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{{Infobox writing system
|name = Mandombe
|type = Syllabary
|typedesc = organized into syllabic blocks
|time = 1978–present
|languages = [[Kikongo]], [[Lingala]], [[Tshiluba]], [[Swahili language|Swahili]]
|fam1 = [[Constructed script]]
|creator = [[Wabeladio Payi]]
|sample = Mandombe in Mandombe.svg
|imagesize = 200px
}}
[[Image:Mandombe Sample.jpg|thumb|right|A Mandombe book.]]

'''Mandombe''' or '''Mandombé''', is an Afrikan language script proposed in 1978 in [[Mbanza-Ngungu]] in the [[Bas-Congo]] province of the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] by [[Wabeladio Payi]], who explained that it was [[Revelation|revealed]] to him by [[Simon Kimbangu]], the prophet of the [[Kimbanguist Church]], in a dream. The word Mandombe literally translates to "for blacks", "how black" or "that which belongs to the blacks." in [[Kikongo Language]] It is based on the sacred shapes 5 and ㄹ, and intended for writing Afrikan languages such as the four national languages of the Congo, [[Kikongo]], [[Lingala]], [[Tshiluba]] and [[Swahili language|Swahili]]. It is believed that research into the script will result in scientific discoveries.<ref>[http://www.mandombe.info/definiti.htm The Definition]: Mandombe, Negro-African script.</ref> It is taught in Kimbanguist church schools in Angola, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is also promoted by the Kimbanguist ''Centre de l’Écriture Négro-Africaine'' (CENA). The Mandombe Academy at CENA is currently working on transcribing other African languages in the script.<ref>Pasch, Helma. 2008. Competing scripts: the introduction of the Roman alphabet in Africa. ''[[International Journal of the Sociology of Language]]'' 191:65-109.</ref>

A preliminary proposal has been made to include this script in the combined character encoding [[ISO 10646]]
/[[Unicode]].<ref>[http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2011/11053-mandombe.pdf] ''in French''</ref>

==Structure==
Mandombe combines the function of the signs with vowel and consonant to form syllabic blocks. All characters are based on a fundamental graphic sign, called Mvuala Pakundungu, [[Image:Mandombe groupe1.svg|10px]], Whose shape is similar to a "5" and its mirror image, [[Image:Mandombe Mvuala Pelekete.png|10px]] , Said Mvuala Pelekete, similar in shape to a "2". There are six vowels, which can be combined in different positions, consonant with the function of the graphic elements, distinct processes graphically by rotation and / or reflection, and classified to form 'groups', and for guidance in 'families'. A system of diacritical marks, prefixes or fixtures, allows you to note the sequence of vowels, nasal vowels, consonants and consonant clusters prenasalizzate.

==Vowels==
Vowel letters are composed of two parts: the basic 5-shape of the Mandombe script plus a numeral, or—in the case of the French ''u'' vowel—by modifying the basic ''u'' vowel letter. Vowel 1 is ''i'', vowel 2 ''u'', vowel 3 ''e'', vowel 4 ''o'', and vowel 5 ''a''.

A [[vowel]] can be written individually and form a [[syllable]] on its own. In a [[vowel sequence]] or [[diphthong]], however, a [[diacritic]] is used for the second vowel or part of the vowel. That is, ''lio'' (two syllables) is written ''li'' plus the diacritic for ''o'', while ''mwa'' (one syllable) is written ''mu'' plus the diacritic for ''a''. Diacritics come at the end of the last stroke of the vowel. While there is a diacritic for ''u'', sequences ending in ''u'' are instead generally written as two full syllables, the second being ''wu''. This strategy is apparently also employed in some other cases rather than using diacritics.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Latin script !! Mandombe !! Composition !! Diacritic
|-
|i || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe i.svg|18px]] || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe groupe1.svg|9px]] [[Image:Mandombe digit 1.svg|9px]] || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe diac i.svg|2px]]
|-
|u || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe u.svg|26px]] || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe groupe1.svg|9px]] [[Image:Mandombe digit 2.svg|18px]] || align="center"|?
|-
|e || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe e.svg|26px]] || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe groupe1.svg|9px]] [[Image:Mandombe digit 3.svg|18px]] || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe diac e.svg|10px]]
|-
|o || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe o.svg|26px]] || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe groupe1.svg|9px]] [[Image:Mandombe digit 4.svg|9px]] || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe diac o.svg|12px]]
|-
|a || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe a.svg|26px]] || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe groupe1.svg|9px]] [[Image:Mandombe digit 5.svg|18px]] || align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe diac a.svg|10px]]
|}

''Ü'' (French u) is [[Image:Mandombe IPA y.svg|26px]]. It has no diacritic.

==Consonants groups and families==
There are four basic [[consonant]] shapes. Each shape (base character) can be [[reflection (mathematics)|reflected]] horizontally, vertically, or both to represent a different consonant; the four consonants thus formed are considered to be a group, and consonants reflected in the same way are considered to be a family. These consonants are combined with vowels, which are similarly reflected, to create syllables.
; Family 1: The consonant with the basic orientation is attached to the lower left of the vowel
; Family 2: The consonant-plus-vowel is reflected both horizontally and vertically (rotated 180°)
; Family 3: The consonant-plus-vowel is reflected horizontally
; Family 4: The consonant-plus-vowel is reflected vertically
Vowel diacritics are reflected along with the main vowel.

The use of geometric transformation is also present in Pitman shorthand and [[Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics]], though Mandombe consonants in the same group do not seem to have any phonological relationship (except the fifth group named ''mazita ma zindinga'', in which all consonants are [[affricate]]s and [[fricative]]s).

===Examples===
{|class="wikitable"
! Consonant !! Family 1 !! Family 2 !! Family 3 !! Family 4
|-
|align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe groupe1.svg|10px]] Group 1||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe na connect.svg|34px]] '''n'''a||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe va connect.svg|34px]] '''v'''a||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe sa connect.svg|34px]] '''s'''a||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe ta connect.svg|34px]] '''t'''a
|-
|align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe groupe2.svg|10px]] Group 2||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe be connect.svg|34px]] '''b'''e||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe de connect.svg|34px]] '''d'''e||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe fe connect.svg|34px]] '''f'''e||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe ge connect.svg|34px]] '''g'''e

|-
|align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe groupe3.svg|10px]] Group 3||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe ko connect.svg|34px]] '''k'''o||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe mo connect.svg|34px]] '''m'''o||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe lo connect.svg|34px]] '''l'''o||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe po connect.svg|34px]] '''p'''o

|-
|align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe groupe4.svg|10px]] Group 4||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe groupe4fam1i connect.svg|26px]] '''w'''i||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe groupe4fam2i connect.svg|26px]] '''r'''i||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe zi connect.svg|26px]] '''z'''i||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe yi connect.svg|26px]] '''y'''i
|-
|align="center"|''Mazita ma zindinga''||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe shu.svg|34px]] '''sh'''u||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe dju.svg|34px]] '''dj'''u||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe tshu.svg|34px]] '''tsh'''u||align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe ju.svg|34px]] '''j'''u
|}

==Complex Characters==
* [[Prenasalized stop|Prenasalisation]] of consonants is indicated with a variation on [[Image:Mandombe groupe1.svg|10px]] (n) disconnected from the vowel. This always joins the consonant body, else certain signs could be read in more than one way.

* [[Nasalisation]] of the vowel is marked by an attached diacritic: [[Image:Mandombe diac nas.svg|10px]].

* If [[Image:Mandombe groupe1.svg|10px]] is placed between the two separable parts of the vowel glyph, it represents an intervening /r/.

===Examples of Complex Syllables===

{|class="wikitable"
! Modification !! Mandombe !! Latin script
|-
| Vowel sequence || [[Image:Mandombe bie connect.svg|30px]] ||bi'''e'''
|-
| Diphthong/semivowel || [[Image:Mandombe mwa connect.svg|38px]] || mw'''a'''
|-
| Nasal vowel or final nasal consonant || [[Image:Mandombe ken connect.svg|34px]]||ke'''n'''
|-
| Prenasalized consonant ||[[Image:Mandombe mbu connect.svg|42px]]||'''m'''bu
|-
|rowspan="2"| Consonant clusters || [[Image:Mandombe pro connect.svg|46px]] || p'''r'''o
|-
| [[Image:Mandombe_plo_connect.svg|48px]] || p'''l'''o
|}

== Digits ==
The digit for 1 resembles the Hindu-Arabic 1, and 2–5 are based on this shape. 6 and 9 are square versions of Hindu-Arabic 6 and 9, and 7–8 are formed by reflecting them.
{| class="wikitable"
!digit !! Mandombe
|-
|0|| align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe digit 0.svg|12px]]
|-
|1|| align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe digit 1.svg|9px]]
|-
|2|| align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe digit 2.svg|18px]]
|-
|3|| align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe digit 3.svg|18px]]
|-
|4|| align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe digit 4.svg|9px]]
|-
|5|| align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe digit 5.svg|18px]]
|-
|6|| align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe digit 6.svg|9px]]
|-
|7|| align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe digit 7.svg|9px]]
|-
|8|| align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe digit 8.svg|9px]]
|-
|9|| align="center"|[[Image:Mandombe digit 9.svg|9px]]
|}

==Punctuation==
A period is used as a [[word divider]] to separate words.

The punctuation corresponds to that of the Roman alphabet. A comma has the form of a short line, ı, a period as a turned vee, ʌ, like the diacritic for ''o'', and a colon and semicolon combinations of these (semicolon î, colon double ʌ). The exclamation mark is like a lambda, λ, and the question mark is

== See also==
* [[Syllabary]]
* [[Africa Alphabet]], [[African reference alphabet|African Reference Alphabet]]
* [[N'Ko]] alphabet
* [[Kimbanguism]]

==External links==
*[http://www.mandombe.info CENA] (in French)
*[http://www.bisharat.net/wikidoc/pmwiki.php/PanAfrLoc/Mandombe Mandombe script]
*[http://www.afrikanistik-online.de/archiv/2010/2724 Pasch describing the script, its origins, and its uses]

==References==
<references/>
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2011}}

[[Category:Abugida writing systems]]
[[Category:Writing systems of Africa]]

Mandombe script - Revision history

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