Fraser
Script type	Abugida
Creator	James O. Fraser
Time period	c. 1915–present
Direction	Left-to-right
Languages	Lisu
Related scripts
Parent systems	Phoenician script Greek script Latin script Fraser
ISO 15924
ISO 15924	Lisu(399), ​Lisu (Fraser)
Unicode
Unicode alias	Lisu
Unicode range	U+A4D0–U+A4FF,U+11FB0–U+11FBF
This article containsphonetic transcriptions in theInternational Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, seeHelp:IPA. For the distinction between[ ],/ / and ⟨ ⟩, seeIPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

TheFraser orOld Lisu script is anartificialabugida for theLisu language invented around 1915 by Sara Ba Thaw, aKaren preacher fromMyanmar, and improved by themissionaryJames O. Fraser. It is a single-case (unicameral)alphabet. It was also used for theNaxi language, e.g. in the 1932 Naxi Gospel of Mark,^[1] and used in the Zaiwa orAtsi language, e.g. in the 1938 Atsi Gospel of Mark.

The script uses uppercase letters from theLatin script (except for the letterQ) and rotated versions thereof (except for the lettersM,Q andW) to writeconsonants andvowels.Tones andnasalization are written with Romanpunctuation marks, identical to those found on a typewriter. Like the Indicabugidas, the vowel[a] is not written. However, unlike those scripts, the other vowels are written with full letters.

The local Chinese government inNujiangde facto recognized the script in 1992 as theofficial script for writing in Lisu, although other Lisu autonomous territories continue to use the New Lisu.^{[citation needed]}

Note: You may need to download a Lisu capable Unicode font if not all characters display.

1. Initial glottal stop is only written when the inherent vowel[ɑ] follows, and just like all consonants, the inherent vowel suffixˍ must not be written as that would indicate another[ɑ] follows (ʔɑɑ instead ofʔɑ). It is automatic before all initial vowels but[ɯ] and[ə].
2. ꓭ represents a "vowel" in the Naxi language, presumably amedial[ɯ], and a consonant[ɣ] in the Lisu language.ꓪ,ꓬ and𑾰 are likewise ambiguous.
3. ꓨ only occurs in animperativeparticle. It is anallophone ofꓦ[h̃], which causes nasalization to the syllable.
4. ꓤ,ꓨ andꓩ are used only in Lisu language.
5. 𑾰 is used only in Naxi language.

**Only written after a syllable (consonant letter) to indicate a second vowel. Other vowels do not have special letters to emphasize a secondary vowel without glottal stop initial, such asꓡꓷꓰꓹ ([ləe]) is not written asꓡꓷˍꓰꓹ and can only be distinguished fromꓡꓷ ꓰꓹ ([ləʔe]) by a space.

For example,⟨ꓝ⟩ is[tsɑ̄], while⟨ꓝꓰ⟩ is[tsē].

When consonant ꓠꓬ, ꓬ is used with vowel ꓬꓱ, ꓬ, without being ambiguous only one ꓬ is written.

When transcribing exotic rimes (diphthongs or nasal endings), letters ꓮ and ꓬ can work like vowels just like English letter Y, making Fraser script behave like anabjadic alphabet like theRoman instead of an abugida likeTibetan; meanwhile space works like a delimiter like a Tibetan tseg, making a final consonant (such as ꓠ) possible without necessity of ahalanta sign: 凉粉ꓡꓬꓮꓳ ꓩꓷꓠ reads as/li̯ɛwfən/ rather than asꓡꓬ ꓮ ꓳ ꓩꓷ ꓠ/li̯ɑʔɑʔʊfənɑ/.^[2]

Tones are written with standard punctuation. Lisu punctuation therefore differs from international norms: the comma is⟨꓾⟩ (hyphen period) and the full stop is⟨꓿⟩ (equal sign).

*It is not clear how the⟨ꓻ⟩ mid tone differs from the unmarked mid tone.

The tones⟨ꓸ⟩,⟨ꓹ⟩,⟨ꓺ⟩,⟨ꓻ⟩ may be combined with⟨ꓼ⟩ and⟨ꓽ⟩ as compound tones. However, the only compound tone still in common use is⟨ꓹꓼ⟩.

The apostrophe indicatesnasalization. It is combined with tone marks.

The understrike (optionally a lowmacron) indicates the Lisu "A glide", a contraction of[ɑ̂] without an intervening glottal stop. The tone is not always falling, depending on the environment, but is written⟨ˍ⟩ regardless.

The Fraser script was added to theUnicode Standard in October, 2009 with the release of version 5.2.

The Unicode block for the Fraser script, called 'Lisu', is U+A4D0–U+A4FF:

An additional character, the inverted Y used in theNaxi language, was added to the Unicode Standard in March, 2020 with the release of version 13.0. It is in the Lisu Supplement block (U+11FB0–U+11FBF):

• OMF International

• Omniglot entry on Fraser script
• Proposal for encoding the Old Lisu script in the BMP of the UCSArchived 2017-08-08 at theWayback Machine
• Lisu Unicode, Open source font for users of the Lisu script
• Issues in orthography development and reform by David Bradley
• Sample text fromMichael Everson's website

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