120. Soyombo script

 

Origin

The Soyombo script was created in 1686 by Bogdo Zanabazar, a Mongolian monk and scholar who modelled it on the Devanagari alphabet. The Soyombo script was designed to write Mongolian, Sanskrit and Tibetan and for transcribing foreign words. The name means "Self developed Holy Letters" in Sanskrit. It is used mainly for inscriptions on prayer wheels official seals and temples.

Notable features

• Type of writing system: syllabic alphabet or abugida
• Direction of writing: left to right in horizontal lines. Can also be written vertically.
• Used to write: Mongolian, Tibetan and Sanskrit

Consonants

The large symbols are two versions of the Soyombo symbol, the national symbol of Mongolia which is widely used on flags, banknotes, stamps. etc.

Final consonant diacritics

Vowel diacritics

The first letter is used as a vowel carrier when vowels appear at the beginning of a syllable or on their own.

The Soyombo font used on this page was created by Jason Glavy