While I had heard of the creation of the written form of the previously unwritten Cherokee language, I wasn't aware that just one man created it until today. Is this the equivalent of Cyril's creation of the Russian alphabet? What other languages have been given written forms when there were none previously? Why were they deemed necessary when the cultures had done well without writing?
Shong Lue Yang (Soob Lwj Yaj in Hmong) invented the Hmong messianic script. There's an interesting book about it by William Smalley called Mother of Writing: The Origin and Development of a Hmong Messianic Script. It's available. Comparable to Cyril and Methodius and cyrillic, there's Ulfila's Gothic alphabet. Fifth century CE bishop who translated parts of the bible. Oldest longish Germanic texts available.
I heard that one year after Sequoyah's Syllabary was created, 80% of Cherokees had become literate, both men and women. Does anyone know if this is true?
It heard this on QI, which is an excellent programme generally, but it has been known to propagate the odd urban legend.
Come on you raver, you seer of visions, Come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!
The Cherokee syllabary, which was reputedly invented by George Guess, a.k.a. Chief Sequoyah, of the Cherokee, was introduced in 1819... By 1820 thousands of Cherokees had learnt the syllabary, and by 1830, 90% were literate in their own language.
Come on you raver, you seer of visions, Come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!
