View source for Fraser script

{{Short description|Alphabetic writing system}}
{{Redirect|ꓤ|the consonant|Voiced uvular fricative}}
{{Infobox writing system
|name=Fraser
|type=[[Abugida]]
|time=c. 1915&ndash;present
|languages=[[Lisu language|Lisu]]
|fam1=[[Phoenician script]]
|fam2=[[Greek script]]
|fam3=[[Latin script]]
|sample=Fraser text.png
|imagesize=256
|creator=[[James O. Fraser]]
|unicode=[https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/UA4D0.pdf U+A4D0–U+A4FF], [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U11FB0.pdf U+11FB0–U+11FBF]
|iso15924=Lisu
}}

The '''Fraser''' or '''Old Lisu script''' is an [[constructed script|artificial]] [[abugida]] for the [[Lisu language]] invented around 1915 by Sara Ba Thaw, a [[Karen people|Karen]] preacher from [[Myanmar]], and improved by the [[missionary]] [[James O. Fraser]]. It is a single-[[letter case|case]] ([[Unicase|unicameral]]) [[alphabet]]. It was also used for the [[Naxi language]], e.g. in the 1932 Naxi Gospel of Mark,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://socidoc.com/queue/m-ko-te-dna-hsi-mark-1932-_5a02b933d64ab2e82e1e3176_pdf?queue_id=5a1b047ed64ab2e8253d9734|title=Naxi Gospel of Mark 1932|access-date=2017-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201234029/https://socidoc.com/queue/m-ko-te-dna-hsi-mark-1932-_5a02b933d64ab2e82e1e3176_pdf?queue_id=5a1b047ed64ab2e8253d9734|archive-date=2017-12-01|url-status=dead}}</ref> and used in the Zaiwa or [[Zaiwa language|Atsi language]], e.g. in the 1938 Atsi Gospel of Mark.

The script uses uppercase letters from the [[Latin script]] (except for the letter [[Q]]) and rotated versions thereof (except for the letters [[M]], [[Q]] and [[W]]) to write [[consonant]]s and [[vowel]]s. [[Tonal language|Tones]] and [[nasalization]] are written with Roman [[punctuation]] marks, identical to those found on a typewriter. Like the Indic [[abugida]]s, the vowel {{IPA|[a]}} is not written. However, unlike those scripts, the other vowels are written with full letters.

The local Chinese government in [[Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture|Nujiang]] ''de facto'' recognized the script in 1992 as the [[official script]] for writing in Lisu, although other Lisu autonomous territories continue to use the New Lisu (Latin script) for official matters.{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}}

==Consonants==
Note: You may need to download a Lisu-capable Unicode font if not all characters display.
{|class=wikitable
|+Fraser consonants
|-
! colspan="2" | !!Labial!!Alveolar!!Alveolar<br>sibilant!!Post-<br>alveolar!!Velar!!Glottal
|-
! rowspan="3" | Plosive
!Tenuis
| {{script|Lisu|ꓑ}} {{IPAblink|p}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓔ}} {{IPAblink|t}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓝ}} {{IPAblink|ts}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓚ}} {{IPAblink|tʃ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓗ}} {{IPAblink|k}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓮ}} {{IPAblink|ʔ}}<sup>1</sup>
|-
!Aspirate
| {{script|Lisu|ꓒ}} {{IPAblink|pʰ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓕ}} {{IPAblink|tʰ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓞ}} {{IPAblink|tsʰ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓛ}} {{IPAblink|tʃʰ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓘ}} {{IPAblink|kʰ}} || 
|-
!Voiced
| {{script|Lisu|ꓐ}} {{IPAblink|b}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓓ}} {{IPAblink|d}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓜ}} {{IPAblink|dz}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓙ}} {{IPAblink|dʒ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓖ}} {{IPAblink|ɡ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓨ}} {{IPAblink|ɦ}}<sup>3</sup> <sup>4</sup>
|-
! rowspan="2" | Fricative
!Voiceless
| {{script|Lisu|ꓩ}} {{IPAblink|f}}<sup>4</sup> ||   || {{script|Lisu|ꓢ}} {{IPAblink|s}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓫ}} {{IPAblink|ʃ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓧ}} {{IPAblink|x}} || 
|-
!Voiced
| ||   || {{script|Lisu|ꓤ}} {{IPAblink|z}}<sup>4</sup> || {{script|Lisu|ꓣ}} {{IPAblink|ʒ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓭ}} {{IPAblink|ɯ}}?, {{IPAblink|ɣ}}<sup>2</sup> || 
|-
! colspan="2" |Nasal
| {{script|Lisu|ꓟ}} {{IPAblink|m}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓠ}} {{IPAblink|n}} ||   || {{script|Lisu|ꓠꓬ}} {{IPAblink|ȵ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓥ}} {{IPAblink|ŋ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓦ}} {{IPAblink|h̃}}<sup>3</sup>
|-
! rowspan="3" |Approximant
!Tenuis
| {{script|Lisu|ꓪ}} {{IPAblink|w}}, {{IPAblink|u̯}}<sup>2</sup> || {{script|Lisu|ꓡ}} {{IPAblink|l}} ||   || {{script|Lisu|ꓬ}} {{IPAblink|ʝ}}, {{IPAblink|i̯}}<sup>2</sup> ||   || 
|-
!Aspirate

||   ||   ||   || {{script|Lisu|𑾰}} {{IPAblink|ʝʰ}}, {{IPAblink|i̯ʰ}}<sup>2</sup> <sup>5</sup> ||   || 
|}
#Initial glottal stop is only written when the inherent vowel {{IPAblink|ɑ}} follows, and just like all consonants, the inherent vowel suffix {{script|Lisu|ˍ}} must not be written as that would indicate another {{IPAblink|ɑ}} follows ({{IPA|ʔɑɑ}} instead of {{IPA|ʔɑ}}). It is automatic before all initial vowels but {{IPAblink|ɯ}} and {{IPAblink|ə}}.
# {{script|Lisu|ꓭ}} represents a "vowel" in the Naxi language, presumably a [[Central consonant|medial]] {{IPAblink|ɯ}}, and a consonant {{IPAblink|ɣ}} in the Lisu language. {{script|Lisu|ꓪ}}, {{script|Lisu|ꓬ}} and {{script|Lisu|𑾰}} are likewise ambiguous.
# {{script|Lisu|ꓨ}} only occurs in an [[Imperative mood|imperative]] [[Grammatical particle|particle]]. It is an [[allophone]] of {{script|Lisu|ꓦ}} {{IPAblink|h̃}}, which causes nasalization to the syllable.
# {{script|Lisu|ꓤ}}, {{script|Lisu|ꓨ}} and {{script|Lisu|ꓩ}} are used only in Lisu language.
# {{script|Lisu|𑾰}} is used only in Naxi language.

==Vowels==
[[File:Manuscripts in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum - DSC03963.JPG|thumb|right|[[Lisu language]] Bible in the Fraser script]]

{|class=wikitable
|+Fraser vowels
|-
! !! colspan="3" |Front!! colspan="3" |Central/back
|-
!High
| {{script|Lisu|ꓲ}} {{IPAblink|i}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓵ}} {{IPAblink|y}} 
| || {{script|Lisu|ꓶ}} {{IPAblink|ɯ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓴ}} {{IPAblink|u}}
|
|-
!Mid
| {{script|Lisu|ꓰ}} {{IPAblink|e}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓱ}} {{IPAblink|ø}} 
|{{script|Lisu|ꓬꓱ}} {{IPAblink|i̯ø}}|| {{script|Lisu|ꓷ}} {{IPAblink|ə}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓳ}} {{IPAblink|ʊ}}
|{{script|Lisu|ꓮꓳ}} [{{IPA|ɑw}}]/{{IPAblink|ɔ}}
|-
!Low
| {{script|Lisu|ꓯ}} {{IPAblink|ɛ}} ||   
| || {{script|Lisu|ˍ}}** {{IPAblink|ɑ}} || {{script|Lisu|ꓪ}} [{{IPA|wɑ}}]
|{{script|Lisu|ꓬ}} {{IPAblink|i̯ɑ}}
|}
:<nowiki>**</nowiki>Only written after a syllable (consonant letter) to indicate a second vowel. Other vowels do not have special letters to emphasize a secondary vowel without glottal stop initial, such as {{script|Lisu|ꓡꓷꓰꓹ}} ({{IPA|[ləe]}}) is not written as {{script|Lisu|ꓡꓷˍꓰꓹ}} and can only be distinguished from {{Script|Lisu|ꓡꓷ ꓰꓹ}} ({{IPA|[lə ʔe]}}) by a space.

For example, {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓗ}}}} is {{IPA|[kɑ̄]}}, while {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓗꓲ}}}} is {{IPA|[kī]}}. 

When consonant ꓠꓬ, ꓬ is used with vowel ꓬꓱ, ꓬ, without being ambiguous only one ꓬ is written.

When transcribing diphthongs and nasal codas, letters ꓮ and ꓬ can work like vowels just like English letter Y, making Fraser script behave like an [[matres lectionis|abjadic]] alphabet like the [[Roman alphabet|Roman]] instead of an abugida like [[Tibetan script|Tibetan]]; meanwhile space works like a delimiter like a Tibetan tseg, making a final consonant (such as ꓠ) possible without necessity of a [[virama|halanta sign]]: 凉粉 {{Script|Lisu|ꓡꓬꓮꓳ ꓩꓷꓠ}} reads as {{IPA|/li̯ɛw fən/}} rather than as {{Script|Lisu|ꓡꓬ ꓮ ꓳ ꓩꓷ ꓠ}} {{IPA|/li̯ɑ ʔɑ ʔʊ fə nɑ/}}.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bradley |title=Southern Lisu dictionary}}</ref>

==Tones==
Tones are written with standard punctuation. Lisu punctuation therefore differs from international norms: the comma is {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|꓾}}}} (hyphen period) and the full stop is {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|꓿}}}} (equal sign).

{|class=wikitable
|+Diacritics on the syllable {{script|Lisu|ꓝ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ]}}
|-
| {{script|Lisu|ꓝ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ̄]}}|| {{script|Lisu|ꓝꓸ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ́]}}|| {{script|Lisu|ꓝꓹ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ̌]}}
|-
| {{script|Lisu|ꓝꓻ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ̄ˀ]}}*|| {{script|Lisu|ꓝꓺ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ̄ˀ]}}|| {{script|Lisu|ꓝʼ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ̄̃]}}
|-
| {{script|Lisu|ꓝꓼ}} {{IPA|[tsàˀ]}}|| {{script|Lisu|ꓝꓽ}} {{IPA|[tsà]}}|| {{script|Lisu|ꓝˍ}} {{IPA|[tsɑ̄à]}}
|}
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>It is not clear how the {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓻ}}}} mid tone differs from the unmarked mid tone.
The tones {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓸ}}}}, {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓹ}}}}, {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓺ}}}}, {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓻ}}}} may be combined with {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓼ}}}} and {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓽ}}}} as compound tones. However, the only compound tone still in common use is {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ꓹꓼ}}}}.

The apostrophe indicates [[nasalization]]. It is combined with tone marks.

The low [[Macron (diacritic)|macron]] indicates the Lisu "A glide", a contraction of {{IPA|[à]}} without an intervening glottal stop. The tone is not always falling, depending on the environment, but is written {{angle bracket|{{script|Lisu|ˍ}}}} regardless.

==Letter forms==
[[Image:Fraser alphabet.png|thumb|upright=1.5|Lisu alphabet]]
[[Image:Fraser alphabet for Naxi.png|thumb|Naxi alphabet]]
Although Fraser published a [[serif]] form of the script,<ref>James Fraser (1922) ''Handbook of the Lisu (Yawyin) language''. Superintendent, Government printing, Rangoon</ref> almost all typesetting today is done in a [[sans-serif]] typeface.

==Unicode==
{{Main|1=Lisu (Unicode block)|2=Lisu Supplement|l2=Lisu Supplement (Unicode block)}}

The Fraser script was added to the [[Unicode]] Standard in October, 2009 with the release of version 5.2.

The Unicode block for the Fraser script, called 'Lisu', is U+A4D0&ndash;U+A4FF:

{{Unicode chart Lisu}}

An additional character, the inverted Y used in the [[Naxi language]], was added to the Unicode Standard in March, 2020 with the release of version 13.0.  It is in the Lisu Supplement block (U+11FB0&ndash;U+11FBF):

{{Unicode chart Lisu Supplement}}

==See also==
*[[OMF International]]

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://www.omniglot.com/writing/fraser.htm ''Omniglot'' entry on Fraser script]
*[http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n3317.pdf Proposal for encoding the Old Lisu script in the BMP of the UCS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808022144/http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n3317.pdf |date=2017-08-08 }}
*[https://phjamr.github.io/lisu.html Lisu Unicode, Open source font for users of the Lisu script]
*[http://www.sil.org/asia/ldc/plenary_papers/david_bradley.pdf Issues in orthography development and reform] by David Bradley
*[http://www.evertype.com/standards/iso10646/pdf/fraser-sample.pdf Sample text] from [[Michael Everson]]'s website

{{list of writing systems}}

[[Category:Alphabets]]
[[Category:Loloish languages]]
[[Category:Languages of China]]
[[Category:Languages of India]]
[[Category:Languages of Myanmar]]
[[Category:Languages of Thailand]]