|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
" (quote mark)
|
=
|
high tone
|
|
' (apostrophe)
|
=
|
mid-high
|
|
no mark
|
=
|
mid
|
|
- (dash)
|
=
|
falling |
|
= (equals sign)
|
=
|
low |
The Dans intensely desired to read their language, yet few could, because tones were not written.
"But how could we write contour tones on a typewriter?" wondered SIL linguist Margrit Bolli.
Accent marks were out--French, the national language uses them for vowel qualities, as does Dan.
Use numbers? The people called it a "math nightmare."
Extra letters: q, j, x? "A language from Mars," they said.
A pleased reader: "Those marks are like road signs to tell us which way to go."
Now thousands read and write Dan, and the system is official for other languages as well.
Yacouba
of Côte D'Ivoire