semisyllabary

Why this word is great

SEMISYLLABARY — [Noun] A writing system that combines elements of an alphabet and a syllabary. From semi- ("half, partial") + syllabary ("a set of written characters representing syllables"). Unlike an "abugida" (where vowels cling to consonants like barnacles to a hull) or a pure "alphabet" (where each sound stands alone, pristine and unalloyed), a semisyllabary is a linguistic compromise—neither fully phonetic nor wholly syllabic, but something in between. It is the Japanese kana, where each symbol is a syllable yet vowels can be teased apart; the Cherokee script, where letters sometimes whisper their syllabic origins; or the ancient Cypriot marks, half-swallowed by time, that refuse to be purely one thing or another. A semisyllabary is the linguistic equivalent of a twilight: neither day nor night, but something richer for its ambiguity.