syllabary

American  

[sil-uh-ber-ee] / ˈsɪl əˌbɛr i /

noun

plural

syllabaries

1. a list or catalog of syllables.

2. a set of written symbols, each of which represents a syllable, used to write a given language.

   the Japanese syllabary.

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syllabary British  

/ ˈsɪləbərɪ /

noun

1. a table or list of syllables

2. a set of symbols used in certain writing systems, such as one used for Japanese, in which each symbol represents a spoken syllable

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Etymology

Origin of syllabary

From the New Latin word syllabārium, dating back to 1580–90. See syllable, -ary

Example Sentences

In the early 1800s Cherokee polymath Sequoyah invented the Cherokee syllabary of written characters.

From Scientific American • Apr. 10, 2023

His use of written French reaffirms that Bouabré never conceived of his art, or indeed his Bété syllabary, as a private language.

From New York Times • Mar. 31, 2022

Or, going back to the beginning of this chapter and Sequoyah’s syllabary, you may choose to take inspiration from something linguistic, an expression or a way of talking that is associated with your culture.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

Only one motif looks out of place: the name “Maiku,” rendered in a phonetic Japanese syllabary.

From Washington Post • Jun. 28, 2018

A striking example from the history of writing is the origin of the syllabary devised in Arkansas around 1820 by a Cherokee Indian named Sequoyah, for writing the Cherokee language.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond