Developing Logooli Orthography; learning from Zanaki

Read Zanaki Orthography PDF paper here

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In developing an orthography for Lulogooli, it needs a background of extensive language awareness. This awareness should not be limited to the basic “To+Verb (e.g  ~/ukwiva/ = to steal = [kuiva])” or “Noun Class Reference+Root noun (e.g ~/umwigizi/ = a teacher = [u.mu.igizi]) as is often the case of many an alluding papers. 

Allusion is sometimes made that a writing system for Lulogooli should reflect speech. Which would be no main issue were speech able to distinguish several word components as subject, object, tense, verb among others. When words get this long, the writer should start reflecting on what best way to distinguish in writing what would pass as same (or unnecessarily conflicting) in speech, yet of different meanings. 

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Lulogooli is said to belong to the Zanakii-Kuria-Gusii-Lusuba group of languages. At present there is increased lexicon similarity for Lulogooli with other Luhya languages from where Lulogooli has undergone a salient evolution.

As at 2010 when SIL International was working on its Orthography paper,  Zanaki is said to have been sharing 87% and 86% lexicon similarity with Ikizu and Sizaki languages. The two languages (Ikizu and Sizaki) shared about 95% lexicon similarity. One language that could be this close to Lulogooli today is Lutiriki dialect of the Luhya. 

It may then not be possible to pick a more original version of Lulogooli today (or a place where the pure version is being spoken at) but studying the first literary materials. If anything, if originality is sought, first literary texts as the Bible would be very helpful. And it is not strange that some orthographical preferences have replaced the first.

And the issues arising from the Lulogooli Biblical Orthography (1951) are well harnessed by J. Wangia (2008). Publishing for United Bible Societies, the paper titled “Morphophonological issues in Translation: The Lulogooli Bible” can be partly observed in the second biblical print (2008). 

A lean on phonetic/phonemic mode of data collection demands that transcribers explain their source and choice of sounds – which linguistics have provided in the format: nasals, labials, alveolar, palatal and glottal among others. It does not improve or reduce reader's understanding. Perhaps a pure morphological format was used.

At most, it basically explains the native’s articulation to the experts by the experts. It takes on the surface face of a language, not necessarily the underlying meaning. For when it gets to writing even a symbol would, as of the hieroglyphics – far from the sound.

Insert of a morphological pattern to shred words in their building units should perhaps have started the Zanaki paper. Unlike later in the paper for a little purpose of writing to explain morphemes for a word. More of an outside-in than inside-out doing. The danger here is a presumption that all words (syllables) are (correctly) articulated. In this manner, the native is the absolute winner, over a second language user. Where natives differ dialectically, a supremacy war ensues. 

A best orthography then, to consider and also avoid debates should be based on morphological word pattern, as opposed to phonetic transcription. 

Ululogooli’s table of vowels, consonants and syllables should not end at the articulation but be extended by an important column. The column to insert morphological application or function (grapheme), if any, of a vowel, a consonant, syllable or more (for root words) as in the table illustration below.

This will not only be introducing the sound system but also the far meanings, important for lexicon extension and development. An orthography paper for Lulogooli therefore, should not be an explanation paper but a structured listing of word elements to pick from in word making. For Zanaki it appears SIL International was on a mission to explain writings (how they are written) other than teaching new users how words originate/form.

Writing as an art, the native can be studied in the context of randomness, application and forth. A say on palatalization, desyllabification, slipperies, semi-vowel insertions, elisions and imbrications would be fit in such scenarios. 

A unit table example for expounding Logooli orthography

Read more about letter 'i' here.