Wajajad script

[Tlatoani]

This is a constructed script I prepared for a collaborative conworld. It is written boustrophedonically from either left-right or right-left.

Entire alphabet
http://i.imgur.com/5WeXxDk.png
Wajajad written in the script, also shows the word breaks which also shows the direction that the word should be read, in this case it's left to right.

How the word breaks work

This is my very first con-script so I will greatly appreciate any tips you can give me.

[ObsequiousNewt]

Welcome to the forum!

I think your alphabet looks good as an early-stage alphabet. I see a lot of potential for evolution. If you're looking for a developed alphabet, though, your alphabet is rather complex; it takes as many as five strokes to draw a single letter. Real alphabets simplify quite a lot over time; perhaps you might try repeatedly writing and see how you tend to change the letters.
Of course, if you're looking for an alphabet in its early stages, that one is right on the money.

[Tlatoani]

Indeed, the alphabet has only been recently developed, and it is in fact a simplification, considering that it was recently developed from an earlier hieroglyphic system. This version would be used for inscriptions on walls and such, and there could be a development of a simplified version like meroitic, where the letters can be rendered in fewer strokes.

[WechtleinUns]

It looks pretty good, galactose. I'm no expert on conscripts, so I'm afraid I don't have much in the way of advice to give. Although, if this script is designed to be carved into stone, I'm not sure if your conpeople would use the variable width strokes. In particular, curves might quickly end up as boxes or straight lines.

Aside from that, how about an example text written in the conlang?

[Tlatoani]

I'd do that but the conlang hasn't been actually developed, only the script. By the way, inscriptions in walls and such are not the only way this is written, clay tablets with a wooden stylus is used too, also palm leaf manuscripts or wooden strips along with an ink brush, using an ink prepared from bone char.

[xybre]

I like it, it reminds me very much the Futhark and related scripts with a little bit of Devanagari.

Phonemically its basically identical to English though isn't it? I assume with the development of the language, the letters would be replaced with the actual phenomes of the language instead. If not then its little more than a pretty cipher, which would seem a shame.

[Tlatoani]

I like it, it reminds me very much the Futhark and related scripts with a little bit of Devanagari.

Phonemically its basically identical to English though isn't it? I assume with the development of the language, the letters would be replaced with the actual phenomes of the language instead. If not then its little more than a pretty cipher, which would seem a shame.

Please see the link to the actual alphabet, there are letters for phonemes found in the language. It's not a cipher.

[Hallow XIII]

no a cipher is when you reproduce the grammar of another language, not its phonology - but given the state of the phonology in question I very much doubt it is not a cipher.

start over

[Bristel]

no a cipher is when you reproduce the grammar of another language, not its phonology - but given the state of the phonology in question I very much doubt it is not a cipher.

start over

Stop biting the newbies, or tone down your sarcasm, please.

[Hallow XIII]

Do excuse me, I was somewhat angry when I posted this, I was terribly uncourteous.

In more civilized terms: the script is certainly nice, but the phonology you posted is not at all plausible. Your language contrasts { a ä Q, which is absolutely unheard of. Neither the contrast between { and front a nor the contrast between front and central a ever happens in natlangs; this is because backness and roundedness distinctions are simply less audible in low vowels. It is worth noting, though, that a contrast between { a Q is attested, and certainly workable.

The second problem is the seemingly arbitrary nature of length contrast and the mysterious series breaking of some consonants - why does the language have dz\ but tS? (Addendum: I cannot load the image at the moment so if I am remembering this wrong please ignore the previous sentence.)

As for the actual script itself, the question is what kind of feedback you want. If you are interested in naturalism, you will probably want to come up with a history for the script. If you want our opinion on the æsthetics - it is certainly original and well-designed. It is not necessarily my style, but that's personal anyway.

[Tlatoani]

Do excuse me, I was somewhat angry when I posted this, I was terribly uncourteous.

In more civilized terms: the script is certainly nice, but the phonology you posted is not at all plausible. Your language contrasts { a ä Q, which is absolutely unheard of. Neither the contrast between { and front a nor the contrast between front and central a ever happens in natlangs; this is because backness and roundedness distinctions are simply less audible in low vowels. It is worth noting, though, that a contrast between { a Q is attested, and certainly workable.

The second problem is the seemingly arbitrary nature of length contrast and the mysterious series breaking of some consonants - why does the language have dz\ but tS? (Addendum: I cannot load the image at the moment so if I am remembering this wrong please ignore the previous sentence.)

As for the actual script itself, the question is what kind of feedback you want. If you are interested in naturalism, you will probably want to come up with a history for the script. If you want our opinion on the æsthetics - it is certainly original and well-designed. It is not necessarily my style, but that's personal anyway.

I understand what you are getting at, the problem is that the conlang is not of my making, and the people I made this for aren't particularly experts at conlangs. I will be sure to pass on the advice to them, though. It's obvious this is probably a really stupid phonology, seeing as how angry you became but I am not the one working on the conlang itself. I was seeking mainly feedback on the script, considering that the conlang itself can be changed to be more realistic as you say, and so will the script, but the script itself formed through a system of hieroglyphics which were composed of logograms. But please, tell me what you think would look good, how it could develop and all that.

[Hallow XIII]

Don't worry, I was angry for unrelated reasons. If you knew what bullshit I came up with in my early days...

Anyway, if you post the history you came up with I will be happy to advise you to the best of my knowledge, limited as it is; we do have some people here who are veritable experts on writing who may be inclined to offer their input too.

[clawgrip]

It is a nice attempt, but there are a few issues to point out: I think the main issue I have with this script is the stroke widths. The first and last glyphs have lines that are noticeably thinner than the rest of the script, for no discernible reason. Also, while all the strokes appear to each be of invariable width, the line break circles show a variable thickness based on the angle of the stroke.

[Tlatoani]

It is a nice attempt, but there are a few issues to point out: I think the main issue I have with this script is the stroke widths. The first and last glyphs have lines that are noticeably thinner than the rest of the script, for no discernible reason. Also, while all the strokes appear to each be of invariable width, the line break circles show a variable thickness based on the angle of the stroke.

Yeah, that's the fault of the software I am using. It would all be essentially similar if not for the vectorization program I am making this with.

[Tlatoani]

Don't worry, I was angry for unrelated reasons. If you knew what bullshit I came up with in my early days...

Anyway, if you post the history you came up with I will be happy to advise you to the best of my knowledge, limited as it is; we do have some people here who are veritable experts on writing who may be inclined to offer their input too.

The history I have for it is relatively simple, it was developed from an earlier hieroglyphic system from which it inherited the glyphs for the alphabet, albeit simplified a bit to fit the writing style with the word breaks. But it also inherited the boustrophedon writing style.