ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 N3961L2/10-4382010-10-27

Title: Introducing the Logographic Script of Pau Cin HauAuthor: Anshuman Pandey (pandey@umich.edu)Status: Individual ContributionAction: For consideration by WG2 and UTCDate: 2010-10-27

1 Introduction

The purpose of this document is to bring to the attention of the Unicode Technical Committee (UTC) thelogographic script developed by Pau Cin Hau. This script is related to the alphabetic script of Pau Cin Hau,which is proposed for inclusion in the Universal Character Set in the document N3960 L2/10-437. Thepresent document provides a list of character names and some specimens of the logographs. Research on thescript is ongoing and additional information will be provided.

An allocation for these characters should be made in the Roadmap to the Supplementary Multilingual Plane(SMP), as was requested in N3865R L2/10-073R1. The block should be named ‘Pau Cin Hau Logographs’.For the present, at least 1,056 code points should be reserved for the script.

2 Background

The Pau Cin Hau Logographs belong to a writing system used by the Laipian religious tradition, which ispracticed in Chin State, Myanmar. Pau Cin Hau (1859–1948) was the founder of the Laipian tradition andthe developer of the script.

There are two distinct writing systems associated with Pau Cin Hau and the Laipian tradition. They weredesigned for representing Tedim [ctd], a northern Chin language of the Tibeto-Burman family. One is alogographic script, which is described here, and the other is an alphabet (see N3960 L2/10-437). Pau CinHau designed the first script in 1902, which was revised twice. The 57-character alphabet is the result of thefinal revision. It is not known if the logographic script represented in the extant sources is the original scriptor the second revision. The logographic script is said to consist of 1,050 characters, a number that is basedupon a count of the logographs that appear in a Laipian recitation text (see Figure 1). However, a dictionaryof Tedim that provides a list of logographs shows 923 distinct characters.

The difference in character count is likely a result of the inclusion of characters in the recitation text thatare not atomic characters, but composites of a base letter and a combining mark. These combining marksare used for indicating tone, vowel length, glottal stop, and final consonant. Examples of the use of thesecombining marks are shown in Figure 3. The dictionary source that lists the 923 logographs does not includecharacters with combining marks; it shows only distinct characters.

The Pau Cin Hau Logographs are attested in several primary and secondary sources. The script is used inreligious works, such as Laipian recitation texts (Figure 1); dictionaries (Figure 2 and 3); inscriptions onstone (Figure 5); and signage (Figure 6). There are also secondary materials about Pau Cin Hau, his scripts,and the Laipian religion written in Burmese in the Myanmar script (see Figure 7).

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Introducing the Logographic Script of Pau Cin Hau Anshuman Pandey

3 Character Repertoire

Presented below is a serialized list of 923 distinct logographs as identified in a Tedim dictionary (see Figure2). The names of characters are based upon the Latin transcription of syllabic values given for the logographs.If more than one logograph has the same transcribed name, the name is marked using a serial number, eg., -, etc. The sort order follows that given in the dictionary, which is for the most part based on the Latinalphabetical order.

1. A2. AH3. AI4. AI-25. AK6. AL7. AAM8. AN9. ANG10. ANG-211. AT12. AW13. AWI14. AWI-215. AWK16. AWM17. AWN18. AWNG19. BA20. BAH21. BAI22. BAIH23. BAK24. BAL25. BAN26. BAN-227. BAAN28. BAANG29. BAWH30. BAWK31. BAWL32. BAWM33. BAWNG34. BE35. BEH36. BEI37. BEEK38. BEK39. BEL40. BEL-241. BEEM42. BEM43. BENG44. BEU45. BI46. BIA47. BIING48. BIANG49. BIIK50. BIL51. BING

52. BIT53. BO54. BOIH55. BU56. BU-257. BUA58. BUAI59. BUAL60. BUAN61. BUANG62. BUK63. BUK-264. BUL65. BULH66. BUI67. BUM68. BUNG69. BUT70. CI71. CI-272. CIA73. CIAH74. CIAK75. CIAL76. CIAM77. CIANG78. CIAT79. CIAU80. CIL81. CIL-282. CIIM83. CIM84. CIIN85. CIN86. CIN-287. CING88. CING-289. CINGH90. CIK91. CIING92. CIANG93. DAH94. DAI95. DAI-296. DAK97. DAL98. DAM99. DAN100. DAN-2101. DANG102. DAU

103. DAWH104. DAWI105. DAWI-2106. DAWK107. DAWL108. DAWN109. DAWNG110. DAWP111. DAWT112. DE113. DEI114. DEIH115. DEK116. DEK-2117. DELH118. DEL119. DEM120. DEN121. DENG122. DENGH123. DEP124. DEUH125. DIAH126. DIAK127. DIAL128. DIAL-2129. DIH130. DIK131. DIM132. DIM-2133. DING134. DINGH135. DO136. DOK137. DOL138. DOM139. DON140. DONGH141. DONG142. DONG-2143. DUAI144. DUANG145. DUM146. DUNG147. DUP148. DUH149. DIM-3150. E151. EI152. EK153. EL

154. EM155. EN156. EN-2157. ENG158. ENG-2159. EU160. EU-2161. GA162. GAH163. GAI164. GAI-2165. GAK166. GAL167. GAM168. GAAM169. GAN170. GAAN171. GAU172. GAWM173. GAWI174. GAWNG175. GEK176. GEL177. GELH178. GEEM179. GEN180. GI181. GIAK182. GIAH183. GIAL184. GIK185. GIL186. GIM187. GIN188. GIN-2189. GING190. GO191. GOIH192. GOLH193. GONG194. GU195. GUA196. GUAH197. GUAI198. GUAK199. GUAL200. GUANG201. GUI202. GUI-2203. GULH204. GUM

205. GUN206. HA207. HAH208. HAI209. HAI-2210. HAK211. HAAK212. HAK-2213. HAL214. HAM215. HANG216. HANG-2217. HANG-3218. HAT219. HAU220. HAWK221. HAWH222. HAWL223. HAWI224. HAWM225. HAWNG226. HAWT227. HEH228. HIAM229. HIANG230. HIT231. HIH232. HIK233. HIL234. HINH235. HIING236. HO237. HONH238. HOIH239. HU240. HUH241. HUA242. HUAI243. HUAL244. HUAN245. HUAU246. HUIH247. HUK248. HUL249. HUM250. HUM-2251. II252. IN253. IT254. INGH255. IM

256. KA257. KAI258. KAI-2259. KAK260. KAL261. KAL-2262. KAM263. KAMH264. KAN265. KAN-2266. KANG267. KAP268. KAP-2269. KAU270. KAWH271. KAWI272. KAWI-2273. KAWL274. KAWM275. KAWN276. KAWNG277. KEL278. KEI279. KEI-2280. KEK281. KEN282. KEN-2283. KENG284. KEP285. KEU286. KEU-2287. KEUH288. KHA289. KHA-2290. KHAH291. KHAL292. KHAK293. KHAAM294. KHAM295. KHAM-2296. KHAN297. KHANG298. KHAANG299. KHAAT300. KHAP301. KHAWL302. KHE303. KHEM304. KHEN305. KHEN-2306. KHENG

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Introducing the Logographic Script of Pau Cin Hau Anshuman Pandey

307. KHIA308. KHIAL309. KHIL310. KHEI311. KHEK312. KHEL313. KHEM314. KHIANG315. KHIH316. KHIM317. KHIIN318. KHIN319. KHUA320. KHUAI321. KHUAL322. KHUAM323. KHUANG324. KHU325. KHUI326. KHUL327. KHAWI328. KHAWL329. KHAWL-2330. KHAWK331. KHAWM332. KHAWN333. KHAWNG334. KHAU335. KHEUH336. KHO337. KHOH338. KHOI339. KHOL340. KHOLH341. KHONG342. KHUAK343. KHUAT344. KHUM345. KHUM-2346. KHUNG347. KUNG348. KUNG-2349. KHUP350. KHUP-2351. KHUT352. KI353. KIA354. KIAL355. KIAM356. KIANG357. KIL358. KIK359. KIK-2360. KIIM361. KIM362. KIP363. KIN364. KIU365. KO366. KOI367. KOIH

368. KOL369. KOM370. KONG371. KU372. KUA373. KUAI374. KUAM375. KUAN376. KUANG377. KUI378. KULH379. KUM380. KUNG381. LA382. LAH383. LAI384. LAI-2385. LAI-3386. LAK387. LAAK388. LAL389. LAM390. LAAM391. LAMH392. LAN393. LANG394. LANGH395. LAP396. LAAT397. LAU398. LAWH399. LAWI400. LAWK401. LAWM402. LAWNG403. LEH404. LEI405. LEL406. LEL-2407. LEL-3408. LEM409. LEN410. LENG411. LIM412. LIIM413. LIN414. LING415. LIING416. LET417. LEU418. LIA419. LIAK420. LIAN421. LIANG422. LIAU423. LU424. LU-2425. LUA426. LUAH427. LUAI428. LOH

429. LO430. LOM431. LONG432. LUAN433. LUANG434. LUI435. LUI-2436. LUM437. LUM-2438. LUN439. LUNG440. LUP441. LUT442. LUM-3443. MA444. MAH445. MAL446. MAL-2447. MAM448. MAN449. MAN-2450. MAN-3451. MANG452. MANG-2453. MAT454. MAI455. MAI-2456. MAI-3457. MAU458. MAW459. MAWH460. MAWK461. MAWL462. MAWNG463. ME464. MEK465. MEH466. MEL467. MEI468. MEEI469. MENG470. MENG-2471. MEET472. MI473. MIAL474. MIM475. MIN476. MIT477. MO478. MOI479. MOLH480. MONG481. MOM482. MU483. MUAL484. MUAM485. MUK486. MUL487. MUIH488. MUN489. MUNG

490. MUT491. MUANG492. NA493. NAI494. NAK495. NAL496. NAM497. NAM-2498. NANG499. NAANG500. NAU501. NAWH502. NAWI503. NAWL504. NAWN505. NAWN506. NAWT507. NEK508. NE509. NEL510. NEH511. NEM512. NENG513. NEU514. NGAH515. NGAI516. NGAIH517. NGAL518. NGAP519. NGAT520. NGAWH521. NGAWL522. NGEI523. NGEEI524. NGEM525. NGEN526. NGIL527. NGIM528. NGEU529. NGIA530. NGIAM531. NGO532. NGUL533. NGUN534. NI535. NIN536. NING537. NIL538. NIAL539. NIAM540. NIANG541. NO542. NO-2543. NOK544. NOLH545. NOMH546. NON547. NOP548. NU549. NUAI550. NUAK

551. NUAM552. NUI553. NUL554. NUN555. NUNG556. NUNG-2557. NGUUL558. OM559. OK560. OT561. PA562. PA-2563. PAK564. PAK-2565. PAL566. PAL-2567. PAL-3568. PAH569. PAI570. PAAI571. PAAM572. PAN573. PAWH574. PAWK575. PAWM576. PAWN577. PAWNG578. PEK579. PEEK580. PEK-2581. PEK-3582. PEL583. PEM584. PEN585. PENG586. PENG-2587. PET588. PEU589. PEUH590. PHA591. PHA-2592. PHAH593. PHAI594. PHAL595. PHAM596. PHAN597. PHAW598. PHAWNG599. PHE600. PHEI601. PHEL602. PHEN603. PHANG604. PHIAL605. PHIAU606. PHIANG607. PHIAT608. PHIH609. PHIL610. PHIM611. PHIN

612. PHING613. PHIT614. PHO615. PHONG616. PHUAI617. PHUAK618. PHUAL619. PHUANG620. PHUI621. PHUUK622. PHUL623. PHUM624. PHUN625. PHUNG626. PHUT627. PHAWK628. PHAWNG629. PI630. PIA631. POH632. PIAL633. PIAU634. PIL635. PIM636. PO637. POI638. POP639. PU640. PUA641. PUAH642. PUAK643. PUAM644. PUAN645. PUK646. PULH647. PUM648. SA649. SAI650. SAI-2651. SAK652. SAL653. SAAL654. SAM655. SAN656. SAN-2657. SANG658. SANG-2659. SAP660. SAT661. SAT-2662. SAU663. SAWH664. SAWK665. SAWL666. SAWM667. SAWN668. SAWN-2669. SAWNG670. SAWT671. SEI672. SEEK

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Introducing the Logographic Script of Pau Cin Hau Anshuman Pandey

673. SEL674. SEL-2675. SEEM676. SEN677. SEP678. SEEP679. SENG680. SENGH681. SEU682. SI683. SI-2684. SIA685. SIA-2686. SIAM687. SIAM-2688. SIAH689. SIAL690. SIAN691. SIANG692. SIAT693. SIAU694. SIH695. SIIK696. SIK697. SIL698. SILH699. SIM700. SIIM701. SIMH702. SIN703. SINGH704. SIING705. SIT706. SIU707. SO708. SOI709. SOL710. SON711. SOT712. SU713. SU-2714. SUAH

715. SUAK716. SUAL717. SUAM718. SUAN719. SUANG720. SUANG-2721. SUI722. SUK723. SUL724. SUM725. SUUM726. SUM727. SUNG728. SUNGH729. SUT730. SUT-2731. TA732. TA-2733. TAN734. TAH735. TAI736. TAI-2737. TAI-3738. TAK739. TAK-2740. TAL741. TAM742. TAAM743. TAN744. TANGH745. TANG746. TAANG747. TANG-2748. TANG-3749. TAT750. TAAT751. TAU752. TAW753. TAWH754. TAWI755. TAWL756. TAWM

757. TAWM-2758. TAWNG759. TAWP760. TE761. TEH762. TEI763. TEI-2764. TEK765. TEK-2766. TEM767. TEL768. TEU769. TEU-2770. TENG771. TEN772. TEENG773. TEP774. TO775. TO-2776. TON777. TOLH778. TONG779. TONG-2780. TONGH781. TU782. TUAH783. TUAI784. TUH785. TUAK786. TUAL787. TUAL-2788. TUAM789. TUAM-2790. TUAN791. TUANG792. TUI793. TUK794. TUK-2795. TUUK796. TUL797. TUM798. TUM-2

799. TUN800. TUNG801. TUNG-2802. TUUN803. THA804. THA-2805. THAI806. THAL807. THANG808. THAT809. THAU810. THEK811. THEL812. THEI813. THIAU814. THO815. THOT816. THOIH817. THOP818. THU819. THUAK820. THUK821. THUAM822. THUUM823. THAWN824. THAWNG825. THAWNG-2826. THAM827. THEH828. THAWL829. THUAH830. THUANG831. THEU832. THUNG833. THU834. THUP835. TUM-3836. U837. UA838. UAP839. UI840. UK

841. UL842. UM843. UAN844. UNGH845. UT846. UN847. VA848. VAI849. VAI-2850. VAK851. VAK-2852. VAL853. VAN854. VAN-2855. VANG856. VAT857. VAU858. VAWH859. VE860. VEH861. VEI862. VEK863. VEK-2864. VENG865. VIL866. VIAL867. VO868. VOK869. VOM870. VON871. VU872. VUAH873. VUAN874. VUANG875. VUK876. VUL877. VUM878. VUN879. VUNG880. VUNGH881. ZA882. ZAI

883. ZAL884. ZAM885. ZAN886. ZANG887. ZANG-2888. ZANG-3889. ZAP890. ZAU891. ZAW892. ZAWI893. ZAWL894. ZAWNG895. ZEK896. ZEL897. ZEL-2898. ZELH899. ZEM900. ZEN901. ZI902. ZIA903. ZIAL904. ZIANG905. ZIK906. ZIL907. ZIN908. ZING909. ZO910. ZO-2911. ZOL912. ZOM913. ZU914. ZUAK915. ZUAL916. ZUAU917. ZUAN918. ZUANG919. ZUI920. ZUM921. ZUN922. ZUNG923. ZUT

The following characters are not accounted for in the preceding list:

1. Digits The script has digits (0–9) for representing numbers of the decimal system.

2. CombiningMarks There are combiningmarks used for indicating tone, nasalization, and glottal stop.The use of these marks is shown in Figure 3.

3. Symbols There is a symbol that appears on Laipian materials, which is shown in Figure 7.

4 Graphical Similarity of Logographs

Several characters have graphical similarity to other characters, but have different phonological values. Forexample, the glyphs for some characters are modeled upon the basic shape B. Distinct characters are created

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Introducing the Logographic Script of Pau Cin Hau Anshuman Pandey

from this shape by attaching various appendages to it (see Figure 4). Although these characters have thesame basic graphical model, there is no other identifiable commonality between them.

5 Number of Characters

Asmentioned, there are two different numbers given for the inventory of logographs: 923 and 1,050. It is notknown how many distinct logographs exist. A comparative analysis between the characters in the recitationtext and dictionary is underway. It is possible that there are logographs that are not represented in eithersource.

6 References

Pandey, Anshuman. 2010. “Allocating the Pau Cin Hau Scripts in the Unicode Roadmap” (N3865R L2/10-073R1), July 26, 2010. http://std.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/n3865.pdf

———. 2010b. “Preliminary Proposal to Encode the Pau Cin Hau Alphabet in ISO/IEC 10646” (N3960L2/10-437), October 27, 2010. http://std.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/n3960.pdf

7 Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Christopher Button for providing me with several sources on the logographic script,without which this document would not be possible.

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Introducing the Logographic Script of Pau Cin Hau Anshuman Pandey

Figure 1: A page from a Laipian recitation text written in the logographic script of Pau Cin Hau.Courtesy of Christopher Button.

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Introducing the Logographic Script of Pau Cin Hau Anshuman Pandey

Figure 2: A page from a Tedim dictionary showing the Latin transliteration of the phonetic valuesof the logographs. Courtesy of Christopher Button.

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Introducing the Logographic Script of Pau Cin Hau Anshuman Pandey

Figure 3: Extract of a page from a list of the logographs. The examples show the use of combiningmarks to indicate glottal stop and other features. The composite characters shown here are not givenin the list of logographs from the Tedim dictionary, which shows only distinct characters.

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Introducing the Logographic Script of Pau Cin Hau Anshuman Pandey

Figure 4: A chart from a Tedim dictionary showing characters whose glyphs are modeled uponthe same basic shape, but whose phonological values are not assigned according to any identifiablesystem.

Figure 5: A stone inscription produced using the logographs. Courtesy of Christopher Button.

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Introducing the Logographic Script of Pau Cin Hau Anshuman Pandey

Figure 6: A signboard written in Pau Cin Hau logographs and the Myanmar script. The sign isposted outside a Laipian school in Tedim Township. Photograph taken by Vungh Suan Mang inTedim Township, Chin State, Myanmar on December 31, 2008.

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Introducing the Logographic Script of Pau Cin Hau Anshuman Pandey

Figure 7: A pamphlet written in Burmese about the Laipian tradition and the Pau Cin Hau script.The Laipian symbol is shown at top, along with text written in Pau Cin Hau logographs. Courtesyof Christopher Button.

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