Linglese
Linglese is a hybrid writing system created by Ling (凌)
which uses adapted Chinese characters to write the English language.
It is very similar to the Japanese writing system, though
can be far less intelligible to Chinese or Japanese speakers.
It was created as a tool for studying the etymology of English
words and of Chinese characters.
Linglese contains 31 letters, 26 of which can be mapped
directly to the 26 letters of the English alphabet; the
remaining 5 letters correspond to the digraphs ch, ng, ph,
sh and th. There are two forms to each Linglese letter:
the hard form and the soft form, which analogically resemble
the uppercase and the lowercase in English, or katakana and
hiragana in Japanese.
Though the approaches used to adopt Chinese characters
can vary depending on the user, it is highly preferred that
Chinese characters are mapped to English words with the
consideration of the etymology and characters’ origins,
not of the corresponding meanings in modern Chinese and
English speech.
The name Linglese is written with three Chinese characters:
- The first is the creator’s name, Ling.
- The second is “angle” because the English people were known as
the “Angles” who inhabited a hook shaped coast. - The third corresponds to the suffix “-ese”, indicating a writing system
Notable features
- Type of writing system: alphabet
- Direction of writing: in vertical columns from right to
left and top to bottom, or from left to right in horizontal lines. - Used to write: English
Linglese alphabet
Sample texts
Transliteration
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with
reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)