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| Leke | |
|---|---|
| Script type | |
| Created | 1800s |
| Direction | Left-to-right |
| Languages | Eastern Pwo |
| ISO 15924 | |
| ISO 15924 | Leke(364), Leke |
TheLeke script, previously known asKaren Chicken Scratch script, is anabugida used to write thePwo Karen language andSgaw language inBurma (Myanmar) andThailand by members of theLehkai Ariya religion. It has 25consonants, 17vowels and 3tones. The script also has a unique set of numerals and punctuation, such as a full stop (period) and a comma.
Leke is aphonemic script: words are written the way they are pronounced. In modern Leke script, consonants are written first, then the vowels and tones are written around them. In text encoding, the vowels of a syllable always follow the consonant, even the two vowelsdwia thwai andri yah, though they're written to the left of the consonant.
According to traditional Karen history, the Leke script was known as the KarenChicken Scratch script. Why the earlier older Karen people was named this script as Chicken Scratch is because the story was told from generation to generation. It's said the first human lived in this planet is God'sAriya and hisSeven sons in this world.
TheLeke script was developed between 1830 and 1860 and is used by members of themillenarian Lekesect ofBuddhism. It is believed to have borrowed from ancientMon, based on the shapes and functions of older versions of theBurmesescript.[1] Thescript is also used by other Buddhists,Christians, and members of the uniqueLehkai Ariya religion. According to the chief Leke priest, there are over 3,200 trained teachers of the alphabet.
Other scripts are also used by the Leke, including varieties of theMon andBurmese alphabets, and refugees inThailand have created a Thai alphabet, which is in limited use.[2]
| Pwo Karen Leke script | Pronunciation | Translate |
|---|---|---|
 | Aw So La Sik | Hello |
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