Editing Soyombo script

{{Short description|Abugida-type writing system}}{{Infobox Writing system
| name        = Soyombo script
| altname     = {{script|Soyo|𑪁𑩖𑩻𑩖𑪌𑩰𑩖 𑩰𑩑𑩢𑩑𑪊}}
| type        = [[Abugida]]
| typedesc    = 
| time        = 1686<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpjkmn6-Lt4 | title=Soyombo alphabet marks 330 years - YouTube | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref>–18th century
| languages   = [[Mongolian language|Mongolian]], [[Standard Tibetan|Tibetan]], [[Sanskrit]]
| fam1        = [[Egyptian hieroglyphs]]
| fam2        = [[Proto-Sinaitic script]]
| fam3        = [[Phoenician alphabet]] 
| fam4        = [[Aramaic alphabet]]
| fam5        = [[Brahmi script|Brāhmī]]
| fam6        = [[Gupta script|Gupta]]
| fam7        = [[Siddhaṃ script|Siddhaṃ]]
| fam8        = [[Nepalese scripts|Nepalese]]
| fam9        = [[Ranjana script|Ranjana]]
| creator     = [[Zanabazar]], 1686
| sample      = Soyombo symbol.svg
| imagesize   = 150px
| iso15924    = Soyo
| unicode     = {{ublist |class=nowrap |[https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U11A50.pdf U+11A50&ndash;U+11AAF] {{smaller|Soyombo}}}}
| note        = none
| footnotes   = 
}}
{{brahmic}}
The '''Soyombo script''' ({{langx|mn|Соёмбо бичиг, {{Script|Soyo|𑪁𑩖𑩻𑩖𑪌𑩰𑩖 𑩰𑩑𑩢𑩑𑪊}}|self-created holy letters}}) is an [[abugida]] developed by the monk and scholar [[Zanabazar]] in 1686 to write Mongolian. It can also be used to write [[Standard Tibetan|Tibetan]] and [[Sanskrit]].

A special character of the script, the [[Soyombo symbol]], became a national symbol of [[Mongolia]] and has appeared on the [[Flag of Mongolia|national flag]] and [[Emblem of Mongolia|emblem]] of Mongolia since 1911, as well as in money and postage stamps.

== Creation ==
The script was designed in 1686 by [[Zanabazar]], the first spiritual leader of [[Tibetan Buddhism]] in [[Mongolia]], who also designed the [[Horizontal square script]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Anshuman |first1=Pandey |title=Proposal to Encode the Soyombo Script in ISO/IEC 10646 |date=2011 |url=http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n4142.pdf}}</ref> The Soyombo script was created as the fourth Mongolian script, only 38 years after the invention of the [[Clear script]]. The name of the script alludes to this story. It is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] word ''svayambhu'' {{gloss|self-created}}.

The syllabic system in fact appears to be based on [[Devanagari]], while the base shape of the letters is derived from the [[Ranjana alphabet]]. Details of individual characters resemble traditional [[Mongolian alphabets]] and the [[Old Turkic alphabet]].

== Use ==
[[File:Soyombo Script Example.png|thumb|"Öndör Gegeen Zanabazar" properly rendered in Soyombo Script]]
The eastern Mongols used the script primarily as a ceremonial and decorative script. Zanabazar had created it for the translation of Buddhist texts from Sanskrit or Tibetan, and both he and his students used it extensively for that purpose.

As it was much too complicated to be adopted as an everyday script, its use is practically nonexistent today. Aside from historical texts, it can usually be found in temple [[inscriptions]]. It also has some relevance to linguistic research, because it reflects certain developments in the Mongolian language, such as that of long vowels.

== Form ==
[[File:Soyombo structure mongolian.svg|thumb|Syllable structure for Mongolian. Consonant or vowel carrier (C<sub>b</sub>), vowel (V), length marker (L), diphthong marker (V<sub>d</sub>) and a final consonant C<sub>f</sub>)]]
[[File:Soyombo structure sanskrit.svg|thumb|Syllable structure for Sanskrit. Consonant in prefix form (C<sub>p</sub>), consonant or vowel carrier (C<sub>b</sub>), stack of medial consonants (C<sub>2</sub>…C<sub>n</sub>), vowel (V), length marker (L), anusvara (S<sub>a</sub>) and visarga (S<sub>v</sub>). ]]
[[File:Soyombo structure tibetan.svg|thumb|Syllable structure for Tibetan. Consonant in prefix form (C<sub>p</sub>), consonant or vowel carrier (C<sub>b</sub>), stack of medial consonants (C<sub>2</sub>…C<sub>n</sub>), vowel (V), length marker (L), ''tsheg'' (T).]]

The Soyombo script was the first Mongolian script to be written horizontally from left to right, in contrast to earlier scripts that had been written vertically. As in the Tibetan and Devanagari scripts, the signs are suspended below a horizontal line, giving each line of text a visible "backbone".

The two variations of the ''Soyombo'' symbol are used as special characters to mark the start and end of a text. Two of its elements (the upper triangle and the right vertical bar) form the angular base frame for the other characters.

Within this frame, the syllables are composed of one to three elements. The first [[consonant]] is placed high within the angle.
The [[vowel]] is given by a mark above the frame, except for u and ü which are marked in the low center.
A second consonant is specified by a small mark, appended to the inside of the vertical bar, pushing any u or ü mark to the left side.
A short oblique hook at the bottom of the vertical bar marks a long vowel.
There is also a curved or jagged mark to the right of the vertical bar for the two [[diphthong]]s.

===Syllable structure===

====Mongolian====
A syllable in Mongolian must contain a consonant or the null-consonant {{angbr|{{Script|Soyo|𑩐}}}}, and may contain any of a vowel marker, a vowel length marker, a diphthong marker, and a final consonant.<ref name="L215004">{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2015/15004r-soyombo.pdf|title=L2/15-004 Proposal to Encode the Soyombo Script|date=2015-01-26|first=Anshuman|last=Pandey}}</ref>

====Tibetan====
A syllable in Tibetan must contain a consonant or the null-consonant {{angbr|{{Script|Soyo|𑩐}}}}, and may contain any of a prefixed consonant, medial consonants, a vowel marker, a vowel length marker, and a syllable-ending ''tsheg''.<ref name="L215004"/>

====Sanskrit====
A syllable in Sanskrit must contain a consonant or the null-consonant {{angbr|{{Script|Soyo|𑩐}}}}, and may contain any of prefixed consonant, medial consonants, a vowel marker, a vowel length marker, a diphthong marker, and one of the diacritics, ''anusvara'' or ''visarga''.

{| class="wikitable letters-lo"
|+Example Sanskrit syllables
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪀𑪖|note=saṃ}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩝𑪙𑩻𑩛|note=khyā}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩪𑩑𑩛𑪗|note=ṇīḥ}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪀𑪙𑩦𑩓𑩛𑪏|note=ṣṭūp}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩞𑩘𑪑|note=gaur}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪀𑪙𑩴𑩙|note=smṛ}}
|}

== Alphabet ==

===Consonants===
Soyombo contains the full set of letters to reproduce Mongolian as well as additional letters ({{langx|mn|гали|galig}}) used in transcribing  Sanskrit and Tibetan.<ref name="L215004"/> Some letters represent different sounds in Mongolian, Sanskrit, and Tibetan. The primary difference between the three occurs in Mongolian, where letters for Sanskrit voiceless sounds are used for voiced [[Stop consonant|stops]], while the letters for voiceless [[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]] sounds are used for voiceless stops.<ref name="L215004"/> 

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩜|note=ka}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩝|note=kha }}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩞|note=ga }}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩟|color=gold|note=gha{{efn|name=s|group=consonants|Letters used for Sanskrit transcription.}}}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩠|note=ṅa }}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩡|note=ca }}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩢|note=cha }}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩣|note=ja }}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩤|color=gold|note=jha{{efn|name=s}}}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩥|note=ña}}
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩦|color=gold|note=ṭa{{efn|name=s}}}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩧|color=gold|note=ṭha{{efn|name=s}}}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩨|color=gold|note=ḍa{{efn|name=s}}}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩩|color=gold|note=ḍha{{efn|name=s}}}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩪|color=gold|note=ṇa{{efn|name=s}}}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩫|note=ta}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩬|note=tha}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩭|note=da}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩮|color=gold|note=dha{{efn|name=s}}}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩯|note=na}}
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩰|note=pa}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩱|note=pha}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩲|note=ba}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|color=gold|ch=𑩳|note=bha{{efn|name=s}}}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩴|note=ma}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|color=teal|ch=𑩵|note=tsa{{efn|name=t|group=consonants|Letters used for Tibetan transcription.}}}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|color=teal|ch=𑩶|note=tsha{{efn|name=t}}}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|color=teal|ch=𑩷|note=dza{{efn|name=t}}}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|color=teal|ch=𑩸|note=źa{{efn|name=t}}}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩹|note=za}}
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|color=teal|ch=𑩺|note='a{{efn|name=t}}}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩻|note=ya}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩾|note=va}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩼|note=ra}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩽|note=la}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩿|note=śa}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|color=gold|ch=𑪀|note=ṣa{{efn|name=s}}}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪁|note=sa}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪂|note=ha}} 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|color=gold|ch=𑪃|note=kṣa{{efn|name=s}}}}
|}

{{notelist|group=consonants}}

====Mongolian====

Mongolian employs a subset of Soyombo consonants, with Mongolian-specific pronunciations. 
{| class="wikitable"
|+Mongolian Soyombo consonants
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩜|note=ɡa/ɢa}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩝|note=ka/qa}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩠|note=ŋa}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩣|note=ja}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩢|note=ca}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩥|note=ña}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩫|note=da}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩬|note=ta}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩯|note=na}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩰|note=ba}}
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩱|note=pa}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩴|note=ma}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩻|note=ya}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩼|note=ra}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩾|note=va}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩽|note=la}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩿|note=sha}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪁|note=sa}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪂|note=ha}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪃|note=ksa}}
|}

In Mongolian, a final consonant is written with a simplified variant of the basic letter in the bottom of the frame. In cases where it would conflict with the vowels u or ü the vowel is written to the left.

{| class="wikitable" 
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪊|note=aɡ}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪋|note=ak}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪌|note=aŋ}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪍|note=ad/at}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪎|note=an}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪏|note=ab/ap}}
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪐|note=am}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪑|note=ar}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪒|note=al}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪓|note=aš}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪔|note=as}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪕|note=ah}}
|}

====Sanskrit and Tibetan====
In Sanskrit and Tibetan, consonant clusters are usually written by stacking up to three consonants vertically within the same frame. 

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example consonant clusters
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩣𑪙𑩠|tops=𑩣 + 𑩪|note=jṅa }}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩜𑪙𑩿|tops=𑩜 + 𑩿|note=kśa}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩭𑪙𑩾|tops=𑩭 + 𑩾|note=dva}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩯𑪙𑩭|tops=𑩯 + 𑩭|note=nda}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩲𑪙𑪁𑪙𑩜|tops=𑩲 + 𑪁 + 𑩜|note=bska}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩜𑪙𑪀𑪙𑩴|tops=𑩜 + 𑪀 + 𑩴|note=kṣma}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩭𑪘|tops=𑩭 + 𑩭|note=dda}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩴𑪘|tops=𑩴 + 𑩴|note=mma}}
|}

In consonant clusters beginning with {{angbr|{{script|Soyo|𑩼}}}} ''ra'', {{angbr|{{script|Soyo|𑩽}}}} ''la'', {{angbr|{{script|Soyo|𑩿}}}} ''śa'' or {{angbr|{{script|Soyo|𑪁}}}} ''sa'', the first consonant can be reduced to a small prefix written to the left of the next letter's main triangle. For example, the syllable {{angbr|{{script|Soyo|𑩼𑪙𑩜}}}} ''rka'' can also be written {{angbr|{{script|Soyo|𑪆𑩜}}}}.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example prefixed consonants
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪆|note=r-}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪇|note=l-}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪈|note=ś-}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪉|note=s-}}
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪆𑩜|note=rka}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪇𑩜|note=lka}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪈𑩜|note=śka}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑪉𑩜|note=ska}}
|}

===Vowels===
As in other Brahmic scripts, a consonant in the Soyombo script carries an inherent vowel, ''a'', so, for example, the letter {{angbr|{{Script|Soyo|𑩜}}}} is pronounced ''ka''. Syllables with other vowel sounds are constructed by adding a vowel mark to the base character. So, for example, the syllable {{angbr|{{Script|Soyo|𑩜𑩑}}}} ''ki'' is formed by adding the diacritic {{angbr|{{Script|Soyo|𑩑}}}} to a {{angbr|{{Script|Soyo|𑩜}}}}. The first character of the alphabet {{angbr|{{Script|Soyo|𑩐}}}} acts as a null consonant or vowel carrier, allowing formation of syllables beginning with a vowel sound. On its own, it represents a short ''a''. Syllables starting with other vowels are constructed by adding a vowel mark to {{angbr|{{Script|Soyo|𑩐}}}}. 

Mongolian uses seven vowels, all of which have a short and a long form. The long form is indicated with the length mark. 
Diphthongs are represented by adding one of the diphthong markers to a syllable.
{|
|
{| class="wikitable"
|+Vowels combined with {{angbr|{{Script|Soyo|𑩐}}}}
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐|note=a}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩑|note=i}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩔|note=e}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩒|note=ü}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩓|note=u}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩕|note=o}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩖|note=ö}}
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩛|note=ā}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩑𑩛|note=ī}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩔𑩛|note=ē}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩛𑩒|note=ǖ}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩛𑩓|note=ū}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩕𑩛|note=ō}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩖𑩛|note=ȫ}}
|}
|
{| class="wikitable" 
|+Diphthongs
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=◌𑩗|note=-i}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=◌𑩘|note=-u}}
|- 
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩗|note=ai}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩘|note=au}}
|}
|}

Sanskrit also includes the [[syllabic consonants]] ṛ and ḷ, which are treated as vowels and may be short or long. Sanskrit transcription also requires two additional diacritics, the ''[[anusvara]]'' {{angbr|{{script|Soyo|◌𑪖}}}}, which indicates that a vowel is nasalised, and the ''[[visarga]]'' {{angbr|{{script|Soyo|◌𑪗}}}}, which indicates post-vocalic aspiration.<ref name="Ch14.7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode10.0.0/ch14.pdf#G41941|title=The Unicode Standard, Chapter 14.7: Soyombo|date=June 2017}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" 
|-
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩙|note=ṛ}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩙𑩛𑩙|note=ṝ}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩚|note=ḷ}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑩚𑩛|note=ḹ}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪖|note=aṃ}}
|{{letter|s=Soyo|ch=𑩐𑪗|note=aḥ}}
|}

==Punctuation==

Apart from the [[Soyombo symbol]], the only punctuation mark is a full stop, represented by a vertical bar. In inscriptions, words are often separated by a dot at the height of the upper triangle (''tsheg'').

== Unicode ==
{{Main|Soyombo (Unicode block)}}

Soyombo script has been included in the [[Unicode Standard]] since the release of Unicode version 10.0 in June 2017. The [[Soyombo (Unicode block)|Soyombo]] block currently comprises 83 characters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unicode.org/Public/UCD/latest/ucd/UnicodeData.txt|title=UCD: UnicodeData.txt|work=The Unicode Standard|access-date=2019-03-05}}</ref> The proposal to encode Soyombo was submitted by Anshuman Pandey.<ref name="L215004"/> The [https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2015/15004r-soyombo.pdf Unicode proposal] was revised in December 2015. 

The Unicode block for Soyombo is U+11A50–U+11AAF:

{{Unicode chart Soyombo}}

The [[Menksoft IME]]s provide alternative input methods.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.menksoft.com/CommunityModules/ArticlesH/ArticlesViewH.aspx?pageID=0&ItemID=13546&mid=3436&wversion=Staging|title=内蒙古蒙科立软件有限责任公司 - 首页|publisher=Menksoft.com|access-date=2012-02-10|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222092700/http://www.menksoft.com/CommunityModules/ArticlesH/ArticlesViewH.aspx?pageID=0&ItemID=13546&mid=3436&wversion=Staging|archive-date=2012-02-22}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Mongolian writing systems]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.omniglot.com/writing/soyombo.htm Soyombo script] – [[Omniglot]]
* [http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~corff/im/Soyombo/overview.Soyombo.html Soyombo fonts] (TeX/Metafont)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20020203192752/http://www.geocities.com/jglavy/asian.html Soyombo fonts] (TTF)

== Further reading ==
* Соёмбын нууц ба синергетик. Эмхэтгэсэн Б. Болдсайхан, Б. Батсанаа, Ц. Оюунцэцэг. Улаанбаатар, 2005. [Secrets and Synergies of Soyombo. Compiled by B. Boldsaikhan, B. Batsanaa, C. Oyunceceg. Ulaanbaatar, 2005.]

{{list of writing systems}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soyombo Script}}
[[Category:Mongolian writing systems]]
[[Category:Brahmic scripts]]
[[Category:Obsolete writing systems]]
[[Category:1680s introductions]]
[[Category:1686 beginnings]]