Venda Language - Writing System

Writing System

The Venda language uses the Latin alphabet with five additional accented letters—there are four dental consonants with circumflex below the letter (ḓ, ḽ, ṋ, ṱ) and an overdot for velar . Five vowel letters are used to write seven vowels. The letters C, J and Q are used only in quoting foreign words and names.

The Venda alphabet
A a B b (C c) D d Ḓ ḓ E e F f G g
H h I i (J j) K k L l Ḽ ḽ M m N n
Ṋ ṋ Ṅ ṅ O o P p (Q q) R r S s T t
Ṱ ṱ U u V v W w X x Y y Z z

Venda distinguishes dental ṱ, ṱh, ḓ, ṋ, ḽ from alveolar t, th, d, n, l, as well as (like Ewe) labiodental f, v from bilabial fh, vh (the latter are slightly rounded). There are no clicks; x has the sound of ch in loch or Bach. As in other South African languages like Zulu, ph, ṱh, th, kh are aspirated, p, ṱ, t, k ejective.

t̪ʰ kʷʰ
t̪ʼ pʷʼ
b d ɡ
pfʰ tsʰ tsʷʰ tʃʰ
bv dz dzʷ
ɸ f s ʃ x h
β v z ʒ
m n ɲ ŋ ŋʷ
l
r
j w

There is fortition of /ɸ β s ʃ x h l̪ l r w/ after nasal prefixes, likely to .

letter(s) value(s) in IPA notes
a ,
b
bv
bw or Varies by dialect
d
dz
dzh Similar to English "j"
dzw
e ,
f
fh
g
h , Pronounced before e.
hw
i
k
kh
khw
l
m , M is syllabic, when the following syllable begins with m.
n , N is syllabic, when the following syllable begins with n.
ng
ny
nz
ṅw
o ,
p
ph
pf
pfh
r
s
sh
sw
t
th
ts
tsh
tsw
ty
ṱh
u
v
vh
w
x Similar to the ch in Scottish 'loch.'
xw
y
z
zh
zw

Read more about this topic:  Venda Language

Famous quotes containing the words writing and/or system:

    Historians desiring to write the actions of men, ought to set down the simple truth, and not say anything for love or hatred; also to choose such an opportunity for writing as it may be lawful to think what they will, and write what they think, which is a rare happiness of the time.
    Sir Walter Raleigh (1552–1618)

    All who wish to hand down to their children that happy republican system bequeathed to them by their revolutionary fathers, must now take their stand against this consolidating, corrupting money power, and put it down, or their children will become hewers of wood and drawers of water to this aristocratic ragocracy.
    Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)