Ebbiu

The Ebbiu script was created by Michael Andrew Mills to write Ebbiu, an international language for scientific usage and global communication. Ebbiu is not based on any other language, and therefore does not give any single group of people preference over another. The name means human language.

Notable features

Type of writing system: anti-abugida (vowels are inherent)
Direction of writing: left to right in horizontal lines
Used to write: Ebbiu
Places of articulation and word meanings are encoded in the script
Consonants have fixed connotations for ease of vocabulary building

Ebbiu script

Consonants

Ebbiu script - consonants

Notes

Voiceless consonants (p, t, k, f, s, ʃ, tʃ, θ) are written in the upper half of the character. Structures that are purely upper quadrant coincide with verbs.
Voiced consonants (b, d, g, v, z, ʒ, dʒ, ð) are written in the lower half of the character. Structures that are purely lower quadrant coincide with nouns.
Characters that start with a voiceless consonant and end in a voiced consonant coincide with descriptive categories (adjectives, adverbs, & colors). They start in the upper left quadrant and end in the lower right quadrant.
Characters that start with a voiced consonant and end in a voiceless consonant coincide with numerical categories (numbers, time & measurements). They start in the lower left quadrant and end in the upper right quadrant.
Characters that only use the voiced glide consonants (l, r, & y) coincide with demonstrative pronouns, relative pronouns, conjunctions, complementizers, temporal expressions, and adpositions (prepositions & postpositions).

Vowels

Vowels are described by where they are articulated with regards to the tongue position in the mouth. The tongue is positioned forward in the mouth for front vowels like i & e whereas the tongue is positioned towards the back of the mouth for back vowels like u & o. Furthermore the tongue is positioned at the roof of the mouth for high vowels like i & u whereas the tongue is positioned relatively lower for vowels like e & o and lower still for a. Vowels are also distinguished by long-tense vowels, a, e, i, o, and u compared to short-lax vowels, ɪ, ʊ, and ε. Long-tense vowels are written with a ‘tense’ circle whereas the short-lax vowels are written with a more ‘lax’ oval shape. Vowels occupy five points on the vowel ring relative to the place of articulation.

Ebbiu script - vowels

Sample text in the Ebbiu

Transliteration

Mɛkauʃ ri mɛkiu yal ebbebbuʊ kaloʒ kliceih falv ri klaod klikiukkiuʃ yol mɛlukkɛ ri mɛkwɛʃ ri uiklfstassta kwuiʒ

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

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