View source for Writing system of Nordaþ

This article deals with the alphabet, punctuation and orthographic rules of the [[Nordaþ language]]. For detailed information on the pronunciation not found here, see also [[Nordaþ phonology]].

== Alphabet ==
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!bgcolor="#E0E0FF" align="center" style="padding: 1px"|[[Nordaþ language]]
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!bgcolor="#000000" align="center"|
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[[Nordaþ phonology|Pronunciation]]<br />
'''Writing system'''<br />
[[Nordaþ grammar|Grammar]]<br />
*[[Nordaþ determiners|Determiners]]<br />
*[[Nordaþ nouns|Nouns]]<br />
**[[Nordaþ noun cases|Cases]]<br />
**[[Nordaþ affixes|Affixes]]<br />
*[[Nordaþ pronouns|Pronouns]]<br />
*[[Nordaþ adjectives|Adjectives]]<br />
*[[Nordaþ prepositions|Prepositions]]<br />
*[[Nordaþ verbs|Verbs]]<br />
**[[Nordaþ verb paradigm|Conjugation]]<br />
|}

The Nordaþ language is written using the Latin alphabet with a few special characters: ''ä'', ''ë'', and ''ï''. Until recently, those letters were not considered separate. However, this was changed in the [[Penkesiondhyntiondnääseshyntidäuseniletreemejaisdei]] (1995 Spelling Reform), which also included the removal of doubled consonants.

=== Names of the Letters ===
{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2
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!colspan="3"|Modern letter names
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| style="width:1.5em;" | A || style="width: 11em;" | '''aï''' <nowiki>/ˌɑ.ɪ/</nowiki>
| style="width:1.5em;" | I || style="width: 11em;" | '''i''' <nowiki>/i/</nowiki>
| style="width:1.5em;" | S || style="width: 11em;" | '''sei''' <nowiki>/ˌsɛ.i/</nowiki>
|-
| Ä || '''aï bïdonmïdïï''' <nowiki>/ˌɑ.ɪ bɪ.ˌdon.mɪ.ˌdɪː/</nowiki>
| Ï || '''i bïdonmïdïï''' <nowiki>/i bɪ.ˌdon.mɪ.ˌdɪː/</nowiki>
| Š || '''šei''' <nowiki>/ˌʃɛ.i/</nowiki>
|-
| B || '''bei''' <nowiki>/ˌbe.i/</nowiki>
| J || '''jei''' <nowiki>/ˌjɛ.i/</nowiki>
| T || '''tei''' <nowiki>/ˌtɛ.i/</nowiki>
|-
| C || '''cei''' <nowiki>/ˌtʃɛ.i/</nowiki>
| K || '''kei''' <nowiki>/ˌkɛ.i/</nowiki>
| Þ || '''þei''' <nowiki>/ˌðɛ.i/</nowiki>
|-
| D || '''dei''' <nowiki>/ˌdɛ.i/</nowiki>
| L || '''lei''' <nowiki>/ˌlɛ.i/</nowiki>
| U || '''uï''' <nowiki>/ˌu.ɪ/</nowiki>
|-
| E || '''ei''' <nowiki>/ˌɛ.i/</nowiki>
| M || '''mei''' <nowiki>/ˌmɛ.i/</nowiki>
| V || '''vei''' <nowiki>/ˌvɛ.i/</nowiki> 
|-
| Ë || '''ei bïdonmïdïï''' <nowiki>/ˌɛ.i bɪ.ˌdon.mɪ.ˌdɪː/</nowiki>
| N || '''nei''' <nowiki>/ˌnɛ.i/</nowiki>
| W || '''wei''' <nowiki>/ˌwɛ.i/</nowiki>
|-
| F || '''fei''' <nowiki>/ˌfɛ.i/</nowiki>
| O || '''oï''' <nowiki>/ˌo.ɪ/</nowiki>
| Y || '''yi''' <nowiki>/ˌy.i/</nowiki> 
|-
| G || '''gei''' <nowiki>/ˌɡɛ.i/</nowiki>
| P || '''pei''' <nowiki>/ˌpɛ.i/</nowiki>
| Z || '''zei''' <nowiki>/ˌzɛ.i/</nowiki>
|-
| H || '''hei''' <nowiki>/ˌhɛ.i/</nowiki>
| R || '''rei''' <nowiki>/ˌɾɛ.i/</nowiki>
| Ž || '''žei''' <nowiki>/ˌʒɛ.i/</nowiki>
|}

== Punctuation ==
While Nordaþ uses standard sentence endings, Nordaþ uses quotation marks in a different manner than English. ''‚'' and ''‘'' are used to begin initial quotes. ''„'' and ''“'' are used for quotes within quotes.

== Stress ==
Nordaþ words are stressed in the penultima, typically. However, if the word ends in a doubled vowel, then the ultima receives the stress. Compounded words are stressed as if each word within were a separate word.

== Reforms ==
In the past, there have been few spelling reforms. The Þoiteovïzïääkädemdei, Terra Matsu's language director, is very conservative and tends to resist change. However, the Þoiteovïzïääkädemdei has made several spelling reforms, the most important of which were the [[Trejesiondoktosïshyntiondäuseniletreemejaisdei]] (1803 Spelling Reform) and the [[Penkesiondhyntiondnääseshyntidäuseniletreemejaisdei]] (1995 Spelling Reform). While the latter only changed the status of several letters and removed doubled consonants, the former removed foreign letters entirely from the alphabet citing the existing vowel harmony paradigm and the confusion over vowel placement for the foreign letters (of which most came from Matsui).