Appendix:Sondiv orthography

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Kwandon is an abjad by David J. Peterson used to write the Sondiv language spoken by the alien Atrian people from The CW's Star-Crossed.

Orthography

Sondiv's script, known as Kwandon, is an abjad, a writing system that primarily represents consonantal sounds. Vowels are typically not written or are only written in specific contexts.

Design concept

Kwandon was created to have a appearance inspired by seaweed and oceanic elements, based on the water-world character of Atria. The goal was to emphasize consonants, with a particular visual style that included lines written over and under glyphs. Peterson had previously created scripts like abugidas and a syllabary for the show Defiance, and so aimed to create writing system of a different type for Star-Crossed.

Root system

Similar to Arabic, Sondiv employs a root system that allows for the easy formation of new words. There are twenty-four basic nominal patterns, an adjectival pattern, a determiner pattern, two patterns for male names, and one for female names. Patterns have broad semantic categories, such as "Animate A" and "Animate B," assigned to them. The script was designed encode these patterns unambiguously using only consonant characters and certain modifications to those characters.

Consonant modifications

Peterson devised a schema with four modifications to the consonant characters that accommodated roots with two and three consonants. The goal was to minimize the number of modifications while ensuring unambiguous encoding of the patterns. All glyphs occupy the same vertical space for efficiency.

Glyphs have two modifications above and two below the character. Modifications 1 and 2 are written over one or two consonants to the left, modification 3 is written under one or two consonants to the right, and modification 4 is written under a single consonant to the right or under and between two consonants. They are shown in the following table:

Root type Modification
1 2 3 4
Biconsonantal
sk=

sk=]

s=/k

s=[k
Triconsonantal
skt==

skt=]]

s=//kt

sk=[[t

Glyphs

Romanization IPA Unmodified 1 2 3 4 Notes
a a
a

ga=
gga==

ga=]
gga=]]

a=/g
a=//gg

a=[g
ga=[[g
Former long vowel, used as a consonant in some roots.
b b
b

gb=
ggb==

gb=]
ggb=]]

b=/g
b=//gg

b=[g
gb=[[g
ch
ch

gch=
ggch==

gch=]
ggch=]]

ch=/g
ch=//gg

ch=[g
gch=[[g
Used in loanwords.
d d
d

gd=
ggd==

gd=]
ggd=]]

d=/g
d=//gg

d=[g
gd=[[g
e e
e
Invariant, used in special cases.
f f
f

gf=
ggf==

gf=]
ggf=]]

f=/g
f=//gg

f=[g
gf=[[g
Used in loanwords.
g g
g

gg=
ggg==

gg=]
ggg=]]

g=/g
g=//gg

g=[g
gg=[[g
h h
h

gh=
ggh==

gh=]
ggh=]]

h=/g
h=//gg

h=[g
gh=[[g
i i
i

gi=
ggi==

gi=]
ggi=]]

i=/g
i=//gg

i=[g
gi=[[g
Former long vowel, used as a consonant in some roots.
j
j

gj=
ggj==

gj=]
ggj=]]

j=/g
j=//gg

j=[g
gj=[[g
Used in loanwords.
k k
k

gk=
ggk==

gk=]
ggk=]]

k=/g
k=//gg

k=[g
gk=[[g
l l
l

gl=
ggl==

gl=]
ggl=]]

l=/g
l=//gg

l=[g
gl=[[g
m m
m

gm=
ggm==

gm=]
ggm=]]

m=/g
m=//gg

m=[g
gm=[[g
n n
n

gn=
ggn==

gn=]
ggn=]]

n=/g
n=//gg

n=[g
gn=[[g
o o
o
Invariant, used in special cases.
p p
p

gp=
ggp==

gp=]
ggp=]]

p=/g
p=//gg

p=[g
gp=[[g
r ɾ
r

gr=
ggr==

gr=]
ggr=]]

r=/g
r=//gg

r=[g
gr=[[g
s s
s

gs=
ggs==

gs=]
ggs=]]

s=/g
s=//gg

s=[g
gs=[[g
sh ʃ
sh

gsh=
ggsh==

gsh=]
ggsh=]]

sh=/g
sh=//gg

sh=[g
gsh=[[g
Used in loanwords.
t t
t

gt=
ggt==

gt=]
ggt=]]

t=/g
t=//gg

t=[g
gt=[[g
th θ
th

gth=
ggth==

gth=]
ggth=]]

th=/g
th=//gg

th=[g
gth=[[g
Used in loanwords.
u u
u

gu=
ggu==

gu=]
ggu=]]

u=/g
u=//gg

u=[g
gu=[[g
Former long vowel, used as a consonant in some roots.
v v
v

gv=
ggv==

gv=]
ggv=]]

v=/g
v=//gg

v=[g
gv=[[g
w w
w

gw=
ggw==

gw=]
ggw=]]

w=/g
w=//gg

w=[g
gw=[[g
y j
y

gy=
ggy==

gy=]
ggy=]]

y=/g
y=//gg

y=[g
gy=[[g
z z
z

gz=
ggz==

gz=]
ggz=]]

z=/g
z=//gg

z=[g
gz=[[g

Patterns

Patterns to form nouns, adjectives, determiners and names can apply to biconsonantal (e.g., S-K) and triconsonantal (e.g., S-K-T) roots. They are written with consonant letters representing prefixes and suffixes, as well as applying the presence or absence of the four modifications to the consonants of the root. Most of the patterns have singular and plural forms, and some of the plural forms end with a special plural glyph.

There are some cases in which the absence of modifications or an unexpected usage of them is used to inform a different reading. If two or three letters follow each other without modifications, they will be read as the determiner pattern. The second root letter, rather than the third, is modified (with modification 2) for the first male name pattern pronunciation. The modification of the third root letter (using modification 1) covers only the second letter, not the first, for the female name pattern pronunciation in triconsonantal roots.

Roman
numeral
Pattern Biconsonantal root Triconsonantal root
Singular Plural Singular Plural
Determiner
sk
sik

skt
skit
Adverbial determiner
skr
sikur

sktr
skitur
Feminine name
*sk=h
Soka

*skt=h
Sakota
Masculine name A
*sk=]
Sak

*sk=]t
Sakat
Masculine name B
*s=/ktwr
Sektur

*s=//kttwr
Skettur
i Common noun A
s=/k
sek

s=/k+
sayak

s=//kt
sket

s=//kt+
skayat
ii Common noun B
sk=
sok

sk=+
suvuk

skt==
skot

skt==+
skuvut
iii Diminutive A
s=/ks
skis

s=/kl
skil

s=//kts
sketis

s=//ktl
sketil
iv Diminutive B
sk=s
skus

sk=l
skul

skt==s
skotus

skt==l
skotul
v Locative A
bs=/k
besek

bs=/k+
besayak

bs=//kt
besket

bs=//kt+
beskayat
vi Locative B
bsk=m
beskon

bsk=wl
beskuvul

bskt==m
beskuton

bskt==wl
beskutuvul
vii Diminutive locative
bs=/ks
beskis

bs=/kl
beskil

bs=//kts
besketis

bs=//ktl
besketil
viii Locative C
s=[k‌h
esika

s=[kl
eskil

sk=[[t‌h
eskita

sk=[[tl
eskitil
ix Augmentative A
s=/k=
swak

s=/k=+
swayak

s=//kt==
swakat

s=//kt==+
swakayat
x Augmentative B
sk=w
sku

sk=wl
skuvul

skt==w
skutu

skt==wl
skutuvul
xi Common implement
s=[k
esk

s=[kl
eskil

sk=[[t
esekt

sk=[[tl
eskitil
xii Augmentative implement
s=/k=m
swakon

s=/k=wl
skuvul

s=//kt==m
swakton

s=//kt==wl
skutuvul
xiii Verbal noun A
isk=
isuk

iskt==
iskut
xiv Verbal noun B
ssk=v
soskiv

ssk=l
soskil

sskt==v
soskutiv

sskt==l
soskutil
xv Instance of action
ssk=
sosuk

ssk=+
sosuvuk

sskt==
soskut

sskt==+
soskuvut
xvi Absolute noun
sk=]m
oskon

sk=]wl
oskuvul

skt=]]m
oskuton

skt=]]wl
oskutuvul
xvii Animate A
is=/km
isken

is=/kwl
iskivil

is=//ktm
isketen

is=//ktwl
isketivil
xviii Animate B
sk=]
sak

sk=]l
sikil

skt=]]
skat

skt=]]l
siktil
xix Animate C
ys=/k=]m
syaken

ys=/k=]vl
yaskivil

ys=//kt=]]m
syakaten

ys=//kt=]]vl
yaskativil
xx Animate D
ws=/k=]m
swaken

ws=/k=]vl
waskivil

ws=//kt=]]m
swakaten

ws=//kt=]]vl
waskativil
xxi Temporal
s=[ks
eskas

s=[k+
sek

sk=[[ts
askitas

sk=[[t+
sakit
xxii Collective noun
hsk=w
husku

hsk=wl
huskuvul

hskt==w
huskutu

hskt==wl
huskutuvul
xxiii Individual noun
us=/ks
uskis

us=/kl
uskil

us=//kts
usketis

us=//ktl
usketil
xxiv Natural noun
s=[k=]
sovok

sk=l
skul

sk=[[t=]]
skovot

skt==l
skotul
Adjective
s=[k=
seku

s=[k=hl
skuhul

sk=[[t==
sekut

sk=[[t==l
skutil
Comparative
mbsk=
mbesku

mbsk=hl
mbeskuhul

mbskt==
mbeskut

mbskt==l
mbeskutil
Superlative
mbs=[k
mbesek

mbs=[kl
mbesekil

mbsk=[[t
mbesakit

mbsk=[[tl
mbesektil
Adverb
s=[k=r
sekur

sk=[[t==r
sekutur
Comparative adverb
mbsk=r
mbeskur

mbskt==r
mbeskutur
Superlative adverb
mbs=[kr
mbesikur

mbsk=[[tr
mbesakitur

Verbs

Infinitive forms of verbs function as class (xiii) nouns, which do not have plural forms, as seen in the table above. In order to spell finite verb forms, the character for the vowel associated with the tense (i for imperfect, a for perfect, and u for gnomic) is placed first, followed by the letters of the verb's root, without any modification. Verbs are thus easily identifiable by the initial vowel and the absence of additional modifications. Note that the object suffix is not indicated in the orthography. To write the subjunctive forms, a d is written in between the first i and the first root letter of a class (xiii) infinitive. For command forms, a u is written before the root, and the root receives modification 1, despite these words not starting with a u sound. Passive forms are spelled with a final v. Participles are spelled with a final m, and sometimes optionally take modification 2 in the perfect and modification 1 in the gnomic.

Number system

Sondiv employs a base-10 number system with special symbols for prime numbers up to 20. The symbols for numbers larger than 1 are taken from the alphabet, and a special number sign, #, differentiates numbers from words, for instance, 2013 is written #2013.

Kwandon Arabic
0 0
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
6 6
7 7
8 8
9 9
10 10
11 11
13 13
17 17
19 19

Punctuation and other symbols

Kwandon's punctuation works similarly to the Latin alphabet's.

Kwandon Latin
, Pause
. End of sentence
? Question mark
! Exclamation mark
$ Currency sign
- Dash
( ) Brackets
Ellipsis

Furthermore, Kwandon has special symbols for the 4 Atrian tribes:

Kwandon Meaning
@i Iwabas, the mystic tribe
@s Swamad, the farming tribe
@v Vwasak, the warrior tribe
@z Zwahan, the ruling tribe

References