the open for others to contribute. The script is already launched in my opinion, it's supposed to be viewed as a continuity with nsibidi anyway. I believe the time scale of the project all depends on how the script would be received on ground in south eastern Nigeria and not just people say 'hmm, that's interesting' but actually engaging it and I think that would be achieved by proving how writing and reading Igbo would be better in this script especially for lengthy reading (not just Engligbo mobile texts). The rules are laid out as well, the remaining thing is editing the ikpo Nsibidi, and there are nsibiri character combinations that form specific words which would develop over time.

The main 'propaganda' I guess is with the aesthetic beauty of the characters and the heritage/nationalism behind it. Every time I write Igbo I stop and wish this project was on my system and widely understood because of various factors, so that's how I know this script is good.

I believe with nsibidi being popular among African scripts the unicodes process wouldn't take as long.

I would eventually like to open a unicode proposal for nsibiri and akagu, but there needs to be wide spread use as that is one of the evidences needed to meet the criteria: http://www.unicode.org/pending/proposals.html

adewaletb3:
Black mamba in nigeria. What are you saying bro. I am a snake loving person. All my life I have never seen a black mamba in Nigeria before. Please don't scare the public

This is the BBC's Black Mamba species range map:

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/naturelibrary/images/ic/464x261/b/bl/black_mamba/black_mamba_map.gif
via: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Black_mamba

That looks like it may be a Black Mamba, one of the deadliest snakes in the world. You should tan the skin and make it into a nice accessory.

AfricanGod2:
how do I get the Akagu typing interface, appstore? And is nsibidi in type yet?

The typing is in an akagu demo fontface for latin. To get the characters into unicode there has to be widespread publishing in the script.

ChinenyeN:
Two questions:
1. Where is the downloadable for the type?
2. How exactly was this encoded?

The type is just a demo font face for Latin.

Richards22:
how can I get one with my name on it and how much is it?

From the UK, they are limited edition from the Owu brand (only 10 of each) so N9400 with postage.

These t-shirts from http://owu.bigcartel.com were designed with nsibidi symbols which was the writing system in eastern Nigeria. What do you think? More info here: https://www.nairaland.com/2316663/igbo-writing

https://s5.postimg.org/adrhfov0n/May_2015_05.png https://s5.postimg.org/gsqicd1qf/May_2015_28.png https://s5.postimg.org/hkt6bk5xj/May_2015_41.png

Akagu is now in type.

https://33.media.tumblr.com/0eb1788a553769287ec21b95ec3811f5/tumblr_nocx7nlpvq1qj6lm4o1_500.gif

Ndewo, a chọm ị nye unu nsogbu, ma m kere thread nke na gọsiri ihe odide na asusu Igbo nga: https://www.nairaland.com/2316663/igbo-writing

This is the nsibiri symbol for love:

https://s5.postimg.org/qek2snsw7/akagu_avatar_Artboard_38.png

First two lessons:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAiCeaPwa3Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KIDfcqtf-k

There are also shirts in the writing system available @ http://owu.bigcartel.com like the one below:

https://s5.postimg.org/adrhfov0n/May_2015_05.png https://s5.postimg.org/gsqicd1qf/May_2015_28.png

Hello Everyone, a new writing system for Igbo has been in development over at the nsibiri blog: http://nsibiri..co.uk There are two parts to the system a logographic symbols called nsibiri and an alphabet called akagu.

The image below is a sample diary written in the nsibiri-akagu Igbo writing system on March 2015.

https://s14.postimg.org/bmhxnlxlt/tumblr_nn2mobl_HQg1qj6lm4o1_500.jpg