Shupamem: The Most Revolutionary Language in the world

Shupamem:​ ​The​ ​Most​ ​Revolutionary​ ​Language​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world https://www.abibitumikasa.com/forums/showthread.php/229327-Shupamem-The-MostRevolutionary-Language-in-the-world The​ ​Shupamem​ ​language​ ​is​ ​commonly​ ​written​ ​with​ ​a​ ​writing​ ​system​ ​called​ ​Akauku. Akauku​ ​was​ ​developed​ ​when​ ​Emperor​ ​Njoya​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​modernize​ ​the​ ​Bamoun hieroglyphs.​ ​Njoya​ ​was​ ​influenced​ ​to​ ​modernize​ ​the​ ​Bamoun​ ​hieroglyphs​ ​because​ ​he felt​ ​very​ ​annoyed​ ​about​ ​the​ ​growing​ ​presence​ ​of​ ​Europeans​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Bamoun​ ​Federation. He​ ​feared​ ​that​ ​colonialism​ ​would​ ​force​ ​the​ ​destruction​ ​of​ ​Bamoun​ ​history(which​ ​was​ ​at that​ ​time​ ​primarily​ ​transferred​ ​orally)​ ​so​ ​he​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​embark​ ​on​ ​a​ ​mission​ ​to modernize​ ​the​ ​Bamoun​ ​Glyphs.​ ​The​ ​process​ ​was​ ​a​ ​7​ ​stage​ ​process​ ​of​ ​linearization from​ ​the​ ​original​ ​3​ ​DImensional​ ​Lerewa​ ​Hieroglyphs​ ​to​ ​the​ ​2d​ ​Akauku​ ​Memfe​ ​writing. The​ ​list​ ​of​ ​the​ ​different​ ​stages​ ​in​ ​the​ ​process​ ​are​ ​as​ ​follows: Phase​ ​1: The​ ​initial​ ​form​ ​of​ ​Bamum​ ​script,​ ​called​ ​Lewa​ ​or​ ​Lerewa​ ​("book"),​ ​was​ ​developed​ ​in 1896-7.​ ​It​ ​consisted​ ​of​ ​465​ ​pictograms​ ​(511​ ​according​ ​to​ ​other​ ​sources)​ ​and​ ​10 characters​ ​for​ ​the​ ​numbers​ ​1-10.​ ​The​ ​writing​ ​direction​ ​could​ ​be​ ​top-to-bottom, left-to-right,​ ​or​ ​bottom-to-top.​ ​(Right-to-left​ ​was​ ​avoided​ ​because​ ​that​ ​was​ ​the​ ​direction of​ ​the​ ​Arabic​ ​script​ ​used​ ​by​ ​the​ ​neighboring​ ​Hausa​ ​people​.)​ ​The​ ​Lerewa​ ​heiroglyphs were​ ​an​ ​amalgamation​ ​of​ ​different​ ​traditional​ ​glyphs​ ​used​ ​in​ ​Bamun​ ​secret​ ​societies. When​ ​Emperor​ ​Njoya​ ​first​ ​organized​ ​this​ ​stage​ ​he​ ​had​ ​to​ ​gain​ ​the​ ​trust​ ​of​ ​what​ ​could​ ​be called​ ​the​ ​"deep​ ​state"​ ​in​ ​Bamun​ ​and​ ​the​ ​traditional​ ​diviners​ ​so​ ​that​ ​his​ ​mission​ ​of literacy​ ​and​ ​literature​ ​advancement​ ​in​ ​Bamun​ ​could​ ​be​ ​carried​ ​out.​ ​Traditionally​ ​it​ ​is​ ​said that​ ​Njoya​ ​came​ ​up​ ​with​ ​the​ ​500+​ ​hieroglyphs​ ​off​ ​of​ ​the​ ​top​ ​of​ ​his​ ​head​ ​in​ ​a​ ​dream.​ ​This is​ ​just​ ​a​ ​silly​ ​story​ ​told​ ​to​ ​europeans​ ​to​ ​hide​ ​the​ ​true​ ​cultural​ ​origins​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Bamun writing.​ ​The​ ​Bamun​ ​are​ ​the​ ​descendants​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Tikar​ ​people​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Tikar​ ​people​ ​are just​ ​ancient​ ​Nubians​ ​who​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​leave​ ​the​ ​Hapi​ ​River​ ​Valley​ ​and​ ​migrate​ ​to​ ​Central Africa.​ ​The​ ​original​ ​Bamun​ ​hieroglyphs​ ​are​ ​just​ ​Central​ ​African​ ​variations​ ​of​ ​the Nubian/Kemetic​ ​Mdw​ ​Ntr. Phase​ ​2 The​ ​second​ ​system,​ ​called​ ​Mbima​ ​("mixed"),​ ​was​ ​developed​ ​in​ ​1899-1900.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​a simplification​ ​of​ ​the​ ​first;​ ​Njoya​ ​omitted​ ​72​ ​characters​ ​but​ ​added​ ​45​ ​new​ ​ones.​ ​The writing​ ​direction​ ​was​ ​left-to-right​ ​in​ ​this​ ​and​ ​all​ ​subsequent​ ​phases. Phase​ ​3 The​ ​third​ ​system,​ ​called​ ​Nyi​ ​Nyi​ ​Nfa'​ ​after​ ​its​ ​first​ ​three​ ​characters,​ ​was​ ​developed around​ ​1902.​ ​This​ ​simplification​ ​omitted​ ​56​ ​characters,​ ​leaving​ ​371​ ​and​ ​10​ ​numbers. The​ ​History​ ​and​ ​Customs​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Bamun​ ​known​ ​as​ ​the​ ​Bamun​ ​Historigraphical​ ​Bible​ ​was written​ ​in​ ​this​ ​script​ ​and​ ​in​ ​correspondence​ ​with​ ​Empress​ ​Njapdunke,​ ​the​ ​mother​ ​of Emperor​ ​Njoya.​ ​Each​ ​phase​ ​of​ ​the​ ​linearization​ ​process​ ​represented​ ​a​ ​different​ ​phase of​ ​consciousness​ ​and​ ​technological​ ​development.​ ​Emperor​ ​Njoya​ ​in​ ​the​ ​development​ ​of the​ ​Mbima​ ​glyphs​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​preserve​ ​the​ ​ancient​ ​heritage​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Bamun​ ​people​ ​as migratory​ ​descendants​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Ancient​ ​Kemites​ ​and​ ​Nubians. Phase​ ​4 The​ ​fourth​ ​system,​ ​called​ ​Rii​ ​Nyi​ ​Nsha​ ​Mfw'​ ​after​ ​its​ ​first​ ​four​ ​characters,​ ​was developed​ ​around​ ​1907-8.​ ​It​ ​has​ ​285​ ​characters​ ​and​ ​10​ ​numbers​ ​and​ ​is​ ​a​ ​further simplification​ ​of​ ​the​ ​previous​ ​version. Phase​ ​5 The​ ​fifth​ ​system,​ ​called​ ​Rii​ ​Nyi​ ​Mfw'​ ​Men​,​ ​was​ ​also​ ​developed​ ​around​ ​1907-8.​ ​It​ ​has 195​ ​characters​ ​and​ ​10​ ​numbers​ ​and​ ​was​ ​used​ ​for​ ​a​ ​Bible​​ ​translation.​ ​These​ ​first​ ​five systems​ ​are​ ​closely​ ​related:​ ​All​ ​were​ ​pictographic​ ​and​ ​progressive​ ​simplifications​ ​of​ ​the former.​ ​It​ ​must​ ​be​ ​noted​ ​that​ ​Emperor​ ​Njoya​ ​would​ ​use​ ​this​ ​original​ ​translation​ ​of​ ​the Bible​ ​in​ ​Rii​ ​Nyi​ ​Mfw'​ ​Men​ ​as​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​foundations​ ​to​ ​develop​ ​his​ ​syncretic​ ​religion called​ ​"Nwet​ ​Nkwet"​ ​which​ ​was​ ​a​ ​combination​ ​of​ ​christianity,​ ​Islam​ ​and​ ​traditional Bamun​ ​beliefs. Phase​ ​6 The​ ​sixth​ ​system,​ ​called​ ​A​ ​Ka​ ​U​ ​Ku​ ​after​ ​its​ ​first​ ​four​ ​characters,​ ​was​ ​developed​ ​around 1910.​ ​It​ ​has​ ​82​ ​characters​ ​and​ ​10​ ​numbers.​ ​This​ ​phase​ ​marks​ ​a​ ​shift​ ​to​ ​a​ ​mixed alphabetic​ ​and​ ​syllabic​ ​system​ ​allowing​ ​the​ ​expression​ ​of​ ​160​ ​phonemes​.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​used​ ​to record​ ​births,​ ​marriages,​ ​deaths,​ ​and​ ​court​ ​rulings. Phase​ ​7 The​ ​seventh​ ​and​ ​final​ ​system,​ ​called​ ​Mfemfe​ ​("new")​ ​or​ ​A​ ​Ka​ ​U​ ​Ku​ ​Mfemfe​,​ ​was developed​ ​around​ ​1918.​ ​It​ ​has​ ​only​ ​80​ ​characters,​ ​ten​ ​of​ ​which​ ​double​ ​as​ ​both​ ​syllables and​ ​numbers.​ ​Like​ ​the​ ​previous​ ​system,​ ​this​ ​one​ ​is​ ​a​ ​mix​ ​of​ ​letters​ ​and​ ​syllables. Missing​ ​syllables​ ​are​ ​written​ ​using​ ​combinations​ ​of​ ​characters. The​ ​80​ ​glyphs​ ​of​ ​modern​ ​Bamum​ ​are​ ​not​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​represent​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the consonant​-v​ owel​syllables​ ​(C​ ​V​ ​syllables)​ ​of​ ​the​ ​language.​ ​This​ ​deficiency​ ​is​ ​made​ ​up for​ ​with​ ​a​ ​diacritic​​ ​or​ ​by​ ​combining​ ​glyphs​ ​having​ ​CV​1​​ ​and​ ​V​2​​ ​values,​ ​for​ ​CV​2​.​ ​This makes​ ​the​ ​script​ ​alphabetic​ ​for​ ​syllables​ ​not​ ​directly​ ​covered​ ​by​ ​the​ ​syllabary.​ ​Adding the​ ​inherent​ ​vowel​ ​of​ ​the​ ​syllable​ ​voices​​ ​a​ ​consonant:​ ​tu​ ​+​ ​u​ ​=​ ​/du/,​ ​fu​ ​+​ ​u​ ​=​ ​/vu/,​ ​ju​ ​+​ ​u​ ​= /ʒu/,​ ​ja​ ​+​ ​a​ ​=​ ​/ʒa/,​ ​ʃi​ ​+​ ​i​ ​=​ ​/ʒi/,​ ​puə​ ​+​ ​u​ ​=​ ​/bu/. The​ ​two​ ​diacritics​ ​are​ ​a​ ​circumflex​​ ​(​ko'ndon​)​ ​that​ ​may​ ​be​ ​added​ ​to​ ​any​ ​of​ ​the​ ​80​ ​glyphs, and​ ​a​ m ​ acron​​ ​(​tukwentis​)​ ​that​ ​is​ ​restricted​ ​to​ ​a​ ​dozen.​ ​The​ ​circumflex​ ​generally​ ​has​ ​the effect​ ​of​ ​adding​ ​a​ ​glottal​ ​stop​ ​to​ ​the​ ​syllable,​ ​for​ ​instance​ ​kâ​ ​is​ ​read​ ​/kaʔ/,​ ​though​ ​the vowel​ ​is​ ​shortened​ ​and​ ​any​ ​final​ ​consonant​ ​is​ ​dropped​ ​in​ ​the​ ​process,​ ​as​ ​in​ ​pûə​ ​/puʔ/ and kɛ̂t /kɛʔ/. Prenasalization is also lost: ɲʃâ /ʃaʔ/, ntê /teʔ/, ntûu /tuʔ/. Sometimes, however, the circumflex nasalizes the vowel: nî /nɛn/, pî /pin/, rê /rɛn/, jûʔ /jun/, mɔ̂ /mɔn/, ɲʒûə /jun/ (loss of NC as with glottal stop). Others are idiosyncratic: ɲʒə̂m /jəm/ (simple loss of NC), tə̂ /tɔʔ/ (vowel change), ɲî /ɲe/, riê /z/, m̂ /n/, ʃɯ̂x /jɯx/, nûə /ŋuə/, kɯ̂x /ɣɯ/, rə̂ /rɔ/, ŋkwə̂n /ŋuət/, fɔ̂m /mvɔp/, mbɛ̂n /pɛn/, tî /tɯ/, kpâ /ŋma/, vŷ /fy/, ɣɔ̂m /ŋɡɔm/. The​ ​macron​ ​is​ ​a​ ​'​killer​ ​stroke​'​ ​that​ ​deletes​ ​the​ ​vowel​ ​from​ ​a​ ​syllable​ ​and​ ​so​ ​forms consonants​ ​and​ ​NC​ ​clusters​ ​(/nd,​ ​ŋɡ/)​ ​that​ ​can​ ​be​ ​used​ ​for​ ​syllable​ ​codas​.​ ​Consonantal /n/​ ​is​ ​used​ ​both​ ​as​ ​a​ ​coda​ ​and​ ​to​ ​prenasalize​ ​an​ ​initial​ ​consonant.​ ​The​ ​two​ ​irregularities with the macron are ɲʒūə, read as /j/, and ɔ̄, read as /ə/. The script has distinctive punctuation,​ ​including​ ​a​ ​'capitalization'​ ​mark​ ​(​nʒɛmli​),​ ​visually​ ​similar​ ​to​ ​an​ ​inverted question​ ​mark,​ ​for​ ​proper​ ​names,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​decimal​ ​system​ ​of​ ​ten​ ​digits;​ ​the​ ​old​ ​glyph​ ​for ten​ ​has​ ​been​ ​refashioned​ ​as​ ​a​ ​zero.