syllabic script
- noun
- /sɪˈlæbɪk skrɪpt/
- Specialized
:
escritura silábica
- Unlike alphabetic systems, a syllabic script assigns a unique symbol to each possible syllable.
Examples
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The Japanese writing system uses a syllabic script called hiragana for native words.
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Cherokee is written in a syllabic script invented by Sequoyah in the early 19th century.
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The ancient cultures used syllabic script for their writings.
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Do you know what a syllabic script is?
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Cherokee is written in a syllabic script invented by Sequoyah in the early 19th century.
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The Japanese writing system uses a syllabic script called hiragana for native words.
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Unlike alphabetic systems, a syllabic script assigns a unique symbol to each possible syllable.
Synonyms
24
4.1
A set of letters or symbols used to write a language
2
3.5
A way to show a language's words using letters or characters
1
9.9
A set of written symbols where each symbol shows a syllable like ka or mi
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'syllabic' (= relating to syllables) modifies 'script' (= a writing system), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer that it denotes a writing system in which signs represent syllables. The adjective+noun composition follows a common, cross-linguistic naming pattern (e.g. Spanish 'escritura silábica'), making the sense immediately transparent.
Etymology
Syllabic script comes from joining syllabic, meaning 'syllables', and script, meaning a way of writing. Each written sign stands for a whole spoken chunk or 'syllable', so a syllabic script uses a symbol for each syllable instead of a symbol for each single sound or 'letter'.