Coorgi-Cox alphabet
Encyclopedia
The Coorgi-Cox alphabet is an alphabet
developed by the linguist Gregg M. Cox and is used by a number of individuals within Kodagu
. It is used for the endemic language Kodava, also known sometimes as Coorgi, a minority language
.
The Coorgi-Cox alphabet uses a combination of 26 consonant
s, five vowel
markings and a diphthong
marker. Each letter represents a single sound and there are no capital letters. A computer based font has been created for use with the alphabet.
The alphabet was developed out of the request by a group of native individuals to have their own unique script for Kodava Takk, and to distinguish the language on its own merits. Kodava Takk is generally written in the Kannada script
, but can also be found written in the Malayalam script
especially along the borders with Kerala
. The new alphabet is intended to unify, and to provide a single alphabet to be used for all Kodava Takk speakers.
In order to introduce the alphabet, 10,000 CD booklets and 25,000 post cards with various scenes from the region were produced and distributed throughout the Coorg area in March and April 2005. Several books are being planned including a phrase book
and dictionary
.
Alphabet
An alphabet is a standard set of letters—basic written symbols or graphemes—each of which represents a phoneme in a spoken language, either as it exists now or as it was in the past. There are other systems, such as logographies, in which each character represents a word, morpheme, or semantic...
developed by the linguist Gregg M. Cox and is used by a number of individuals within Kodagu
Kodagu
Kodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
. It is used for the endemic language Kodava, also known sometimes as Coorgi, a minority language
Minority language
A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a territory. Such people are termed linguistic minorities or language minorities.-International politics:...
.
The Coorgi-Cox alphabet uses a combination of 26 consonant
Consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are , pronounced with the lips; , pronounced with the front of the tongue; , pronounced with the back of the tongue; , pronounced in the throat; and ,...
s, five vowel
Vowel
In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...
markings and a diphthong
Diphthong
A diphthong , also known as a gliding vowel, refers to two adjacent vowel sounds occurring within the same syllable. Technically, a diphthong is a vowel with two different targets: That is, the tongue moves during the pronunciation of the vowel...
marker. Each letter represents a single sound and there are no capital letters. A computer based font has been created for use with the alphabet.
The alphabet was developed out of the request by a group of native individuals to have their own unique script for Kodava Takk, and to distinguish the language on its own merits. Kodava Takk is generally written in the Kannada script
Kannada script
The Kannada script is an alphasyllabary of the Brahmic family, used primarily to write the Kannada language, one of the Dravidian languages of southern India and also Sanskrit in the past. The Telugu script is derived from Old Kannada, and resembles Kannada script...
, but can also be found written in the Malayalam script
Malayalam script
The Malayalam script is a Brahmic script used commonly to write the Malayalam language—which is the principal language of the Indian state of Kerala, spoken by 36 million people in the world. Like many other Indic scripts, it is an abugida, or a writing system that is partially “alphabetic” and...
especially along the borders with Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. The new alphabet is intended to unify, and to provide a single alphabet to be used for all Kodava Takk speakers.
In order to introduce the alphabet, 10,000 CD booklets and 25,000 post cards with various scenes from the region were produced and distributed throughout the Coorg area in March and April 2005. Several books are being planned including a phrase book
Phrase book
A phrase book is a collection of ready-made phrases, usually for a foreign language along with a translation, indexed and often in the form of questions and answers.- Structure :...
and dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
.