aUI (constructed language)
aUI | |
---|---|
Created by | W. John Weilgart, PhD |
Date | 1952 |
Setting and usage | Designed to dissolve the discrepancy between homonymous and synonymous words |
Purpose | auxiliary language
|
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | (a proposal to use aiu was rejected in 2019[1]) |
Glottolog | None |
IETF | art-x-auii |
aUI (constructed pronunciation:
As an effort toward world "peace through understanding", it was Weilgart's goal to clarify and simplify communication. Ultimately, it was his experiment in facilitating more conscious thinking in that it is built from a proposed set of primitive, possibly universal elements that are designed to reflect a motivated, mnemonic relationship between symbol, sound, and meaning. In his psychotherapy work, he sometimes used client-created aUI formulations to reveal possible subconscious associations to problematic concepts.
Characteristics
aUI is built upon a set of proposed universal
aUI has 31 morpheme-phonemes each with an associated meaning, i.e. each morpheme = a phoneme = a sememe.
Characters
Character | Meaning | Letter | IPA | Mnemonics |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Space | a | /a/ | Open mouth to a wide space. [a] is the most open vowel, granting the most space.[6] |
![]() |
Movement | e | /e/ | A spiral nebula's primal cosmic movement. [e] is a front vowel, indicating forward movement.[6] |
![]() |
Light | i | /ɪ/ or /i/ | Source of light and rays spreading out. [i] is the quickest, high frequency vowel, reflecting that light is the fastest thing in the universe.[6] |
![]() |
Life | o | /o/ | A leaf; photosynthesis is the basis of earthly life. [o] is pronounced with the lips rounded, similar in shape to cells, the basis of life.[6] |
![]() |
Human | u | /u/ | Human legs or arms, depicting duality. [u] is articulated at two parts of the mouth, reflecting how humans have symmetric bodies and ambiguous natures.[6] |
![]() |
Time | A | /a:/ | Humans measure time in the elliptical orbits of earth and moon; an elongation of space. [a:] is a long vowel, reflecting the passage of time.[6] |
![]() |
Matter | E | /e:/ | A brickstone of matter. [e:] is a long vowel, reflecting how matter lasts longer than movement.[6] |
![]() |
Sound | I | /i:/ | A sound wave. [i:] is a long vowel, reflecting how sound travels slower than light.[6] |
![]() |
Feeling | O | /o:/ | The heart reflects human feelings in blood pressure and pulse. [o:] is a back vowel, as humans hold their most inner feelings back.[6] |
![]() |
Spirit / Mind | U | /u:/ | A trinity; there are several trinities within philosophy, psychology, and religions. [u:] is a back vowel, reflecting how a mind holds thoughts back.[6] |
![]() |
Condition | Ø (formerly Q) | /œ/ or /ø:/ | Conditions create restrictions similar to parentheses. [ø] is articulated with the lips rounded, reflecting how the future is enclosed until events meet conditions.[6] |
![]() |
Negation | Y | /y/ preceding consonants; /j/ preceding vowels | This minus sign negates or opposes whatever stands below it. [y] is pronounced at the top of the mouth, negating everything beneath it.[6] |
![]() |
Together | b | /b/ | Two dots joined by an arc. [b] is a bilabial consonant articulated with both lips pressed together.[6] |
![]() |
Existence | c | /ʃ/ | When one stands up, one exists. [ʃ]'s voiced counterpart [ʒ] represents equality, reflecting how one must remain equal to oneself to exist.[6] |
![]() |
Through | d | /d/ | A line crossing through another. [d] is an alveolar consonant in which the tongue crosses diagonally through the mouth.[6] |
![]() |
This | f | /f/ | An abbreviated arrow pointing down to the "this". [f] is a labiodental consonant where the lip points forward at a subject.[6] |
![]() |
Inside | g | /ɡ/ | A dot inside a circle. [g] is a velar sound pronounced deep inside the mouth.[6] |
![]() |
Question | h | /h/ | A simplified question mark. [h] is similar to a gasp made when a person is full of questions.[6] |
![]() |
Equal | j | /ʒ/ | Equation sign joined so it can be written in one line. [ʒ] sounds similar to flowing water, which stands equal in height when still.[6] |
![]() |
Above | k | /k/ | A dot above a line like a musical quarter note. [k] is articulated with the tongue raised above the jawline.[6] |
![]() |
Around | L | /l/ | A circle around a circle. [l] is a lateral consonant articulated by rounding the tongue.[6] |
![]() |
Quality | m | /m/ | A rounded form of the quantity glyph. [m] is a nasal consonant, reflecting how smell can determine quality.[6] |
![]() |
Quantity | n | /n/ | A container measuring quantity. [n] is pronounced further back than [m], reflecting how the mouth is a container measuring quantity.[6] |
![]() |
Before | p | /p/ | A dot before a line. [p] is a bilabial consonant pronounced before the lips.[6] |
![]() |
Positive | r | /ʀ/ or /r/ | A plus sign indicating positive. [r] is similar to the trills animals make to indicate positive feelings.[6] |
![]() |
Thing | s | /s/ | Round thing, closed in itself, lends concreteness to concepts. [s] is a sibilant hissed between the teeth, reflecting how concrete things can be physically enclosed unlike abstract things.[6] |
![]() |
Toward | t | /t/ | A shortened arrow pointing towards something. [t] is an alveolar consonant articulated with the tongue towards the front.[6] |
![]() |
Active | v | /v/ | A bolt of lightning is most active in nature. [v] is a voiced labiodental consonant that requires vibration of the lips.[6] |
![]() |
Power | w | /w/ | Potential power lying down. [w] requires co-articulation with the lips and tongue, requiring more power.[6] |
![]() |
Relation | x | /x/ | A double arrow to relate two objects. [x] is a fricative articulated with friction, as relations cause friction.[6] |
![]() |
Part | z | /z/ | Half of a round object cut apart. [z] is a dental consonant, as teeth bite parts off.[6] |
Additionally, short nasal vowels (marked with an asterisk) are used for numerals:
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
⟨y*⟩ | ⟨a*⟩ | ⟨e*⟩ | ⟨i*⟩ | ⟨u*⟩ | ⟨o*⟩ | ⟨A*⟩ | ⟨E*⟩ | ⟨I*⟩ | ⟨U*⟩ | ⟨O*⟩ |
Each phoneme also has an
Examples
Compound | Morphology | IPA | Meaning |
---|---|---|---|
io | light-life | /io/ | plant |
iO | light-feeling/sensation | /io:/ | sight |
iOv | sight-action/verb | /io:v/ | to see |
fu | this-human | /fu/ | I, me |
bu | together-human | /bu/ | you |
bru | together-good-human | /bʀu/ | friend |
brU | together-good-spirit | /bʀu:/ | peace |
Phonology
Consonants
Bilabial | Alveolar | Post- alveolar |
Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Glottal | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nasal | m | n
|
||||||
Stop
|
Voiceless | p | t
|
k | ||||
Voiced | b | d
|
ɡ | |||||
Fricative | Voiceless | f | s | c /ʃ/ | x | h | ||
Voiced | v | z | j /ʒ/ | |||||
Approximant
|
w | L /l/
|
y /j/ | (w) | ||||
Trill | r
|
r /ʀ/ |
The letter "r" can be pronounced either as the alveolar trill
Front | Central | Back | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Close | Short | i | Y /y/ | u | |
Long | I /iː/ | U /uː/ | |||
Near-close | i /ɪ/ | ||||
Mid | Short | e | o | ||
Long | E /eː/ | Ø /øː/ | O /oː/ | ||
Open-mid | Ø /œ/ | ||||
Open | Short | a | |||
Long | A /aː/ |
History and theory
Weilgart followed
As a young man, Weilgart observed the pervasive and insidious effects of state planned
Based on research in semantic conditioning[8] [9] [10] from the 1950s, Weilgart theorized that whereas the conscious mind links synonyms (similar meanings), the subconscious mind associates assonance (similar sounds). That is, while we think about and distinguish similar-sounding words by their different meanings, we nonetheless feel, especially under stressed or 'crowd think' conditions, that at some level they are (or ought to be) also related in meaning. Alliterative slogans may suggest a link in words unrelated by meaning but related by common sounds. Weilgart posited that such slogans could function as triggers under desperate and incendiary conditions. Further, he believed that the general discrepancy between homophonous and synonymous words in conventional language would add to the disconnect with the subconscious mind.
Encoding and fonts
aUI is currently included in the unofficial
The eight “Aux” variant fonts of Kurinto (Kurinto Text Aux, Book Aux, Sans Aux, etc.) support aUI.
See also
- ISBN 9780826457776
References
- SIL International.
- ^ "Dr. Weilgart's Story". aUI – The Language of Space. Cosmic Communication Foundation. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-912038-08-7.
- ^ Weilgart, John W. (1975). Cosmic Elements of Meaning: Symbols of the Spirit's Life. Decorah, Iowa: Cosmic Communication Co.
- ^ reykr (10 March 2006). "Another Birthday Yesterday: Dr. John W. Weilgart". LIVE JOURNAL. LiveJournal, Inc. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae "Elements of meaning". aUI – the language of space. Cosmic Communication Foundation.
- ISBN 978-0631205104. Archived from the originalon 2015-08-13. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ISSN 2044-8295.
- .
- from the original on June 5, 2024.
External links
- Official aUI website; under construction
- Libert, Alan (2000), A Priori Artificial Languages, Lincom Europa, Munich. ISBN 3-89586-667-9
- The "Language of Space" — critical commentary (however, not fully factual per Andrea Weilgart)