Difference between revisions of "Steel alphabet"
(Include Feruchemical symbol for malatium) |
|||
Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
== Symbols and their Meanings == |
== Symbols and their Meanings == |
||
− | The mapping between the English and Steel alphabet was first achieved by Valkynphyre of the 17th Shard.{{17s ref|topic|1905|text=Treatise Metallurgic translation|poster=Valkynphyre|date=01 May 2012}} |
+ | The mapping between the English and Steel alphabet was first achieved by Valkynphyre of the 17th Shard.{{17s ref|topic|1905|text=Treatise Metallurgic translation|poster=Valkynphyre|date=01 May 2012}} |
+ | |||
+ | The tin & pewter symbols corresponding to E/I and O/U are distinct, and can be identified by the position of the dot; E places the dot below and to the left of the spike, similar to the O placement, and U places the dot next to the top of the outer curved spike.{{wob ref|11029}}{{wob ref|11240}}{{url ref|name=rings|url=https://badalijewelry.com/collections/brandon-sanderson/products/custom-steel-alphabet-ring|text=Badali jewelry - Steel Alphabet ring page|site=Badali Jewelry}} This practice of dot placement to distinguish vowels evolved within 100 years of [[The Alloy of Law]].{{wob ref|11240}} |
||
+ | |||
+ | The letter Q is not present in the alphabet, the sound is depicted via a ''kw''.{{wob ref|14938}} |
||
The Steel glyphs corresponding to the eight basic metals are also used to express (inter)cardinal directions.{{map ref|Luthadel}} |
The Steel glyphs corresponding to the eight basic metals are also used to express (inter)cardinal directions.{{map ref|Luthadel}} |
||
Line 223: | Line 227: | ||
{{/num-row|0|mb2= }} |
{{/num-row|0|mb2= }} |
||
|} |
|} |
||
+ | |||
+ | == Trivia == |
||
+ | * The distinguishing of vowels by different placement of a dot is based upon the extinct [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baybayin| Baybayin Script].{{wob ref|11029}} |
||
== Notes == |
== Notes == |
Revision as of 05:05, 24 October 2022
Steel alphabet | |
---|---|
Related to | Allomancy |
Type | Language |
World of Origin | Scadrial |
Universe | Cosmere |
The Steel alphabet was the set of glyphs used on Scadrial. It has been shown that the glyphs evolved over time.[1]
Most of the symbols were also used to represent various metals and numbers. The steel alphabet used a base-16 numbering system with a positional structure similar to Japanese numerals—double-number pairs are used to represent the order of magnitude and the number in that position respectively.[2]
At some point the alphabet diverged such that the symbols used to represent Feruchemical metals were distinct to those used by Allomancy and the general alphabet.[3]
During the technological advancement after the Final Ascension, the symbols used during the Final Empire were tweaked to become easier for printing.[4]
“The three sets of symbols show the progression of the Allomantic text through the ages. The earliest script is from Hero of Ages. It was changed and modified into the Terris script symbols we see in Well of Ascension. After more time, the Terris script morphed into what is now known as the Allomantic Alphabet or the Steel Alphabet, which are the symbols used in Mistborn: The Final Empire. We've extrapolated the Steel Alphabet into a script that's more-standardized and refined for the chapter headings in Alloy of Law, which takes place 300 years after Hero of Ages. ”
—Isaac Stewart on the history of the icons.[5]
Symbols and their Meanings
The mapping between the English and Steel alphabet was first achieved by Valkynphyre of the 17th Shard.[6]
The tin & pewter symbols corresponding to E/I and O/U are distinct, and can be identified by the position of the dot; E places the dot below and to the left of the spike, similar to the O placement, and U places the dot next to the top of the outer curved spike.[7][8][9] This practice of dot placement to distinguish vowels evolved within 100 years of The Alloy of Law.[8]
The letter Q is not present in the alphabet, the sound is depicted via a kw.[10]
The Steel glyphs corresponding to the eight basic metals are also used to express (inter)cardinal directions.[11]
Iron | Steel | Tin | Pewter | ||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||
B
West |
P
Northwest |
E/I[9]
North |
O/U[9]
Northeast | ||||
Zinc | Brass | Copper | Bronze | ||||
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||
L
East |
R
Southeast |
D
South |
T
Southwest | ||||
Cadmium | Bendalloy | Gold | Electrum | ||||
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | ||||
G | K | M | N | ||||
Chromium | Nicrosil | Aluminum | Duralumin | ||||
13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ||||
W | Y | Z | S | ||||
Atium | Malatium | unknown | unknown | ||||
unknown | unknown | 256[2][12] | 4096[2][12] | ||||
V | F | J | C[13]/Ch? | ||||
unknown | unknown | Lerasium | unknown | ||||
unknown | unknown | unknown | 0 | ||||
H | X[13]/Sh | A | unknown |
Evolution of the Steel Alphabet
The following table shows both the evolution of the symbols used in the steel alphabet, which have come to be associated with Allomancy, as well as the separate set of symbols that developed to represent the Feruchemical use of metals.
Metal | Ancient Terris (pre 0 FE) | Intermediary | Late Final Empire (c. 1022 FE) | c. 341 PC (print font)[14] | Terris alphabet |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iron | |||||
Steel | |||||
Tin | |||||
Pewter | |||||
Zinc | |||||
Brass | |||||
Copper | |||||
Bronze | |||||
Cadmium | |||||
Bendalloy | |||||
Gold | |||||
Electrum | |||||
Chromium | |||||
Nicrosil | |||||
Aluminum | |||||
Duralumin | |||||
Atium | |||||
Malatium | |||||
unknown | |||||
unknown | |||||
unknown | |||||
unknown | |||||
Lerasium | |||||
Ettmetal | |||||
unknown |
Trivia
- The distinguishing of vowels by different placement of a dot is based upon the extinct Baybayin Script.[7]
Notes
- ↑ symbols used in WoA & HoA
- ↑ a b c Edition Number in Eleden Daily
— 17th Shard forums - 14 November 2011# - ↑ Feruchemical metal table
- ↑ the font, said by Peter, used in AoL
- ↑ Isaac's Mistborn artwork
— wayback machine - 2012-05-10# - ↑ Treatise Metallurgic translation
— 17th Shard forums - 01 May 2012# - ↑ a b General Twitter 2018
— Arcanum - 2018-10-01# - ↑ a b Miscellaneous 2012
— Arcanum - 2012-05-07# - ↑ a b c Badali jewelry - Steel Alphabet ring page
— Badali Jewelry # - ↑ JordanCon 2021
— Arcanum - 2021-07-16# - ↑ Map of Luthadel
- ↑ a b Elendel Daily
- ↑ a b Mistborn Coins Kickstarter (Translations under images of coins)
— Shire Post Mint Kickstarter - 28 September 2017# - ↑ Correction to the steel alphabet
— 17th Shard forums - 30 September 2018#