Naasioi Otomaung Alphabet

The Naasioi Otomaung Alphabet was created during the Boungainville Crisis between 1988-1998 by Chief Peter Karatapi, the founder and leader of the Otomaung cultural organization. It is an alternative way to write Naasioi, a South Bougainville language spoken Kieta District of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. The alphabet is currently used by a small number of people. The word otomaung means "able to express anything" and is the name of the first letter. The script was apparently inspired by ceremonial scarring.

Notable features

Type of writing system: Alphabet
Writing direction: left to right in horizontal lines
Used to write: Naasioi, and could be used for other languages of Bougainville, including English
Each letter has three forms: an upper case form, a lower case form and a ornamental form. In the chart below the letters in the top line are upper case, the ones in the second lines are lower case, and the ones below them are ornamental.
Glottal stops are not marked.
The alphabet include letters that are not used in Naasioi, such as w, x, y and z

Naasioi Otomaung Alphabet

Download an alphabet chart for the Naasioi Otomaung Alphabet (Excel)

Sample text

Sample text in the Naasioi Otomaung Alphabet

Transliteration

Tee u'aa

Dakanaa moodo u' aa ko kung otomaung
Tee nkanaa tampa masika oro' dikitonang koo
Ka tee namuke masikamuke pa'aramaung
Tee nkanaa asirang apenaa tampara kongto da'koo

Translation (French)

La Glace

Ton image dans la glace
C'est mon plus beau poème
Mais fais vite il s'efface
C'est mon dernier je t'aime !

Source: http://love.poem.free.fr/papuan-poems/naasioi-poem.html

An introduction to the Otomaung Alphabet

Links

Information about the Naasioi Otomaung Alphabet
https://www.endangeredalphabets.net/alphabets/naasioi-otomaung/
https://www.readkong.com/page/the-naasioi-otomaung-alphabet-of-bougainville-fluxus-8072974
https://www.facebook.com/groups/263578581531209

Naasioi (Otomaung) font
https://bravenewwords.info/ottomaung-font-project/

Alphabets

A-chik Tokbirim, Adinkra, ADLaM, Armenian, Avestan, Avoiuli, Bactrian, Bassa (Vah), Beitha Kukju, Beria (Zaghawa), Borama / Gadabuursi, Carian, Carpathian Basin Rovas, Chinuk pipa, Chisoi, Coorgi-Cox, Coptic, Cyrillic, Dalecarlian runes, Elbasan, Etruscan, Faliscan, Fox, Galik, Georgian (Asomtavruli), Georgian (Nuskhuri), Georgian (Mkhedruli), Glagolitic, Global Alphabet, Gothic, Greek, Irish (Uncial), Kaddare, Kayah Li, Khatt-i-Badí’, Khazarian Rovas, Koch, Korean, Latin, Lepontic, Luo Lakeside Script, Lycian, Lydian, Manchu, Mandaic, Mandombe, Marsiliana, Medefaidrin, Messapic, Mongolian, Mro, Mundari Bani, Nag Chiki, Naasioi Otomaung, N'Ko, North Picene, Novo Tupi, Nyiakeng Puachue Hmong, Odùduwà, Ogham, Old Church Slavonic, Oirat Clear Script, Ol Chiki (Ol Cemet' / Santali), Old Italic, Old Nubian, Old Permic, Ol Onal, Orkhon, Osage, Oscan, Osmanya (Somali), Pau Cin Hau, Phrygian, Pollard script, Runic, Székely-Hungarian Rovás (Hungarian Runes), South Picene, Sutton SignWriting, Sunuwar, Tai Viet, Tangsa, Todhri, Toto, Umbrian, (Old) Uyghur, Wancho, Yezidi, Zoulai

Other writing systems

Page created: 14.12.12 Last modified: 15.03.23

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