10 Rare Writing Systems You Need to Discover Before They Vanish

While Arabic and Simplified Chinese scripts remain widely used, others like Balinese, Mali, and Pahawh Hmong face extinction. Tim Brookes, a Vermont writer, has documented over 100 endangered scripts in his upcoming Atlas of Endangered Alphabets, launching on January 17. These writing systems, broadly defined by Brookes, are disappearing due to factors such as globalization, cultural assimilation, war, and government policies.

“Global communication relies on a limited number of writing systems—around 15 to 20,” Brookes explains to Mytour. “As a result, the rest are gradually fading away.”

The atlas will provide background details on each script and links to groups working to revive them. Brookes aims to create a platform for preserving linguistic heritage, showcasing the beauty and complexity of these scripts, including the 10 highlighted below.

1. Cherokee

The Manataka American Indian Council notes that an ancient Cherokee script might have existed but was lost over time. Until the early 19th century, Cherokee was primarily a spoken language. Around 1809, Sequoyah, a Cherokee man, developed an 86-character syllabary where symbols stood for syllables. Remarkably, Sequoyah had no prior literacy. Initially, many Native Americans were skeptical of writing systems, and Sequoyah was even accused of witchcraft. However, when tribal leaders realized the potential of his syllabary to preserve their language and culture, they embraced it. “The Cherokee achieved 90 percent literacy faster than any known group in history,” Brookes states. “[Sequoyah’s syllabary] is among the greatest intellectual feats ever.”

Following a decline after the Indian Removal Act of 1830, Cherokee language education experienced a resurgence in the late 20th century. However, the dominance of English and the Latin alphabet has posed challenges. Brookes mentions that finding qualified teachers for the script is difficult, and even among Cherokee translators, few are fully proficient in the writing system.

2. Inuktitut

Canada’s 59,500 Inuit use nine distinct writing systems, some based on the Latin alphabet and others on syllabics introduced by 19th-century European missionaries. Due to the complexity and expense of incorporating these scripts into official documents, many Inuit officials conduct business in English, threatening the survival of their native languages. To address this, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Canada’s national Inuit organization, is developing a unified script for all Inuit languages. “Our existing scripts were imposed during colonization,” the organization states on its website. “The new Inuktut writing system will be the first created by Inuit for Inuit in Canada.” The design of this script is still under development.

3. Glagolitic

Glagolitic, the oldest known Slavic script, is widely thought to have been created by Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius around 860 CE to translate the Gospels and spread Christianity among the Slavs. The name Glagolitic derives from the Old Church Slavonic term glagolati, meaning to speak. The script incorporates symbols from Greek, Armenian, and Georgian, alongside original creations. Today, only scholars can typically read it, but cultural institutions are working to preserve it. In 2018, the National and University Library in Zagreb launched an online portal featuring digitized Glagolitic texts. The script is a source of Croatian pride and a tourist attraction, with monuments along the Baška Glagolitic Path on Krk Island and Glagolitic-themed merchandise in Zagreb shops. However, this cultural interest doesn’t necessarily translate into widespread learning of the script.

4. Mandombe

The Mandombe script stands out for its unique origins. David Wabeladio Payi, a member of the Kimbanguist church in the Democratic Republic of Congo, reportedly received the alphabet through dreams and spiritual visions in the late 1970s. Inspired by the shapes of the numbers five and two in brick mortar, he developed symbols that formed the basis of the script. These symbols, which change pronunciation based on rotation, are used for Kikongo and Lingala languages. Unlike many endangered scripts, Mandombe is gaining traction, though its use is largely confined to Kimbanguist schools and religious texts. Brookes notes that its growth faces challenges, as the Latin alphabet dominates in the region, where French is the official language. “It faces the same obstacles as declining scripts,” he explains, highlighting the struggles of new writing systems.

5. Ditema tsa Dinoko

Ditema tsa Dinoko, a relatively new script, was created by a team of South African linguists, designers, and software developers within the past decade. Designed to unify speakers of indigenous languages in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, its triangular symbols draw inspiration from regional art and beadwork, celebrating cultural heritage. Brookes notes that African scripts often integrate graphic design elements, diverging from traditional writing systems. “They reflect local artistry, from war paintings to textiles and pottery,” he explains. While colors in the script aren’t essential for comprehension, they evoke its artistic roots and serve as a form of typography, allowing writers to convey emotion or style through their choice of hues.

6. Mandaic

Dating back to the 2nd century CE, the Mandaic script is still used by some Mandaeans in Iraq and Iran. Rooted in mythology, the language is said to predate humanity, and the script was traditionally employed for religious texts. Charles Häberl, an associate professor at Rutgers University, noted in a 2006 paper that Mandaic is “distinct from any other script in the modern Middle East.” Remarkably, it has remained largely unchanged over centuries. However, since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, many speakers have dispersed, making it increasingly difficult to preserve their linguistic heritage.

7. Lanna

The Lanna script, Brookes explains, was predominantly used during the Lanna Kingdom’s reign in what is now Thailand from the 13th to the 16th centuries. While it remains in limited use in northern Thailand, it struggles against the dominance of the Thai script. The term Lanna means “land of a million rice fields.” Brookes admires the script for its aesthetic appeal, describing it as “exceptionally fluid and beautiful.” He elaborates, “The script includes consonants, vowel markings, tonal indicators, and other symbols above and below the main characters, creating a dynamic and intricate system. It’s like a pond of goldfish, with elements curving and flowing in all directions.”

8. Dongba

For more than a millennium, the Naxi ethnic group in Yunnan Province, China, has utilized a vibrant pictographic script. This script depicts both physical entities such as mud, mountains, and alpine meadows, and abstract ideas like humanity and spirituality [PDF]. Traditionally, it served as a mnemonic device for priests during rituals, with the term Dongba translating to "wise man." Recently, there has been a resurgence in its use, driven by individuals in the arts and tourism sectors. It is also part of the curriculum in certain primary schools, maintaining its status as one of the few active pictographic scripts. Nonetheless, Brookes notes a lack of initiatives to integrate the script into daily practical use. Given the dominance of the Chinese script, the future of Dongba appears uncertain.

9. Tibetan

Political factors have placed some of the world's alphabets and languages at risk, with Tibetan being a prominent case. The Chinese government has intensified its focus on Mandarin education, often at the detriment of minority languages. In Tibet, most schools have shifted to Mandarin for the majority of their instruction, relegating Tibetan to a standalone language class. In January 2018, a Tibetan activist faced trial for "inciting separatism," largely due to his opposition to the government's Tibetan language policies, resulting in a five-year prison sentence. Brookes remarks that the narrative surrounding endangered alphabets is typically grim, highlighting the human rights implications.

10. Mongolian

The traditional Mongolian script, often compared to a vertical form of Arabic, was introduced to Mongolia by the Uighurs, a Turkic group, in the 12th century. It became a tool for Mongol leaders, starting with Genghis Khan, to document significant historical events. However, during the 1940s, when Mongolia aligned with the Soviet Union, the Cyrillic alphabet replaced the traditional script. While the traditional script is still utilized in Inner Mongolia and is experiencing a revival in Mongolia itself, supported by a resurgence in calligraphy, it remains at risk of fading away.