The Modern Deseret Alphabet

5.1 Revival of Deseret Alphabet

This book is part of an uncoordinated, but very real, revival of interest in the Deseret Alphabet. In recent years, a number of individuals have studied Deseret Alphabet documents and there has been some limited use of the script in a modern setting.1 Sadly, few people understand the script well and perhaps no one views it as a viable script for English.

This chapter is based on two positive experiences that, I think, counter negative feelings toward the Deseret script and offer a glimpse at its potential. The first involved teaching college students, none of whom was LDS, the Deseret Alphabet in a school setting. The second experience took place within the context of my own family.

In the spring of 2004, I facilitated a student-run linguistics class at the University of California at Berkeley. The class, titled Alternate English Orthographies, had the Deseret Alphabet as the principal focus of study. In less than two months, the majority of the students were able to read and write in the script. Students were asked to learn the 1869 spelling standard only. Though the students had little trouble reading the old spellings, I found that their own spellings tended to be different from the 1869 standard but unusually similar to each other’s.

Keeping this experience in mind, I helped my wife to learn the script. She also learned to read and write in about two months and her spellings were nearly identical to those of the Berkeley students. Whereas I had drilled the students in a classroom setting, my wife largely learned through reading and writing little notes with the aid of a key.

I have drawn upon the natural spelling trends of the students and my wife to create the spelling standard taught in this and subsequent chapters. Rather than being an attempt to force a way of spelling upon those interested in the Deseret Alphabet, the spellings guidelines given hereafter offer a standard for future literary use and an easy way for personal writing to remain true to the script’s original character. In a way, the Deseret Alphabet came back to life when the students in that Berkeley class wrote brief stories about their families in the script. The revival has truly begun.

5.1.1 Objectives

This venerable script has endless potential. I imagine novels, children’s books, poetry, newspapers, plaques, calligraphy, personal correspondence and monuments in the Deseret Alphabet. All are possible. First, however, it is necessary to create a community of interested people capable of creating and enjoying Deseret Alphabet texts. Spreading interest and knowledge of the script must be the principal objective.

5.1.2 How to Use this Chapter

This chapter has been written for two kinds of readers. Those readers who have read and understood all previous chapters will find the explanations and drills that follow quite easy. Readers who have read only the first chapter, thereby skipping the descriptions of the nineteenth-century Deseret Alphabet spellings, must focus a little harder on the examples and explanations that follow. If the reader has not mastered the IPA, those strange symbols enclosed in / /, he should ignore them and focus on the examples in the drills.

5.2 Structure of the Modern Deseret Alphabet

For historical continuity, all thirty-eight letters of the original have been kept in their canonical ordering. Table 16 lists all individual letters in order followed by the digraphs (two letter combinations).

Table 16: Modern Deseret Alphabet

5.2.1 The Letter 𐐱 in the Modern Deseret Alphabet

The letter 𐐱 is retained in the canonical ordering but is not utilized in any of the new spellings. In most cases, 𐐱 is replaced by 𐐪. The justification for dropping this letter is two-fold. As discussed in chapter 4, throughout the history of the Deseret Alphabet there have been letters dropped and created to suit the time. The letter 𐐱 stood for a sound which is specifically British and only needs to be distinguished if the sound /ɹ/ is not sounded after vowels. Americans, together with Irish, Scottish, and Canadian speakers generally preserve /ɹ/ in all positions. Thus, it is unnecessary to maintain the letter in spellings. (Section 2.2.2 gives a more complete explanation of the sound originally represented by 𐐱.)

5.2.2 The Names of the Letters

As discussed in section 2.2.1, each Deseret letter has a monosyllabic name which may double as its full sound value in rare cases. In the modern spellings, this feature is continued. The only change being that the letter 𐐸, whose original name has not survived, now has the name /hɑ/.

5.2.3 The Modern Deseret Alphabet Representation of /i/

The diphthong 𐐱𐐮, which represented the sound oi as in boil has been replaced by 𐐫𐐮 to avoid the letter 𐐱 and to be truer to actual pronunciation.

5.2.4 Representation of /ə/ in the Modern Deseret Alphabet

As explained in 2.2.4 and 2.2.5, the 1869 spellings lacked a single way to represent the sound /ə/ as in sofa. The modern spellings use only 𐐲 for all instances. Similarly, the sounds /əɹ/ and /ɜɹ/ are both now spelled 𐐲𐑉.

5.2.5 The Digraph 𐐸𐐶

Most young speakers of American English no longer distinguish words like whale/wail or where/wear. For those who do, or those who would like to in print, the digraph 𐐸𐐶 has been retained.

5.2.6 Distinguishing 𐐫 and 𐐪 in Modern Deseret Spellings

Many Americans (and all Canadians) do not distinguish words like cot/caught or tot/taught in their speech. If one does not distinguish these sounds, by which is meant that the aforementioned pairs sound exactly the same in one’s speech, only the letter 𐐪 should be used in personal spellings. This is a difficult point to explain. Table 17 gives examples of choosing the proper letter.

Table 17: How to Choose 𐐫 or 𐐪

5.3 The Exercises

Each exercise should be done in one day. Plenty of blank space has been left on each page for additional writing practice or notes.

Exercise 1

Read the Following Words

𐑇𐐨𐑇𐐨𐑃𐑇𐐨𐐻𐐮𐐻𐐻𐐨𐑃

Write the Following Words in the Deseret Alphabet

TEA__________SHE__________

TEETH__________SHEATH__________

SHEET__________IT__________

EAT__________TEAT__________

Exercise 2

Read the Following Words

𐑇𐐨𐑇𐐨𐑃𐑉𐐨𐑄𐐺𐐩𐑈𐑉𐐨𐑃𐑇𐐩𐑉𐑇𐐨𐐻

𐐮𐐻𐐻𐐨𐑃𐑄𐐩𐑉𐐺𐐩𐐻𐑄𐐩

Write the Following Words in the Deseret Alphabet

BET__________SHE__________

TEETH__________SHEATH __________

THEY__________BREATHE__________

BEIGE__________TREAT__________

Exercise 3

Read the Following Words

𐐹𐐮𐑌𐑇𐐪𐑉𐐹𐐼𐐯𐑃𐐻𐐮𐑌𐐻𐐯𐑌𐑃

Write the Following Words in the Deseret Alphabet

ART__________SHEEP__________

TENTH__________SHEATHE__________

DASH__________DRAPE__________

DEN__________PIN__________

Exercise 4

*This letter is obsolete and will not be used further. It should be replaced by 𐐪.

Read the Following Words

𐑇𐐫𐑊𐐽𐐨𐐻𐑃𐐰𐐽𐐺𐐩𐑅𐑉𐐨𐑊𐑇𐐩𐑋𐑋𐐨𐐻

𐐻𐐫𐑊𐑅𐑊𐐩𐑋𐐩𐑊𐐺𐐫𐐻𐑅𐐨𐑄

Write the Following Words in the Deseret Alphabet

AWL__________CHASE__________

LATCH__________MATCH __________

LAW__________TEETHE__________

BEIGE__________TEETH__________

Exercise 5

Read the Following Words

𐐾𐐲𐑋𐐹𐑇𐐬𐑊𐐫𐑍𐐿𐐮𐐿𐑅𐐻𐑉𐐯𐑍𐑃𐑁𐐵𐑊

Write the Following Words in the Deseret Alphabet

CART__________SHORE__________

STING__________THUMP__________

COW__________DREDGE__________

JUDGE__________THING__________

Exercise 6

Read the Following Words

𐑇𐐭𐐻𐐹𐐳𐐻𐑋𐐵𐑃𐐺𐐴𐐻𐑆𐐨𐑊𐑀𐐩𐑋𐑁𐐨𐐻

𐑂𐐩𐑀𐑁𐐵𐑊𐑋𐐭𐑂𐐺𐐳𐐿𐑅𐐩𐑂

Write the Following Words in the Deseret Alphabet

FOOD__________CHOOSE__________

LOOK__________MIGHT __________

LAWS__________GET__________

VERY__________TOOK__________

Exercise 7

Read the Following Words

𐐶𐐮𐑌𐐷𐐪𐑉𐐼𐐸𐐯𐑊𐑃𐐷𐐭𐑃𐐸𐐪𐑉𐑃𐐶𐐫𐑉𐑋𐑃

Write the Following Words in the Deseret Alphabet

HEART__________WEED__________

YELL__________WITH__________

HASH__________DWELL__________

Exercise 8

*These are not letters; rather, they are digraphs (two-letter combinations which stand for a single phoneme) which must be learned as single units.

Read the Following Words

𐑇𐐲𐑉𐐻𐐸𐐶𐐨𐐻𐑋𐐮𐐭𐑆𐐮𐐿𐑁𐐫𐐮𐑊

Write the Following Words in the Deseret Alphabet

EARL__________WHALE__________

PEW__________HUGE__________

LEARN__________TOY__________

WHY__________WHIRL__________

Exercise 9

This exercise requires the student to use all the letters he has learned. It is a poem titled The Summer. Difficult words have been marked and explained. Work slowly through the poem and read it aloud. The lines have been numbered to mark the order in which they should be read. The rhyming scheme of the poem is given using numbers and letters. For example, the numbers and letters 12345A 12345A mean that there are two lines of six syllables and that both syllables marked A have rhyming vowel sounds.

12345A12345B

12345B12345A

12345C

12345D12345E

12345E12345D

12345C

𐑄 𐑅𐐲𐑋𐐲𐑉

1. 𐑄 𐑅𐐲𐑋𐐲𐑉, 𐐸𐐪𐐻 𐐰𐑌𐐼 𐐼𐑉𐐴2. 𐐺𐑊𐐨𐐿 𐐿𐐪𐑍 𐐿𐑉𐐨𐐻, 𐐿𐑉𐐰𐐿𐐻 𐐰𐑌𐐼 𐑀𐑉𐐩

3. 𐐴’𐑋 𐑊𐐫𐑅𐐻, 𐐿𐐰𐑌𐐻 𐑁𐐴𐑌𐐼 𐑋𐐴 𐐶𐐩4. 𐐺𐐨𐑌𐐨𐑃 𐑄 𐑅𐐮𐐿𐐲𐑌𐐼 𐑅𐐿𐐴

5. 𐐴 𐐺𐐬𐑉𐐼 𐑄 𐐹𐑊𐐩𐑌 𐐰𐑌𐐼 𐐷𐐲𐑉𐑌

6. 𐐻𐐲𐐽𐐻 𐐼𐐵𐑌 𐐲𐑋𐐮𐐼 𐑄 𐑀𐑉𐐨𐑌7. 𐑄 𐑃𐐮𐐿 𐐩𐑉 𐑅𐐭𐑄𐐼 𐑋𐐴 𐑅𐐿𐐮𐑌

8. 𐑅𐐲𐑉𐐵𐑌𐐼𐐮𐐼 𐐺𐐴 𐑋𐐴 𐐿𐐮𐑌9. 𐐴 𐐼𐑉𐐮𐑁𐐻𐐮𐐼 𐐫𐑁 𐐻𐐭 𐐼𐑉𐐨𐑋

10. 𐐪𐑂 𐐹𐐰𐑅𐐻𐑅 𐑄𐐰𐐻 𐑌 𐐯𐑂𐐲𐑉 𐐶𐐲𐑉

11. 𐐺𐐨𐐶𐐩𐑉 𐑄 𐐶𐐫𐑋𐐹𐐲𐑅 𐐿𐐰𐐻*12. 𐑄𐐩’𐐼 𐑅 𐐯𐐼 𐐺𐐨𐑁𐐬𐑉 𐐴’𐐼 𐑊 𐐯𐑁𐐻

13. 𐑉 𐐯𐐼 𐐴𐑆 𐐰𐑌𐐼 𐑁𐐴𐑉 𐑁𐐫𐑉 𐐺𐑉 𐐯𐑃14. 𐐺𐐲𐐻 𐑁𐐨𐑉 𐑁𐐪𐑉 𐑋𐐬𐑉 𐑄𐐰𐑌 𐑄𐐰𐐻

15. 𐑄 𐐺𐐨𐑅𐐻 𐐶𐐮𐑊 𐑅𐐻𐐨𐑊 𐐷𐐭𐑉 𐑋𐐴𐑌𐐼

16. 𐐲𐑊𐐬𐑌 𐐮𐑌𐑅𐐴𐐼 𐑄 𐐻𐑉𐐲𐐿17. 𐐴 𐐼𐑉𐐬𐑂 𐐻𐐭𐐶𐐫𐑉𐐼 𐑄 𐐻𐑉𐐨𐑆

18. 𐐹𐐰𐑊𐑋 𐐯𐐻𐐬𐑆 𐐺𐑉𐐲𐑇𐐻 𐑋𐐴 𐑌𐐨𐑆19. 𐐪 𐑉𐐴𐑁𐑊 𐑁𐐫𐑉 𐑀𐐳𐐼 𐑊𐐲𐐿

20. 𐐴 𐑊 𐐯𐑁𐐻 𐑄 𐑊𐐴𐐻 𐐺𐐨𐐸𐐴𐑌𐐼

21. 𐐼𐐪𐑉𐐿 𐐸𐐶𐐮𐑅𐐹𐐲𐑉𐑆 𐐫𐑊 𐐲𐑉𐐵𐑌𐐼22. 𐐴 𐑅𐐫 𐐮𐐻 𐑉𐐲𐑇𐐮𐑍 𐐺𐐴

23. 𐐮𐑌 𐑇𐐰𐐼𐐬𐑆 𐐸𐐲𐑉𐐼 𐐮𐐻 𐐿𐑉𐐴24. 𐐪 𐑅𐐪𐑊𐐲𐑋, 𐑊𐐬𐑌𐑅𐐲𐑋 𐑅𐐵𐑌𐐼

25. ”𐐴 𐐶𐐪𐑌𐐼𐐲𐑉 𐐮𐑌 𐐼𐐮𐑅𐐹𐐩𐑉”

26. 𐐴 𐐻𐑉𐐩𐑊𐐼 𐐮𐐻𐑅 𐑅𐐪𐐺𐐮𐑍 𐑂𐐫𐐮𐑅27. 𐑃𐑉𐐭 𐐶 𐐯𐐺𐑆 𐐰𐑌𐐼 𐑇𐐪𐑉𐐹𐐲𐑌𐐼 𐑊𐐨𐑂𐑆

28. 𐐻𐐮𐑊 𐐼𐐨𐐹𐐲𐑉 𐐮𐑌 𐑄 𐐻𐑉𐐨𐑆29. 𐐴 𐐸𐐰𐐼 𐐻𐐭 𐑋𐐩𐐿 𐑄 𐐽𐐫𐐮𐑅

30. 𐐻𐐭 𐑁𐐴𐑌𐐼 𐐮𐐻 𐐮𐑌 𐐮𐐻𐑅 𐑊𐐩𐑉

31. 𐐰𐐻 𐐶𐐲𐑌𐑅 𐐶𐐨 𐐺𐐬𐑃 𐑊𐐪𐐿𐐻 𐐴𐑆32. 𐐮𐐻𐑅 𐐺𐐪𐐼𐐨 𐑊𐐴𐑄 𐐰𐑌𐐼 𐑅𐐻𐑉𐐫𐑍

33. 𐐫𐑊 𐐿𐐳𐑉𐐮𐐾 𐐮𐑌 𐑋𐐨 𐑀𐐫𐑌34. ”𐐼𐐭 𐑌𐐪𐐻 𐐺𐐨𐑊𐐨𐑂 𐑄 𐑊𐐴𐑆”

35. 𐐮𐐻 𐑅 𐐯𐐼 𐐶𐐮𐑃 𐐻𐐭𐑃𐐨 𐑅𐑋𐐴𐑊

36. 𐐴 𐑅𐐻𐐲𐑋𐐺𐑊𐐼 𐑁𐑉𐐪𐑋 𐑄 𐐶𐐳𐐼37. 𐐿𐑊𐐴𐑋𐐼 𐐺𐐰𐐿 𐐺𐐨𐐸𐐴𐑌𐐼 𐑄 𐐸𐐶𐐨𐑊

38. 𐐺𐐨𐑉 𐐯𐑁𐐻** 𐐪𐑂 𐐸𐐲𐑌𐐻𐐲𐑉𐑆 𐑆𐐨𐑊39. 𐐴 𐑊 𐐯𐑁𐐻 𐑄 𐐺𐐨𐑅𐐻 𐑁𐐫𐑉 𐑀𐐳𐐼

40. 𐐰𐑌𐐼 𐐷 𐐯𐐻, 𐐼𐐮𐑅𐐹𐐴𐐻 𐑄 𐑋𐐴𐑊𐑆

41. 𐐨𐐽 𐑌𐐴𐐻 𐐮𐑌 𐐼𐑉𐐨𐑋𐑆 𐐴 𐑅𐐨42. 𐐮𐑌𐑅𐐴𐐼 𐑄 𐑅𐐲𐑄𐐲𐑉𐑌 𐑇𐐩𐐼

43. 𐐶𐐮𐑃 𐐿𐑊𐐫𐑆 𐑊𐐴𐐿 𐑇𐐪𐑉𐐹𐐲𐑌𐐼 𐐺𐑊𐐩𐐼𐑆44. 𐐰𐑌𐐼 𐑇𐐴𐑌𐐮𐑍, 𐐺𐑊𐐲𐐼 𐑅𐐻𐐩𐑌𐐼 𐐻𐐨𐑃

45. 𐑄 𐐶𐐫𐑋𐐹𐐲𐑅 𐐿𐐰𐐻 𐐿𐐫𐑊 𐑋𐐨

* Wampus Cat, a mythical creature of the American South. The origin of this term is not definitely known. The Wampus Cat is often described as some kind of were-cat or monster.

** Bereft

Exercise 11

Cut these words out and affix them to the items they describe.