A Taxonomy of Alphabets and Scripts

Abstract

This paper describes a taxonomy or system of classification to describe alphabets and to show the various degrees of formal similarity which they bear to one another. The principles of this taxonomy, largely borrowed from the biological sciences, are briefly stated; three taxonomic levels, corresponding to three degrees of similarity, are then defined. For each level, the paper describes the kinds and degrees of similarity which alphabets must have to be included within one taxon; these similarities are illustrated by several different kinds of taxa and some of the alphabets which belong to them. Several problems in the comparison of writing systems which will require further research are mentioned.