03-Writing-Systems
03 - Writing Systems
LEKA uses two scripts, chosen by context — like Japanese kanji vs. kana, or formal vs. everyday.
Everyday LEKA — Latin Characters
Standard Latin letters for daily speech, texts, casual writing.
- Accessible — anyone who reads English can read LEKA aloud
- Honors the principle of belonging over secrecy
- * (asterisk) represents the click sound
- ' (apostrophe) marks a breath between two consonants (see 02-Phonology)
Example: Ke tu va? (How are you?) · Mu s'hanti. (We are at peace.)
Ceremonial LEKA — Circular Runic Script
Reserved for sacred, secret, and official documents:
- Vows and promises
- Names (especially given names)
- Prayers and chants
- Charters and oaths
- Tattoos and ceremonial objects
- Inscriptions in stone or wood
Design Principles
- Built from circles, arcs, and loops
- No straight lines, no sharp angles
- Each glyph fits a circular field
- Beautiful in ink, stone, or skin
- Deliberate — slow to write, signals weight and intention
- Burmese-inspired aesthetic
The 17 Glyphs
| Sound | Design | Meaning / Feel |
|---|---|---|
| a | Circle with center dot | the seed, the self |
| e | Open C-curve facing right | the opening sound |
| i | Tall oval with floating dot above | the rising note |
| o | Nested circle within a circle | fullness, completion |
| u | Open bowl with arched lid | the vessel of breath |
| p | Large circle with small attached circle (upper right) | anchored release |
| t | Half moon arc cupping a circle below | sound being held |
| k | Circle with two small loops on the right | the percussive split |
| m | Two overlapping circles side by side | the closed hum |
| n | Two horizontal arcs stacked (twin ripples) | resonance moving outward |
| s | Smooth S-curve made of two arcs | the serpent breath |
| l | Tall oval with small circle at the foot | the standing tongue |
| r | Circle with a spiral tail descending | the rolled sound |
| h | Two stacked circles joined by a breath-arc | the breath between |
| y | Wide bowl with a single dot floating inside | the glide, holding sound |
| v | Small circle cradled inside an open crescent | voiced softness |
| * | Single inward spiral | the click, motion turning |
The Breath Mark — Crescent Breath
The apostrophe in everyday Latin LEKA gets its own ceremonial glyph: a small upward-curving crescent that sits between the two consonants it separates. Literally the shape of an exhale leaving the mouth.
- Smaller than the letter glyphs around it
- Sits between the two consonants (not above or below)
- Curved, no straight lines (per script rules)
- A pause that's also a movement — the breath that gives the language room
Visual reference files in 10-Glyphs/.
Status: #finalized (v0.3 ceremonial script + Crescent Breath)
Last updated: v0.6