Thread by @nubianscribes

Maybe you’ve encountered the Nubian alphabet before on social media. Maybe this is your first time seeing it. No matter what, if you’re interested in reading and writing in the Nubian script, here’s a step by step tutorial!

Alpha (“ⲁ”): Pronounced like the “a” in “father.” Can be found in the Andaandi word “ⲁⲇⲉⲙ” (“adem”) meaning “man.”

Beta (“ⲃ”): Pronounced like the English letter “b.” Note, this letter is taller than the alpha, and the bottom part of the triangle is angled upwards off the baseline! Can be found in the Nubian word “ⲃⲟⲩⲣⲟⲩ” (“buru”), meaning “girl.”

Gamma (“ⲅ”): Pronounced like the “g” in “good.” Can be found in the Nobiin word “ⲅⲁ” (“ga”), meaning “son.”

Delta (“ⲇ”): Pronounced like the “d” in “dog.” Can be found in the Nobiin word “ⲇⲁⳣⳣⲓ” (“dawwi”), meaning “big.”

Epsilon (“ⲉ”): Pronounced kind of like the “ay” in “may,” except it’s a single vowel sound. Note this letter is three strokes, not two! Can be found in the Nubian word “ⲉⲥⲥⲓ,” meaning “sister.”

Zeta (“ⲍ”): Pronounced like the “z” in “zoo.” Notice it drops far below the baseline. Can be found in the Nobiin word “ⲍⲓⲛⲛⲓ,” (“zinni”), meaning “bee.”

Iota (“ⲓ”): Pronounced like the “ee” in “speech.” Can be found in the Nubian word “ⲓⲇⳣⲟ” (“idwo”), meaning “eight.”

Dotted Iota (“ⲓ̈”): Pronounced like “y” in “yes.” Note the iota here now drops below the baseline! Can be found in the Nobiin word “ⲁⲓ̈,” meaning “I.”

Kappa (“ⲕ”): Pronounced like the “k” in “kangaroo.” Note the space between the vertical line on the left and the curved stroke on the right! Can be found in the Nobiin word “ⲕⲁⲥⲓⲣ” (“kasir”), meaning “turban.”

Lambda (“ⲗ”): Pronounced like the “l” in “let.” Note that both strokes are equal in height, unlike in the Greek or Coptic lambda. Can be found in the Nubian word “ⲙⲁⲗⲗⲉ” (“malle”), meaning “all.”

Mu (“ⲙ”): Pronounced like the “m” in “most.” Can be found in the Nubian word “ⲙⲁϣⲁ” (“masha”), meaning “sun.”

Nu (“ⲛ”): Pronounced like the “n” in “net.” Can be found in the Nobiin word “ⲛⲟ̄ⲅ” (“nōg”), meaning “house.”

Omikron (“ⲟ”): Pronounced kind of like the “oa” in “oat,” except it’s just one vowel sound. Can be found in the Nubian word “ⲟⲅ” (“og”), meaning “chest.”

Omikron-Upsilon (“ⲟⲩ”): Pronounced like the “oo” in “boot.” Can be found in the Nubian word “ⲟⲩⲕⲕⲓ” (“ukki”), meaning “ear.”

Pi (“ⲡ”): Generally pronounced like the “b” in “boat,” although on some rare occasions it’s pronounced as “p.” Can be found in the Nubian name “ⲁⲡⲡⲁ” (“appa”), a nickname for “Fatima.”

Rho (“ⲣ”): Generally pronounced as a rolled r. Can be found in the Nubian word “ⲁⲣⲧⲓ” (“arti”), meaning “island.”

Sigma (“ⲥ”): Pronounced like the “s” in “sit.” Note, again, this is a two stroke letter, unlike the English “c.” Can be found in the Nubian word “ⲥⲁⲣⲃⲉ̄” (“sarbē”), meaning “finger.”

Tau (“ⲧ”): Pronounced like the “t” in “two.” Can be found in the Nubian word “ⲧⲟ̄ⲇ” (“tōd”), meaning “boy.”

Phi (“ⲫ”): Pronounced like the “f” in “first.” Note the letter’s gargantuan size: it stretches as far down as the ⲣ/rho and as high as the ⲃ/beta! Can be found in the Nobiin word “ⲫⲉⲛⲧⲓ” (“fenti”), meaning “date.”

Khi (“ⲭ”): Pronounced like the “kh” in “Khartoum.” This letter’s only really used for Arabic names and loanwords, as Nubian languages don’t have a “kh” sound.

Omega (“ⲱ”): Pronounced like the “w” in “weight.” Note that it doesn’t slant the same way the other letters do. Can be found in the Nobiin word “ⲱⲁⲗⲗⲟ,” meaning “tomorrow.”

Shai (“ϣ”): Pronounced like the “sh” in “short.” It’s basically just an omega with a tail. Can be found in the Nubian word “ϣⲟ̄” (“shō”), meaning “book,” “letter,” or “message.”

Hori (“ϩ”): Pronounced like the “h” in “hat.” Can be found in the Nubian word “ϩⲓⲥⲥⲓ” (“hissi”), meaning “voice.”

Jima (“ⳝ”): Pronounced like the letter “jeem” in Sudanese Arabic, which is part way between the English “j” and hard “g” sound. If that’s too hard, just pronounce it like the “j” in “jam”! Can be found in the Nubian word “ⳝⲓⲅⲓⲣ” (“jigir”), meaning “mouse.”

Engma (“ⳟ”): Pronounced like the “n” in “song” or “think.” Can be found in the Nubian word “ⲁⳟⳟⲁⲣⲉ̄” (“angarē”), meaning “bed.”

Nyi (“ⳡ”): Pronounced like the Spanish “ñ” or the Italian “gn,” kind of like a combination between the “n” and the “y.” Can be found in the Nubian word “ⲙⲁⳡ” (“mañ”), meaning “eye.”

Waw (“ⳣ”): Pronounced like the “w” in “wit.” Can be used instead of the omega, based on personal preference.

Chima (“ϭ”): Pronounced like the Croatian “ć,” but if that’s too hard, feel free to pronounce it like the English “ch!” You can find it in the Nobiin word “ⲧⲁ̄ϭ” (“tāch”), meaning “call.”

You can hear how each letter is pronounced here:

@EndangeredAlpha