Mablic script
| Mablic 9hplagled | |
|---|---|
 Mablic script | |
| Type | Alphabet |
| Languages | Mablic |
| Creator | Paephhmai (allegedly) |
Time period | c. 1113 CE - Present |
The Mablic script (Mablic: 9hplagled, Hmaephla klet [m̥āpʰlà klɛ̀t]) is an alphabetic writing system used to write Mablic and other Prra-Blen languages, as well as the Xemxi languages. According to legend, it was developed around 1113 CE by Paephhmai, the third king of Hneing (an early Mablic Kingdom). The system has 18 base letter forms and 6 diacritics, that combine into 43 distinct letters, though the official alphabet lists 28 letters.
The Mablic script has developed a set of extended symbols: 7 base letter forms and 6 diacritics (mostly the same ones used in Mablic proper), that combine into 15 distinct letters, though the official extended alphabet lists 13 letters. It is used to write other Prra-Blen languages and the Xemxi languages, which have sounds that do not exist in Mablic. Though the alphabet has been in use for hundreds of years, it is traditionally not considered part of the Mablic alphabet.
Alphabet
Alphabet
| Letter | Name | Pronunciation (Mablic) | Pronunciation (Deyab) | Pronunciation (Aysaung) | Pronunciation (North Xemxi) | Pronunciation (South Xemxi) | Pronunciation (Ghonggi) | Romanization (Mablic; DLR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| b | pwer | /p ~ b/ | /p ~ b/ | /b/ | /p/ | /b/ | /b/ | p |
| p | pwer hnoi | /pʰ ~ p/ | /pʰ ~ p/ | /p/ | - | /p/ | /p/ | ph |
| d | tloung | /t ~ d/ | /t ~ d/ | /d/ | /t/ | /d/ | /d/ | t |
| t | tloung hnoi | /tʰ ~ t/ | /tʰ ~ t/ | /t/ | - | /t/ | /t/ | th |
| g | kyeum | /k ~ g/ | /k ~ g/ | /g/ | /k/ | /g/ | /g/ | k |
| k | kyeum hnoi | /kʰ ~ k/ | /kʰ ~ k/ | /k/ | - | /k/ | /k/ | kh |
| m | mik | /m/ | /m/ | /m/ | /m/ | /m/ | /m/ | m |
| 9 | mik ngienh | /m̥/ | - | - | - | - | - | hm |
| n | neiw | /n/ | /n/ | /n/ | /n/ | /n/ | /n/ | n |
| ( | neiw ngienh | /n̥/ | - | - | - | - | - | hn |
| q | ngeu | /ŋ/ | /ŋ/ | /ŋ/ | /ŋ/ | /ŋ/ | - | ng |
| & | ngeu ngienh | /ŋ̊/ | - | - | - | - | - | hng |
| x | nhoen | /ɴ/ | /ɲ/ | - | - | - | /ɴ/ | nh |
| 8 | nhoen ngienh | /ɴ̥/ | - | - | - | - | - | hnh |
| j | chouw | /t͡ɕ/ | /ɕ/ | /d͡ʒ/ | /ʃ/ | /d͡ʒ/ | /ɟ/ | ch |
| c | chouw hnoi | /t͡ɕʰ/ | /ɕʰ/ | /t͡ʃ/ | - | /t͡ʃ/ | /c/ | chh |
| z | tsiey | /t͡s/ | /s/ | /d͡z/ | /s/ | /z/ | /d͡z/ | ts |
| s | tsiey hnoi | /t͡sʰ/ | /sʰ/ | /t͡s/ | - | /s/ | /t͡s/ | tsh |
| l | loehm | /l/ | - | /l/ | /l/ | /l/ | /l/ | l |
| w | woik | /w/ | /w/ | /w/ | /w/ | /w/ | /w/ | w |
| r | renh | /ɾ ~ ɹ/ | /r/ | /ɾ ~ ɹ/ | /ʝ/ | /ʁ/ | /ɣ/ | r |
| ) | rriiy | /r/ | - | - | - | - | - | rr |
| y | yeik | /j/ | /j/ | /j/ | /j/ | /j ~ ʲ/ | /j/ | y |
| a | anh | /à ~ a/ | /a/ | /a/ | /a/ | /a/ | /a/ | a |
| u | ut | /ù ~ u/ | /u/ | /u/ | /u/ | /u/ | /u/ | u |
| e | eng | /ɛ̀ ~ ɛ ~ e/ | /e/ | /ɛ/ | /ɛ/ | /ɛ/ | /ɛ ~ e/ | e |
| i | ing | /ì ~ i ~ ɪ/ | /i/ | /i/ | /i/ | /i/ | /i ~ ɪ/ | i |
| o | onh | /ɯ̀ ~ ɯ/ | /ɯ/ | /ɯ/ | /o/ | /o/ | /o ~ ɔ/ | o |
| Extended letters | ||||||||
| Letter | Name | Pronunciation (Mablic) | Pronunciation (Deyab) | Pronunciation (Aysaung) | Pronunciation (North Xemxi) | Pronunciation (South Xemxi) | Pronunciation (Ghonggi) | Romanization (Various) |
| c | cau | - | /ʔ/ | - | /ʔ/ | /ʔ/ | /ʔ/ | ', c |
| e | ən | - | /ə/ | /ɤ/ | /ə/ | /ə/ | /ə/ | ə, oo, é |
| h | ha | - | /x/ | - | /h/ | /h/ | /h/ | x, h |
| x | xa | - | - | - | /x/ | /x/ | /x/ | x |
| s | sa | - | - | /s/ | - | - | /s/ | s |
| z | za | - | - | /z/ | - | - | - | z |
| 0 | sha | - | - | /ʃ/ | - | /ʃ/ | - | sh |
| 1 | zha | - | - | /ʒ/ | - | - | - | zh |
| f | fa | - | - | /f/ | /ɸ/ | /f/ | /f/ | f |
| v | va | - | - | /v/ | - | - | /v/ | v |
| t | tha | - | - | /θ/ | - | - | - | th |
| d | dha | - | - | /ð/ | - | - | /ð/ | dh |
Diacritcs
Diacritics play a major role in the Mablic script, from distinguishing letters to marking tone on vowels. All of the following diacritics exist in the Mablic alphabet except thoy, which is only used in the extended letters.
| Diacritic on example letter | Name | Meaning | IPA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| p | hnoi | "mouth" | /◌ʰ/ | Used to mark aspiration on the stops. It has two variant forms: In the case of "p", "t", and "k", the hnoi goes above the letter (hnoi plauhm). In the case of "ts" and "ch", the hnoi goes below the letter (hnoi loenh). In the extended letters, it is used to mark voicelessness on the alveolar and post-alveolar fricatives. |
| 9 | ngienh | "eye" | /◌̥/ | Used to mark voicelessness on nasals. The ngienh goes above the letter, and is only used in the Mablic language. The resemblance between the ngienh and the IPA diacritic for voicelessness is coincidental. |
| ) | tlaik | "bar" | - | Used to distinguish between letters. In Mablic, the tlaik is only used for one letter, ) /r/, to distinguish it from r /ɾ/. In the extended letters, it is used to distinguish between the letters ha and xa. The tlaik goes above the letter. |
| t | thoy | "breath" | - | Used in the extended letters to mark the voiceless fricative of a particular stop. For example, without thoy b /p/, but with thoy f /f/. The thoy goes above the letter. |
| h | krrenh | "dot" | /˧/ | Used to mark mid level tone on vowels. It goes below the letter. In Deyab and Aysaung the krrenh is used to mark the falling-then-rising tone. |
| f | hniup | "pedestal" | /˦/ | Used to mark high level tone on vowels. It goes below the letter. |
| 1 | thyeiw | "nose" | /˦˨/ | Used to mark falling tone on vowels. It goes above the letter. |
| an | hmaiy | "staff" | /◌̃/ | Used to mark nasal vowels in Aysaung. It is not used in any other language. The hmaiy goes after the letter. |