This article will focus on the two scripts in use today: the Roman and the Marshlandic alphabets. Other articles will eventually be published detailing the history of Marshlandic orthography.
The Marshlandic script is the language's native script. It was used almost exclusively by the Jysjoma and the Kadh, though most of the Gåz could read the alphabet.
The script was originally and remains primarily an alphabet. It contains 36 letters. It developed an additional six diacritical marks, which aid the reader in predicting certain phonological processes that are etymological in origin and are otherwise unpredictable. The script also includes a hitherto unnumbered amount of ligatures and logograms.
,p>The Marshlandic script spread to the general Marshlandic population in the mid-20th century as the community sought to promote a literary culture. It was the primary method of writing Marshlandic for the first few decades of this movement. Today, it continues to be used, but primarily in artistic expressions of identity.The Roman script is the primary method of writing Marshlandic these days. Standardized transcription of the language into Roman script began in the mid-20th century, coincident with attempts to begin Marshlandic literacy and literary culture. A standardized transcription was thought to aid students who did not use much Marshlandic at home and were thus lacking in vocabulary. Because the Marshlandic script was unable to keep up with technology, and handwriting became less and less common, Roman transcriptions grew in strength. Instant messaging and text messaging decisively pushed the community toward using the Roman script.
Below is a page from Kitäbjsh Abojonner, the first grammar book of Marshlandic. Since its purpose was to teach the script and grammar to native speakers, this page attempts to explain the Marshlandic alphabet in the Marshlandic script. The author refers to an early standardized transcription to clarify pronunciation. It thus serves us as a chart of equivalents between the Marshlandic and Roman scripts.
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