Several braille alphabets are used in Nigeria. For English, Unified English Braille has been adopted. Three other languages have been written in braille: Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. All three alphabets are based on English readings, with the addition of letter's particular to these languages. Punctuation is as in English Braille.
The letters of these languages beyond the basic Latin alphabet are as follows:
Hausa Braille
editHausa Braille | |
---|---|
Script type | alphabet
|
Print basis | Hausa alphabet |
Languages | Hausa |
Related scripts | |
Parent systems | Braille
|
Hausa includes
kw |
sh |
ts |
ɗ |
from English q, sh, st, ed (international second d), and three derived letters:
Basic letter: | b |
k |
y |
---|---|---|---|
Derived letter: | ɓ |
ƙ |
ƴ |
Hausa is presumably written in braille in Niger as well, since Ethnologue 17 reports that Zarma is written in braille in that country. However, this need not mean it uses the same alphabet as Nigerian Hausa.
Igbo Braille
editIgbo Braille | |
---|---|
Script type | alphabet
|
Print basis | Igbo alphabet |
Languages | Igbo |
Related scripts | |
Parent systems | Braille
|
Igbo Braille has
kw |
ch |
gh |
sh |
from English q, ch, gh, sh, and six other letters with common international/African values:
Basic letter: | b |
e |
i |
o |
u | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Extended letter: | gb |
ẹ |
ị |
ọ |
ụ |
ŋ |
(See Ewe Braille and Kabiye Braille for similar code assignments.)
Yoruba Braille
editYoruba Braille | |
---|---|
Script type | alphabet
|
Print basis | Yoruba alphabet |
Languages | Yoruba |
Related scripts | |
Parent systems | Braille
|
Yoruba Braille also has
kw |
ṣ |
(from English q, sh), and three derived letters:
Basic letter: | b |
e |
o |
---|---|---|---|
Derived letter: | gb |
ẹ |
ọ |
The vowel assignments follow international conventions.
References
edit- Braille Notation Booklet on the Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba Orthographies: A Research Work on Standard Braille Codes for the Blind in Nigeria, March 1981 – April 1982
- UNESCO (2013) World Braille Usage, 3rd edition.