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List of creators of writing systems

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This is an alphabetical list of any individuals, legendary or real, who are purported by traditions to have invented alphabets or other writing systems, whether this is proven or not.

A

B

C

  • Cadmus - legendary Phoenician prince, ascribed invention of Greek alphabet c. 1350 BC (?) according to tradition.
  • Cangjie - legendary Chinese scribe, also ascribed invention of Chinese characters c. 2650 BC (?) according to tradition.
  • Carmenta - legendary Roman prophetess and mother of Evander, ascribed adoption of Greek alphabet to Latin alphabet c. 1250 BC (?) according to tradition.
  • Chao Yuen Ren - Chinese, led the development of Gwoyeu Romatzyh in 1925–6.
  • Saint Clement of Ohrid - Archbishop, ascribed invention of Cyrillic c. 900, according to tradition.
  • Woyo Couloubayi - Malian, developed the Masaba syllabary for Bambara in the early 1930s.
  • Gregg M. Cox - linguist who developed the Coorgi-Cox alphabet in 2005.
  • Saint Cyril - Greek monk, believed to have created Glagolitic alphabet c. 863.

D

  • John Dee - English alchemist and mathematician, invented an Enochian alphabet (not to be confused with that of Pantheus) c. 1582.
  • Émile Duployé - French abbot, inventor of Duployan shorthand, 1868.
  • Reginald John Garfield Dutton - British, invented Dutton Speedwords shorthand in 1922.

E

F

  • Assane Faye - Senegalese, invented the Garay alphabet for Wolof, 1961.
  • Fenius Farsa - legendary Scythian king, ascribed invention of Ogham writing c. 2000 BC (?) according to tradition.
  • Benjamin Franklin - American statesman, developed Benjamin Franklin's phonetic alphabet c. 1768.
  • Frumentius - Syrian saint who converted the African kingdom of Aksum to Christianity, traditionally credited with development of consonantal Ge'ez script into vocalic Ge'ez script in the mid 4th-century.
  • Fu Hsi - legendary Chinese king, ascribed invention of Chinese characters c. 2850 BC (?) according to tradition.

G

H

K

  • Hussein Sheikh Ahmed Kaddare - Somali, invented Kaddare script c. 1953.
  • Kisimi Kamara - Sierra Leonean tailor, invented Mende syllabary, Ki-ka-ku, in 1921.
  • Solomana Kante - Guinean author, invented the N'Ko alphabet in 1949.
  • Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, Serbian linguist, developed Serbian Cyrillic alphabet c. 1818, adapting Cyrillic alphabet.
  • Osman Yusuf Kenadid - Somali, invented Osmanya script c. 1921.
  • Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī - Persian mathematician, helped codify the Hindu-Arabic numeral system c. 825
  • Ong Kommandam - Laotian freedom fighter, developed the Khom script, first used 1926.
  • Tony Koyu - from Arunachal Pradesh invented Tani Lipi a scientific script of Arunachal Pradesh in 2001.
  • Kūkai - Japanese monk, ascribed invention of Kana syllabary c. 806, according to tradition.

J

L

M

  • Mani - Ancient Iranian prophet, invented Manichaean alphabet
  • Aulay Macaulay - English tea-dealer, who invented Polygraphy, a system of shorthand in 1747.
  • John R. Malone - American, developed the UNIFON alphabet c. 1955.
  • Mesrop Mashtots - Armenian monk, created the Armenian alphabet in c. 405.
  • Olof Melin - Swedish colonel, invented Melin Shorthand c. 1880.
  • Thomas More - English author, invented Utopian alphabet in 1516.
  • Adrien-Gabriel Morice - French, developed Carrier syllabary c. 1885.
  • Samuel F. B. Morse - American inventor, invented Morse code c. 1835.
  • Ali Moslehi Moslehabadi - Iranian comparative linguist, developed IPA2, also known as Pársik in 2004.
  • Pandit Raghunath Murmu - Indian, created Ol Chiki script in 1925.

N

  • Ibrahim Njoya - King of Bamum (Cameroon), invented Bamum script c. 1910.
  • Nurhaci (king), or possibly his translators Erdeni and Gagai ? - Manchurians, created Manchu alphabet in 1599.

O

  • Odin/*Wōdanaz - the chief god in Scandinavian/Germanic paganism. Associated in the Hávamál with the origins of the Runic alphabet Futhark (Later Futhorc).
  • Ogma - legendary Irish deified chieftain, also ascribed invention of Ogham writing c. 1875 BC (?) according to tradition.
  • Narayan Oraon - Indian doctor. Invented the Tolong Siki alphabet for Kurukh in 1999.

P

R

S

  • Carl W. Salser - American teacher, developed Personal Shorthand with C. Theo Yerian. c. 1955.
  • Thikúng Men Salóng - Bhutanese scholar, invented Lepcha script some time around 1700.
  • Bakri Sapalo - Oromo poet, writer, and teacher from Ethiopia, invented an alphasyllabic script for the Oromo language c. 1956.
  • Saraswati - Indian goddess, created devanagari alphabet.
  • Sejong the Great of Joseon - Korean king, invented Hangul writing in c. 1443, promulgated in 1446.
  • Seol Chong - inventor of the Korean Idu script and Gugyeol script (c.650 - c.730), according to tradition.
  • Sequoyah, Cherokee silversmith, invented Cherokee syllabary c. 1819.
  • Seth, son of Adam, is mentioned in the Chronicle of Malalas as being the "first to invent Hebrew script and to write with it"[1]
  • Sheikh Abdurahman Sheikh Nuur - Somali, invented Borama script c. 1933.
  • Thomas Shelton - English translator, developed Short Writing, an early shorthand, in 1626.
  • Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche - Tibetan religious teacher of uncertain historicity, ascribed creation of the Dongba script by religious fables.
  • Shong Lue Yang - Hmong, created Pahawh Hmong alphabet in 1959.
  • M. Siahzathang - Zo author, invented the Zoulai script for the Zou language in 1952.
  • Sirijonga - Nepalese king, ascribed invention of Limbu alphabet c. 880, according to tradition.
  • Stephen of Perm - Russian missionary, invented the Old Permic alphabet in 1372.
  • Heron Stone - invented Phonographics in 1994
  • Valerie Sutton - American choreographer, developed MovementWriting for transcribing dance in 1972 and SignWriting for transcribing sign languages in 1974.

T

U

  • Ulfilas, Goth missionary, believed to have invented Gothic alphabet c. 350 AD, according to tradition.
  • Uyaquk - Yupik (Alaska Native) missionary, invented Yugtun script c. 1900.

V

  • Naum Veqilharxhi - Albanian, invented the Vithkuqi alphabet in 1845.

W

Y

  • Yeli Renrong - Tangut scholar, invented Tangut script in 1036.
  • Yelü Diela - Manchurian scribe, ascribed creation of Khitan small script c. 925.
  • C. Theo Yerian - American teacher, developed Personal Shorthand with Carl W. Salser. c. 1955.

Z

  • Zhang Binglin - Chinese linguist, invented shorthand that was developed into Zhuyin in 1913.
  • Zhou Youguang - Chinese linguist, invented Pinyin romanisation, 1958
  • Öndör Gegeen Zanabazar - Mongolian monk, created Soyombo script in 1686.
  • Wido Zobo - Liberian, invented Loma syllabary c. 1935.

See also

References

  1. ^ John Malalas, Chronographia, book I, section 1 (translation by Elizabeth Jeffreys, Michael Jeffreys, Roger Scott et al. 1986, page 2)
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