Syllabaria

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A system or collection of symbols or characters arranged to represent syllables of a language for the purpose of reading and writing
2. An organized set of characters that correspond to the syllabic units of a spoken language, used as a basic tool for literacy and communication
3. A structured inventory of written signs each representing a syllable, often used in scripts designed to transcribe spoken sounds systematically

Etymology: "Syllabaria" is the plural of "syllabarium," a word English took from Latin "syllabārium," itself built from "syllaba," the Latin form of the Greek "syllabē," meaning a syllable or a group of letters held together. The Greek root sense is literal: "syllabē" comes from "syllambanein," "to take together," so a syllable was a unit of sounds gathered into one beat of speech. The Latin "-ārium" ending, as in "aquārium" or "herbārium," marks a place or collection where things are kept, so the underlying idea is a set of syllables gathered together. Writing systems that record whole syllables rather than single sounds, such as Japanese kana or Cherokee script, are the most common examples of what the term describes.

Synonyms: syllabary, alphabet, script, writing system