Editing Santa language (section)

==Writing system==
Knowledge of [[Arabic]] is widespread among the Sarta and as a result, they often use the [[Arabic script]] to write down their language informally (cf. the [[Xiao'erjing]] system that was used by [[Hui people]]); however, this has been little investigated by scholars. {{as of|2003}}, the official [[Latin script|Latin alphabet]] for Dongxiang, developed on the basis of the [[Monguor language|Monguor]] alphabet, remained in the experimental stage:{{sfnp|Kim|2003|p=348}}

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%; margin: auto;"
|+Consonants
!Letter
!IPA
!Letter
!IPA
!Letter
!IPA
|-
|{{lang|sce|b}}
|{{IPA|/p/}}
|{{lang|sce|g}}
|{{IPA|/k/}}
|{{lang|sce|x}}
|{{IPA|/ɕ/}}
|-
|{{lang|sce|p}}
|{{IPA|/pʰ/}}
|{{lang|sce|k}}
|{{IPA|/kʰ/}}
|{{lang|sce|zh}}
|{{IPA|/t͡ʂ/}}
|-
|{{lang|sce|m}}
|{{IPA|/m/}}
|{{lang|sce|gh}}
|{{IPA|/q/}}
|{{lang|sce|ch}}
|{{IPA|/t͡ʂʰ/}}
|-
|{{lang|sce|f}}
|{{IPA|/f/}}
|{{lang|sce|kh}}
|{{IPA|/qʰ/}}
|{{lang|sce|sh}}
|{{IPA|/ʂ/}}
|-
|{{lang|sce|d}}
|{{IPA|/t/}}
|{{lang|sce|h}}
|{{IPA|/x/}}
|{{lang|sce|z}}
|{{IPA|/t͡s/}}
|-
|{{lang|sce|t}}
|{{IPA|/tʰ/}}
|{{lang|sce|gv}}
|{{IPA|/ʁ/}}
|{{lang|sce|c}}
|{{IPA|/t͡sʰ/}}
|-
|{{lang|sce|n}}
|{{IPA|/n, ŋ/}}{{efn|Syllable final, {{lang|sce|n}} is pronounced as {{IPA|/n/}} before {{angbr|e}} and {{angbr|i}}, and {{IPA|/ŋ/}} before {{angbr|a}}, {{angbr|o}} and {{angbr|u}}. Syllable initial is always {{IPA|/n/}}.}}
|{{lang|sce|hh}}
|{{IPA|/h/}}
|{{lang|sce|s}}
|{{IPA|/s/}}
|-
|{{lang|sce|l}}
|{{IPA|/l/}}
|{{lang|sce|j}}
|{{IPA|/t͡ɕ/}}
|{{lang|sce|w}}
|{{IPA|/w/}}
|-
|{{lang|sce|r}}
|{{IPA|/r, ʐ/}}{{efn|{{lang|sce|r}} is pronounced as {{IPA|/ʐ/}} in Chinese and Arabic loanwords.}}
|{{lang|sce|q}}
|{{IPA|/t͡ɕʰ/}}
|{{lang|sce|y}}
|{{IPA|/j/}}
|}
{{notelist}}

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%; margin: auto;"
|+Vowels
!Letter
!IPA
!Letter
!IPA
!Letter
!IPA
|-
|{{lang|sce|a}}
|{{IPA|/ɑ/}}
|{{lang|sce|u}}
|{{IPA|/u/}}
|{{lang|sce|ie}}
|{{IPA|/jə/}}
|-
|{{lang|sce|e}}
|{{IPA|/ə/}}
|{{lang|sce|ai}}
|{{IPA|/ɑj/}}
|{{lang|sce|iu}}
|{{IPA|/ju/}}
|-
|{{lang|sce|er}}
|{{IPA|/ɚ/}}
|{{lang|sce|ei}}
|{{IPA|/əj/}}
|{{lang|sce|ua}}
|{{IPA|/wɑ/}}
|-
|{{lang|sce|i}}{{efn|When the preceding consonant is {{lang|sce|gh}}, {{lang|sce|kh}}, {{lang|sce|h}} or {{lang|sce|gv}}, this vowel is pronounced the same as {{lang|sce|ii}}.}}
|{{IPA|/i/}}
|{{lang|sce|ao}}
|{{IPA|/ɑw/}}
|{{lang|sce|ui}}
|{{IPA|/wəj/}}
|-
|{{lang|sce|ii}}
|{{IPA|/ɯ/}}
|{{lang|sce|ou}}
|{{IPA|/əw/}}
|{{lang|sce|iao}}
|{{IPA|/jɑw/}}
|-
|{{lang|sce|o}}
|{{IPA|/o/}}
|{{lang|sce|ia}}
|{{IPA|/jɑ/}}
|{{lang|sce|uai}}
|{{IPA|/wɑj/}}
|}
{{notelist}}