Re: Mende Kikakui syllabary

From: jameskass@att.net
Date: Fri Mar 12 2004 - 18:30:43 EST

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    Konrad T. Tuchscherer, Ph.D. wrote,

    > I write to the list from Cameroon where I am conducting research on the Bagam
    > and Bamum scripts.
    >
    > The Proel page should not be consulted for information on the Mende syllabary
    > (Kikakui) or any other African script (or system of graphic symbolism, like
    > Adinkra). The Mende syllabary is not pictographic. The dubious map shows the
    > Mende in Liberia, the Loma in Sierra Leone (they are in Liberia, known as Loma;
    > in Guinea known as Toma), the Bamana in Sierra Leone, and Adinkra in Liberia!!!
    >
    > As I often explain to my students, any one can publish something on the internet
    > -- lots of unreliable stuff out there!
    >

    Indeed.

    Researching the Bagam and Bamum scripts sounds fascinating.

    (I've quoted Dr. Tuchscherer's entire message above, it was clearly
    intended for the list, but does not seem to have appeared there.)

    At least Proel's page on bamĂșn shows them in CamerĂșn. Although Proel's
    accuracy is questionable, they often have fairly good scans of some
    fairly obscure writing systems.

    http://www.proel.org/alfabetos/bamun.html

    Sadly, many of their examples of the evolution of the Bamum script
    are unclear.

    Best regards,

    James Kass



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