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{{culture
|image=
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
}}
{{update|sa3|sa4}}
{{for|Glyphs/Index|an index of all known glyphs}}
'''Glyphs''' are a writing system used on [[Roshar]] for basic communication, artistic expression, and religious practices. Individual glyphs represent specific ideas. They are typically symmetrical and can be rendered with varying degrees of stylization. Two glyphs may be combined into a '''glyphpair''', forming a word distinct from the constituent glyphs. Glyphs and glyphpairs are often designed as pictographs so that literacy is not required for comprehension. The writing system is not structured to facilitate the composition of sentences or more complex communication.
{{image|Herald Glyph Jezrien.svg|Jezrien's Honorblade swordglyph|width=100px|side=right}}
The usage of glyphs may predate even the [[Heraldic Epochs]], as they can be found inscribed, along with other patterns, on the [[Honorblade]]s themselves.{{book ref|twok|part=prelude}} They came into common usage among humans during the [[Era of Solitude]]; and are said to have been given to the Rosharans by the [[Dawnsingers]].{{book ref|twok|33}} Glyphs seem to have a common origin with [[Thaylen script]], due to the presence of many similar graphemes. Though [[women's script]] became the primary writing system used in [[Vorin]] nations, glyphs are still used in many contexts.
{{image|TWoK Front Endsheet.jpg|The Ten Fundamental Glyphs|side=left|width=200px}}
Glyphs are inexplicably tied to the Heralds and [[Knights Radiant]].
== Usage ==
Glyphs are used for both basic communication and religious or artistic expression. Due to Vorin cultural prohibitions, men are not permitted to learn women's script and become fully literate. They are, however, permitted to use glyphs for the purpose of simple written communication.{{book ref|twok|3}} [[Lighteyed]] men, and some high [[nahn]] [[darkeyed]] men, may learn to read and write glyphs as part of their education, enabling them to identify glyphs that aren't portrayed pictographically and to interpret glyphpairs more readily. Despite this, men writing or drawing glyphs is still considered unmasculine or even blasphemous to some, especially among the lower classes. Educated women also learn to read and write glyphs, with greater emphasis than men on calligraphic ability.{{book ref|twok|3}} This is particularly important as women are traditionally responsible for religious activities which involve writing glyphs.{{book ref|wor|12}}
=== Practical and Economic Uses ===
{{image|Kholin Crest.svg|Dalinar's glyphpair|width=150px|side=left}}
Shops often use glyphs and glyphpairs to indicate which type of goods are available for sale. For example, bookstores may display the glyphpair for "book", stylized into the shape of a book so that even illiterate servants will recognize it as a bookstore.{{book ref|twok|8}} Signs may also be used to indicate specific items for sale as well as associated prices.{{book ref|wor|43}} Books, folios, and scrolls intended for men may use glyphs and glyphpairs, along with images. Textbooks use glyphpairs to designate body parts in anatomical diagrams{{book ref|twok|31}} while a guide on [[Shardblade]] stances may use glyphs to indicate specific movements.{{file ref|Scroll_of_Stances.jpeg|Ironstance Scroll}} These will often be accompanied with women's script for further clarification. While official documents may make use of glyphs, they are typically written with women's script.{{book ref|twok|25}}
Highborn lighteyed families often have a distinct glyph and a glyphpair. For example, the Kholin family uses the "khokh linil" glyphpair; stylized as a tower and a crown, this crest appears on the armor, clothing, and banners of Dalinar's army and servants.{{book ref|twok|18}} Maps of the [[Shattered Plains]] use these glyphs and glyphpairs to indicate ownership of camps and plateaus.{{book ref|twok|24}} Slaves are branded on the forehead with a glyphpair of the district in which they were enslaved, to signify their new caste. The addition of a "shash" glyph brand, marking a dangerous slave, can make it difficult to get a good price for the slave.{{book ref|twok|4}} Upon earning their freedom, slaves may opt to cover these brands with a tattoo, including glyphs that reference the record of their release.{{book ref|wor|2}}
=== Art and Religion ===
{{image|Glyphward1.jpg|glyphward|width=200px|side=right}}
Glyphs are also pervasive in decorations and religious practices, where they tend to be portrayed in a very stylized manner. Greater value is placed on beauty and aesthetics than on making the symbol easily recognizable. Glyphs are occasionally used on clothing for decorative purposes. For example, [[Alethi]] women sometimes wear dresses patterned with glyphs.{{book ref|twok|43}} The doors into the [[Palanaeum]] are adorned with a beautiful carving of intricate glyphs.{{book ref|twok|7}} When the freed members of [[Bridge Four]] chose tattoos to cover their slave brands, they opted for a purely decorative "Bridge Four" glyphpair to be added.{{book ref|wor|2}} Even the [[Parshendi]] have been known to occasionally carve strange, unfamiliar glyphs into their daggers.{{book ref|twok|27}}{{book ref|twok|59}}
=== Stormwarden Script ===
[[Stormwarden]]s must perform calculations and a great deal of research to determine the coming of future [[highstorm]]s. As men are permitted to become Stormwardens, their books and notes are written with glyphs.{{book ref|twok|60}} While this extensive writing and prediction is generally considered taboo in Vorin nations, the skill is too valuable for the practice to be forbidden. Few are aware of how this system of writing works because of the secretive nature of the Stormwardens and the surrounding controversy. When no suitable glyphs exist to convey a certain word, Stormwarden script combines the pronunciation of multiple glyphs to phonetically reproduce the desired word. This phonetic usage is indicated by underlining the component glyphs.{{book ref|wor|52}}
== Appearance and Design ==
{{image|Alethi Glyphs Page 1.jpg|The first half of a letter and in-depth discussion of Alethi glyphs.|side=right|width=150px}}
{{image|Alethi Glyphs Page 2.jpg|The second page of a letter discussing Alethi Glyphs.|side=right|width=150px}}
Glyphs can be seen written in three different ways: a standard, block form that highly resembles Thaylen script; a calligraphic form, in which the glyph may be altered significantly for heightened aesthetics; or a radial form, where the glyph is drawn repeatedly with radial symmetry about some point.{{17s ref|post|105525|Stormlight Archive Translation Guide|date=2014-3-6}} They typically have bilateral symmetry{{book ref|twok|8}}, matching the symmetrical pronunciation of the sounds they represent. In some cases, glyphs are composed of distinct graphemes representing consonants.{{17s ref|post|105525|Stormlight Archive Translation Guide|date=2014-3-6}}. There are two styles of graphemes: standard and calligraphic. The standard set of graphemes are illustrated in a letter from [[Nazh]] concerning his investigation of the [[Calligraphers Guild]].{{file ref|Alethi Glyphs Page 1.jpg|Page of Alethi glyphs}} While these graphemes are used in the design of new glyphs, many liberties may be taken in how they are utilized. As glyphs evolve in usage over time, these graphemes are often distorted, combined, or lost such that they are no longer identifiable. The graphemes often bear resemblance to the characters of Thaylen Script. When garphemes are apparent, they appear to be pronounced outward and down from the center and top of the glyph.
The component graphemes are not always readily discernible. Glyphs are often drawn in complicated ways that make it difficult to identify what they are unless a person knows what they are looking for.{{book ref|twok|27}} Lines are often added, removed, or contorted. In order to draw glyphs, one must have a deep understanding of how the glyph may be expressed without overly obscuring the meaning.{{wob ref|6461}} Additionally, glyphs are often drawn as pictographs--visually depicting the word it represents. This is done so those who cannot read glyphs may still understand what they mean.{{book ref|twok|3}}
=== Evolution ===
A glyph's appearance and design can change over time. Because glyphs are typically memorized rather than read, a particular glyph's original graphemic roots might even get lost as it evolves. For example, this is how the glyph for "storm" (''zeras'') developed throughout Alethi history{{file ref|Alethi Glyphs Page 1.jpg|Page of Alethi glyphs}}:
<gallery>
File:Old zeras.svg | Old ''zeras''
File:Middle zeras.svg | Middle ''zeras''
File:Modern zeras.svg | Modern ''zeras''
</gallery>
== Glyphpairs ==
It is slightly more common to find pairs of glyphs being displayed together than individual ones.{{file ref|Alethi Glyphs Page 1.jpg|Page of Alethi glyphs}} Such "glyphpairs" can symbolize a variety of entities and concepts.
*''khokh linil'' - [[House Kholin]]'s glyphpair, in the shape of a tower and crown for most of House Kholin,{{book ref|sa1|28}} but in the shape of a sword and crown for King [[Elhokar]].{{book ref|sa1|28}}{{book ref|sa1|4}}
*''merem khakh'' - [[Amaram]]'s glyphpair, drawn in the shape of a [[whitespine]]{{book ref|sa1|47}}
*''sas morom'' - Slave brand, glyphpair of a highlord's district{{book ref|sa1|2}}
*''sas nahn'' - Slave brand, possible glyphpair for Amaram's district{{book ref|sa1|51}}
*''sebes laial'' - Highprince [[Sebarial]]'s glyphpair, in the shape of a deep gold [[skyeel]] on a black field.{{book ref|sa2|40}}
*''shesh lerel'' - [[Sheler]]'s glyphpair{{book ref|sa1|67}}
*Tower & Hammer - Highprince [[Torol Sadeas]]'s glyphpair{{book ref|sa1|6}}
== Numbers ==
{{for|Glyphs/Index#Numerals|a table of known numeral glyphs}}
{{image|glyph number styles.png|Traditional ''1173'' vs. Stylized ''<nowiki>1173</nowiki>''|width=200px|side=right}}
Glyphs may also be used to represent numbers. A base ten number system with a semblance of positional notation is used.{{17s ref|topic|6487|Thaylen and Alethi Glyph Translation|date=2014-3-6}} Numerals are written with bilateral symmetry and may be stylized for artistic or aesthetic purposes. It is unclear whether these glyphs are used only in Vorin nations or throughout Roshar.
The names used for the numbers does vary, even among the Vorin nations. In Vorin usage, the words for numbers one through ten are derived from the names of the ten [[Herald]]s. Each is also assigned a suffix, and the names of larger numbers are created by combining these suffixes. Thus the number "1173" is "Jesesabach", using Jes (1), -es (1), -ab (7), -ach (3).
{| class="infobox"
|-
! Number
| 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10
|-
! Vorin Name
| Jes || Nan || Chach || Vev || Palah || Shash || Betab || Kak || Tanat || Ishi
|-
! Suffix
| -es || -an || -ach || -ev || -ah || -ash || -ab || -ak || -at || -ish
|}
{{image|Glyph 1173 colored.svg|1173|width=300px|side=right}}
Place value is read from top to bottom. Different glyphs are sometimes used to represent numbers depending on place value. For example, the symbol "2" in the number "20" is not the same symbol used in the number "2". In the example to the right using "1173", the light blue represents "3", the green represents "70", the red represents "100", and the dark blue represents "1000". Note that the blue "3" and red "1" differ from their basic configuration.
== Trivia ==
* Glyphs were inspired by Arabic word art.{{wob ref|6607}}
== Notes ==
<references />
{{partial}}
{{Stormlight}}
[[Category: Language]]
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