Origin from 1949
An alphabet invented in 1949 by the Guinean scholar Solomana Kante to write Manding languages of West Africa, including Maninka, Bambara and Dyula, designed as an indigenous alternative to Latin and Arabic transliterations that Kante judged poorly suited to Manding phonology and tone. Its name means 'I say' in the Manding languages it serves. Written right to left, N'Ko marks tone with diacritics above and below its letters, a feature earlier Latin- and Arabic-based Manding orthographies generally omitted, and it has since developed a modest but active literary and journalistic tradition, along with digital-typing support.
Facts
Directionality In Use Since (Year) Connections
Associated With
Source Wikipedia: N'Ko Script
Script Of
N'Ko is an alphabetic script devised by Solomana Kante in 1949 as a modern writing system for the Manding languages of West Africa (including Mandingo, Maninka, Bambara and Dyula), linked here to this atlas's own live Manding language-family entity.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: N'Ko Script
Associated With: Arabic Script, N'Ko script, History and Description sectionsQuote, Associated With: Arabic Script, N'Ko script, History and Description sections
The script has a few similarities to the Arabic script, notably its direction (right-to-left) and the letters that are connected at the base.
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