Top 10 MOST INTERESTING scripts ever | WRITING SYSTEMS

In this video I'm going to present you my personal TOP 10 of the COOLEST writing systems in the WORLD of all times!
As a huge language lover, I truly believe that these scripts are absolutely amazing and I would like to share with you the information I discovered while I was reading about these scripts. Apart from the mere listing of the scripts, I'll also tell you a bit about their history and structure. By the way, an interesting fact is that some of these scripts have not been deciphered yet! Maybe they're waiting for you to decipher them?:)
I hope you'll like the video and I'm sure you'll discover something new for you. And don't forget to write me in the comments below WHICH SCRIPT(S) YOU LIKED THE MOST. I'll really appreciate it!

[@GoodWoIf]

Rongorongo is kind of crazy considering that it was invented apparently independently of other systems. A comparatively small society of people lived on the island isolated in the ocean for not all that long and they came up with Rongorongo. It seems like it SHOULD be decipherable though since it was used so recently that Rapanui, the indigenous language of the island, will hardly have changed in the time since they forgot how to read and write it. There are many undeciphered writing systems whose spoken languages are also extinct.

[@jonathankessler9853]

It wasn’t on this list but Hebrew script is probably my favorite in terms of sheer beauty

[@arbur4746]

Georgian!!!

[@user-ns5gq3ls6n]

Telugu

[@shiningstone6771]

Kannada ಸಿರಿಷ

[@keegster7167]

Georgian is my favorite, right up there with Tengwar for me

[@neff7031]

I have a weird obsession in writing systems, I already memorized Hangeul(Korean), Japanese, and Thai writing scripts and I'm currently learning Greek and Sanskrit and I even invented my alphabet 😵

[@SpencerYonce]

I do the exact same. Except with another 15

[@gaurexhetam6467]

thanks

[@klaudia2141]

same!!!! it's so strange because I don't even think i will learn the languages :O but writing systems are fantastic! i would love to invent my own writing system :O

[@Jellixi2]

Me too

[@amylynnswe7390]

That's interesting please consider burmese writing system

[@JonUwU02]

I have a weird obsession over writing systens

[@nazliacikyildiz2670]

Lmao same

[@palmsanagitok.sangma2926]

Me too

[@gabrieletrovato3939]

It's amazing how beautiful Tolkien's alphabet is, I love it 😍

[@ViajandoconMirko]

I went to the Isle of Man and I didn't know that about that script!

[@APolyglotDiary]

Too bad. But now you know😉

[@mr-vet]

I like the Balinese, Cambodian, and Thai Scripts. I’m creating my own alphabet and language for a fantasy (with elements of sci-fi) novel I’m writing. I’m taking inspiration from the aforementioned scripts.

[@asterobiology]

I’m very happy that Tengwar was the top, I’ve been a quenya speaker and writer since I was a child!

[@igorvoloshin3406]

Elen sila lumenn omentielvo, mellon! ✌😁

[@Pining_for_the_fjords]

I would add the Voynich script. It looks pretty, nobody has been able to decipher it, and we don't even know if it's a natural language or a conlang. The Ithkuil writing system is also fascinating. From a conlang designed to be as complicated and information-dense as possible, the script also fits those objectives. The language is based on a number of set inflections and inflectional categories, which are added to a rather small number of root words, and the script depicts the inflections rather than spelling them out phonemically. It would be as if English had special diacritics to indicate number, tense and mood which were added to the base word, or German had diacritics to mark case, and the speaker would have to know how to inflect the word without it being spelled out. From this list I was surprised to see Georgian. It's simply an alphabet written left-to-right where each letter represents a consonant or vowel, and is more phonemic than English. It looks pretty cool, but as far as writing systems go it's not that interesting. Also the script from the film Arrival. It's a great film and a nice looking writing system, but it's not a fully fleshed out system. It's simply based on a fantasy/sci-fi concept to deterministic time, but there's no explanation of how simply knowing their language alters somebody's perception to let them see the future (?) I don't know, I haven't watched it in years. A very good film, but to call the alien writing a writing system is a bit far-fetched to me.

[@Jjdb8211]

I’ve been a huge fan of the LOTR movies since I was six, got me into both fantasy and linguistics haha

[@Mongolian.Script]

Many thanks for your great work 😊 I am very happy to see that the Mongolian script on the list. Best wishes 😸

[@twistit4844]

nice, this is exactly what I was looking for :D

[@m.hosseinfereshteh2027]

You did a superb job it was very informative, interesting, intellectually stimulating and you did in a fun effective way. Thanks a million

[@sksk-bd7yv]

Incredibly interesting! Thank You! My favourite is probably the Cree. I, too, have always loved inventing new alphabets.

[@LearnRunes]

The way the material writing occurs on impacts how it is shaped could be a field of study all of its own.

[@statesminds]

All very interesting! Crazy that no matter where we are from we came up with a way to communicate

[@MrPleers]

Out of this list, I like tengwar the most. I created my own writing system. follwing 3 simple rules. 1: No round shapes. 2: The characters are all the same hight and width. 3: The minimum of strokes are 3 and maximum 5.

[@peterbrown7688]

The Easter Island script reminds me of some weird ancient Peruvian art forms I have seen. Probably no coincidence at all.

[@APolyglotDiary]

Interesting. There is a hypothesis that IVS (Indus Valley Script) and Rongo rongo have some connection...it hasn't been proven yet, though. So, it's still a mystery.

[@peterbrown7688]

A Polyglot Diary fascinating!

[@King-uh8zz]

1:42min You are absolutely right. This script looks so cool. 😗👍

[@kemetnubiakamp]

Regarding #7: Tifi = "to write" Nagh = "our" among the Tuareg in Tamajjight so "our writing" is what it means. Tifinagh is a Tuareg script that existed long before Neo-Tifinagh, which you are featuring, began in 1970. Neo-Tifinagh is "modern Berber Script" but Tifinagh is Tuareg script, the only ethnic group using the script before the 1970 recreation by Berber Academy in Paris, France.

[@dalubwikaan161]

I agree most of the scripts you mention. 👍

[@user-eq5pc3ju7e]

This show me , human had a lot of imaginetion and modern humen is really genius.

[@frechjo]

When you said there were 2 writing systems for conlangs, I was sure one would be the kēlen ceremonial interlaced alphabet. In all honesty, while the heptapod thing from the movie is interesting, it's not a real writing system, so I was kinda disappointed with that one. Tengwar is pretty, well thought out, and has an importan place in conlanging history. Can't argue with that one. Silly complaints aside, fun video. I see in comments I was not the only one expecting to see 'phags-pa make the list :D

[@dubagentselekions8221]

New subscriber from South Africa Linguist, language enthusiasts

[@MrRejikuruvilla]

minute 3.08 is the tengwar script transcription for the Sindarin language, or is it for some other language?

[@igorvoloshin3406]

Did you hear about the Omniglot, the most comprehensive resource for scripts on the Net? 🤔 My modest input - the Univar script is also there. Hope you'll enjoy it. 🤗

[@cheaveasna6606]

Very interesting

[@user-jt2rp5nk1h]

It is also necessary to clarify some important terms that will be used in the research, especially the reasons for choosing the term (Arabic dialects). ), and that this term will not be equal and successful unless we consider that the classical Arabic language is the same as the Adnanite Arabic dialect, and this term is sound from a historical point of view. Thus, we can say the Latin language with its dialects: French, Latin, Portuguese, Latin, Spanish, Italian and Romanian, as well as the Germanic language with its German, Dutch, Swedish, English...etc. As for the mother Arabic language (which we do not know), it includes the following Arabic dialects: 1- Akkadian Arabic (with its two branches: Babylonian and Assyrian). 2- The Egyptian Arabic dialect with its various ancient writings. 3- Abla’i Arabic dialect. 4- Amorite/Canaanite Arabic dialect. D- Amorite Arabic / Canaanite / Ajaritic - Aramaic Arabic dialect. 7- The Nabataean Arabic dialect. 8- The Safaitic Arabic dialect - the Thamudic Arabic dialect. 10- Lihyanite Arabic dialect 11- Adnanite Arabic dialect. (i.e. the Standard Arabic dialect). 12- The Sabean (Al-Qahtaniyah) Arabic dialect. 13- The Syriac Arabic dialect. 14- The Aramaic dialect of Maaloula, Bukha, and Jib Adin. 15- The Berber Arabic dialect. 16 - Coptic Arabic dialects.

[@Bourbon_Biscuit]

Correction:- Phagspa was never used to write Sanskrit(The core or main script is Devanagari and Sanskrit is still written in mostly all Indian scripts) but the core and main script is devanagari. I think same thing happened that people who knew the language but used their own script for their own ease.

[@zhongsense]

It was used to write Sanskrit, just not in India. Tibetan Buddhists in and around the Mongol court used it to write many languages, with Sanskrit (mainly just mantras, I've never seen a full Sanskrit doc in 'phags pa) being just one of them.

[@nmvhr]

sanskrit was written in many scripts. during colonial times most works were put into the devanagiri script. before the colonial period ppl were writing sanskrit in whatever script they preferred.

[@Aman-qr6wi]

@@nmvhr no, most writings in sanskrit were written in devnagari from 1 century AD.

[@nmvhr]

@@Aman-qr6wi devanagari didn’t even exist at that time

[@infinite5795]

@@nmvhr it did exist, inscriptions from 1st century-4th century CE in Sanskrit are found in Gujrat.

[@jeranuspeedruns]

im currently trying to create a new form of writing system that combines the work of a featural system (korean) and a syllabic system (japanese)

[@thamaninyeusi2073]

I would like to have a look, me too, I'm creating an writing system

[@sksk-bd7yv]

Interesting! Good luck!

[@mjolninja9358]

Crazy how Cuneiforms look so alien and advanced

[@Candakiawan]

i learned lontara in my elementary school. it is actually very easy to write

[@purplevelvet2148]

moi qui ai décidé cet été d'apprendre l'alphabet n° 6 . PArce que j'ai super envie de visiter le pays, mais aussi parce que " on dirait de l'elfique, mais vraiment utilisé dans un pays, c'est super cool" Et mon boss final serait le Cinghalais , qui doit être super compliqué à écrire à la main :)

[@onlyforwatchingvids2086]

Actually mongolians and Yughurs both took from old sogdian. It was old iranian writing style and sogdianns inherited from aramaic.

[@Mongolian.Script]

Good point 👍

[@emanuelutolua9724]

My favourite is Rongorongo!

[@the_jujuman5269]

Nsibidi? It’s a really nice script

[@asterobiology]

I was surprised to not see Burmese or Baybayin!

[@user-jt2rp5nk1h]

The criticism of the Semitic theory has become known (see Mhafhel: Introduction to the Aramaic Language, Damascus 1974. And Tawfiq Suleiman’s book, Criticism of Semitic Theory, Damascus 1984), as well. Naim Farah 000 Likewise, the word Sam did not appear in ancient inscriptions and writings. Rather, the root word Arab was mentioned in these writings to carry the meaning of water in different fields, as is the case with Adnanism.

[@anitaheubel3228]

I have created my own script. It is functional but not the most attractive - just very functional. It is used for English but mostly for the language based on Logic that I have also created.

[@OmnipotentPotato]

What do you think about Arabic? It's written from right to left, some letters get connected with each other and some not, each letter changes it's form depending on where it is in the word, at the end, middle or beginning. There are diacritical marks that are added (if you are good at Arabic you won't need them but if you're new at it you'll have to add it to be able to read) to change the pronunciation and therefore the meaning of the word. It's alphabet consists of 27 or 28 letters depending on if you consider the Hamza (ء) a letter or a diacritical mark, it has one of the most unique sounds like the Dhad (ض), which is essentially a strong pronunciation of the letter D, and also the Taa' (ط), which is like a strong pronunciation of the letter T. This is just the script, grammar and pronunciation are much more complex, here's how it looks like. مَاْذَاْ تَظُنِّيْنَ عَنِ الْلُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ؟

[@darkfoxx8780]

Georgian is like an elfic from lord of the rings

[@peterbrown7688]

Unfortunately COMPLETE BABYLONIAN (Teach Yourself) deals little with the script. An excellent book nonetheless. A similar problem with A GATEWAY TO SINDARIN, where all elvish items should have been accompanied with Tengwar versions.

[@APolyglotDiary]

Interesting. So the book is completely with Latin letters? With Tengwar it's easier, since it's an alphabet, but Babylonian script is very difficult since it has logograms as well.

[@peterbrown7688]

A Polyglot Diary mostly with Latin letters. Of course it would take an entire volume to present even the fundamentals of Babylonian script.

[@aldebaranbetelgeuse1736]

Phagspa !!

[@mareksagrak9527]

Armenian alphabet is also quite pretty in typewriting or in neat stone scriptures.

[@teutonicpbtz890]

The 1. Script can be added in Gboard?

[@holdingpattern245]

Rongorongo would have only been used by a small priestly class, so in a way Spanish didn't really replace anything.

[@user-lk4iw7nc9l]

Я заметил, что на фоне "карта звёздного неба" и календарь, на котором написано "СЕНТЯБРЬ"

[@igorvoloshin3406]

Ага, тоже обратил внимание! 🤣👍

[@bakurjinoria8881]

Ქართული (Georgian)

[@heaven.123]

I love tengwar

[@accurrent]

You saying “J.R.R. Tolkien” in your (I’m assuming) Russian accent sounds funny too me. Not in a bad way!

[@APolyglotDiary]

Hahaha thanks 😉

[@accurrent]

@@APolyglotDiary No, thank YOU! You’re still looking at you’re comments a year later. That’s what I call loving your fans.

[@pottipadusainatha190]

Madam make video s regularly Iam your dry heart fan

[@barbs1853]

I Hope you can learn BAYBAYIN the our old writing system in the philippines thank you🇵🇭

[@MatthewMcVeagh]

No need to apologise for including conscripts. Many natural language scripts are neographies when they first appear, i.e. they are invented by one particular person at one time, which is also very deliberate and artificial, like conscripts. Others take time to develop, like languages themselves. Of course the anti-conlang people will say conlangs and their scripts are not actually used in practice... but many of these scripts you're considering are hardly used in practice now because the language is dying out or another script has replaced the old one.

[@zhongsense]

Very happy 'phags pa made the list! Also, this script didn't die out with the Mongol empire. The Qing dynasty issued many many seals in 'phags pa, and many Tibetan and Mongol prelates and elites made their own seals using 'phags pa, as well!

[@vinsoysdepartmenttv9558]

what do you call to the person who make constructed script?..

[@nurailidepaepe2783]

conscripter

[@VillHoffman]

How about Gallifreyan?

[@sethcambaya7091]

I like tifinagh

[@phSyn]

I like lontara the most

[@vovkins6880]

В Питере клёво, кстати Даня приглашает тебя на день рождения, в декабре ~15

[@APolyglotDiary]

Спасибо, конечно, но 1) Думаю он в состоянии сам меня пригласить и 2) Я же написала, что меня не будет в Питере в это время. Но в любом случае желаю вам хорошо отметить это дело😁

[@vovkins6880]

@@APolyglotDiary ну ,понимаешь, сегодня воскресенье, он сам не совсем в состоянии это сделать

[@padarahan]

I like the phagpa

[@DAVIT-DEVDARIANI]

Georgia საქართველო

[@newhorizon131]

For me the most interesting script is Tangut script

[@ralphbaier7793]

❤❤❤

[@marcooros9103]

Hello. I am not English native speaker. Please, could You write down as a reply names of those scripts? I didn't understand some names of scripts. Thank You.

[@Alchemy818.]

Tengwar (constructed) Akkadian Rongorongo Ogham Heltapod B (constructed) Georgian Tifinagh Phagspa Lontara Cree Hope this helps!

[@DonHrvato]

Georgian

[@zmitrolapconak6458]

georgian and shavian :)

[@LeviGarrettMonroe]

Go on twitter and search for Waxezizo. You should find a profile that says Waxezizo Language. Click on it and you can learn my language on there. I’m done going through the basic rules and now I’m building up my Waxezizo dictionary.

[@m.hosseinfereshteh2027]

How about the ancient Persian and Farsi? Any of you know anything about it?

[@DhruvRathod-ut3xj]

2:56

[@smiedranokatirova5987]

Iraqi proud 🇮🇶😍 Akkadian

[@APolyglotDiary]

It's beautiful!

[@yosefschoen1742]

I know some people speak Aramaic but do you or anyone in iraq still speak akkaidian

[@pabslondon]

I'm proud of my own achievements. I can't imagine being proud of an ancient script used in a country I happen to be born in

[@igorvoloshin3406]

It was great to hear that Iraqui named a planet system in space to honour Iraq: the star name is Uruk and the planet is Babylonia.

[@kalabhaichaudhary9284]

Elvish Quenya beautiful script. .&.Tamil is oldest Language in the world.

[@muhtesemsiyanur]

Tamil Is Not The Oldest Language

[@mpumelelogarciasoumeyra2198]

Hahahahahahahaha how is Tamil the oldest language ? Hahaha

[@dwaynekeenum1916]

@@muhtesemsiyanur cap

[@dwaynekeenum1916]

@@mpumelelogarciasoumeyra2198 ye

[@user-ns5gq3ls6n]

𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐮 - స్క్రిప్టు దొంగ్రోడాఫి పడ్లోగ్దుగిందో మాస్త్రోరాష్ట్రం Is been internationally ranked the second best script in the world👇 kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioO6qq2ofst6j8U

[@user-lk4iw7nc9l]

Аккадский, это не самый древний. Шумерский древнее. Приблизительно в 4000г дн.э и письмо появился в 3500-3000г дн.э

[@addisusisaynew7599]

Where is the ancient Ethiopian script

[@gungunsana.m9795]

في يناير ومارس والمقصود

[@pabslondon]

I hate to break this to you but all languages and scripts are artificial

[@mr.osamabingaming2633]

No shit

[@gungunsana.m9795]

Et optimis fortuna tibi

[@EthiotendoEdits]

Geez wasn't here 😪

[@zachoo5135]

ሰላም፡እንደምን፡ናቹህ፤እስቲ፡ገምቱ፡ምንድነው፡ይህ፡ቋንቋ፡፡

[@selamwondwossen5818]

Amharic😂

[@zachoo5135]

@@selamwondwossen5818 haha it wasn't for you it was for the ferenjs.

[@vitaminprotein6878]

Ethiopian

[@user-ns5gq3ls6n]

స్క్రిప్టు సిద్ధం గోర్లోపోథఠణ దొంబాಸೂ ಗ್ಲಿಸೂಕ್ಷುರಿಂ ಪಾಯಿರ್ತೃಪ್ಲಿಕೋ

[@Zeyede_Siyum]

@@user-ns5gq3ls6n ምንኛ ነው?

[@ououou222]

Hands out of the camera shot and sit still.

[@georgewest7068]

Русская, да ?

[@heaven.123]

I speak khowar which is dartic brunch of indo_ariya language of indo-pak subcontinent of India. I'm from Chitral of Northern Pakistan. Before Islam we practice yamahana Buddhism we write in type of Sanskrit. Our writing script have been forgotten.

[@Ishaan_Garud]

I HAVEN'T SEEN EVEN A SINGLE PART OF LOL OF THE RINGS

[@gungunsana.m9795]

מזל טוב לך ולמשפחתך וחבריך ומשפחה וחברים ומשפחה וחברים ומשפחה וחברים ומשפחה וחברים ומשפחה וחברים ומשפחה וחברים ומשפחה

[@Ishaan_Garud]

I SPEAK MARATHI

[@deffet]

Так вы таки русскоговорящая чтоль

[@ross6753]

I actually hate katakana and like hiragana much better. I also think hiragana is much prettier and easier to remember. Some katakana look far too much like other katakana, for one thing. By the way, if you're going to make videos about foreign scripts, you should make the effort to pronounce them right. It's not heewagaaana, it's hi-ra-ga-na. And it's not katta kaaana, it's ka-ta-ka-na. All syllables equally short. It makes me wonder whether all the rest you're saying is even half correct, for if you can't say simple words like hiragana and katakana properly, how is all that other weird stuff going to be right?

[@ljerojce2111]

Why are you so angry? She pronounced it wrong. but Who cares

[@ross6753]

@@ljerojce2111 I'm not angry, what makes you think that? And if it gets noticed, that means people care. Wrong is wrong, and if you're talking about something in a way you're suggesting you know something about it, and you sound like you don't because you pronounce everything all wrong, that makes you look stupid. That's why youtubers who want to make instructual videos should sound like they actually know what they're talking about...

[@ljerojce2111]

you're right but you can say in a nicer way, because in your comment you were very harsh. I know you didn't mean to sound angry . But she's a human not a robot, she has fillings like me and you And I'm sorry if my comment sounded stupid 😔

[@ross6753]

@@ljerojce2111 Your comment didn't sound stupid. And I don't think I sounded all that harsh, did I? I've been studying Japanese for a while now, and I think that if I pronounced my Japanese words that "Englishly" wrong, my tutor would correct me way more harshly! So all the more should someone, who sets herself up as a teacher herself, at least sound like one... The problem is, really, I think, in this strange "superiority complex" that people of the Anglosaxon conviction have, which makes them think that all languages from the rest of the world simply can be said with an English pronounciation, while it actually should be the opposite: Anglosaxon people should try and adapt themselves to the pronounciation of the foreign languages when speaking them, not inflict the English pro onto languages like Japanese! So long as they don't do that, they're bound to sound horrible.

[@ljerojce2111]

@@ross6753 you're right my name always gets butchered by English speaking people 😂(I'm not a native english speaker)

[@Ishaan_Garud]

SANSKRIT WAS ONLY WRITTEN USING DEVANAGARI!!!! DONT SPOIL OUR LANGUAGE

[@coderkamath7394]

Nope, Brahmi, Kharosti, Granta and many others were used. Devanagari came replacing Brahmi, Kharosti was writtern opposite direction like Arabic people write.

[@harishanand485]

Old Sanskrit works in Karnataka are written in Kannada script. Like wise Sanskrit is written using regional scripts depending on the regions.

[@Ishaan_Garud]

MANDARIN: I AM THE OLDEST LANGUAGE AKKADIAN : NO , I AM THE OLDEST SANSKRIT: AM I A JOKE TO YOU? MORAL : "EVEN IF THE WHOLE WORLD SAYS (INCLUDING SCIENTISTS) , WRONG IS NEVER RIGHT" SO , SANSKRIT IS THE OLDEST LANGUAGE

[@shrexyavocado7828]

*cries in tamil*

[@user-ns5gq3ls6n]

@@shrexyavocado7828 Tamil ?? It's an unpopular language

[@igorvoloshin3406]

Oldest languages of the world are Khoisan languages of South Africa. Therey're unique and amazing and have made hundreds thousands old.

[@infinite5795]

@@igorvoloshin3406 but do not have their own expansive literature like Sanskrit, Tamil, Greek or even Latin.

[@Kizigira]

Useless

[@mjolninja9358]

ᜀᜈᜓ ᜋᜐᜐᜊ̄ ᜈ᜔ᜌᜓ ᜐ ᜊᜌ᜔ᜊᜌ̄ᜈ᜔

[@pandipandi4190]

I like english......