Editing Steel alphabet

|related=[[Allomancy]]

|type={{cat tag|Language}}

Most of the symbols were also used to represent various metals and numbers. The steel alphabet used a base-16 numbering system with a positional structure similar to [[wikipedia:Japanese numerals|Japanese numerals]]—double-number pairs are used to represent the order of magnitude and the number in that position respectively.{{ref|name=17s-broad-numbers}}

The mapping between the English and Steel alphabet was first achieved by Valkynphyre of the 17th Shard.{{17s ref|topic|1905|text=Treatise Metallurgic translation|poster=Valkynphyre|date=01 May 2012}}

The tin & pewter symbols corresponding to E/I and O/U are distinct, and can be identified by the position of the dot; E places the dot below and to the left of the spike, similar to the O placement, and U places the dot next to the top of the outer curved spike.{{wob ref|11029}}{{wob ref|11240}}{{wob ref|13293}}{{url ref|name=rings|url=https://badalijewelry.com/collections/brandon-sanderson/products/custom-steel-alphabet-ring|text=Badali jewelry - Steel Alphabet ring page|site=Badali Jewelry}} This practice of dot placement to distinguish vowels evolved within 100 years of [[The Alloy of Law]].{{wob ref|11240}} The dot can also be moved around in non-vowels for various reasons.{{wob ref|13293}}

The letter Q is not present in the alphabet, the sound is depicted via a ''kw''.{{wob ref|14938}}

A rotated Copper glyph (sans the dot) is used to depict Clips.{{ref|name=Elendel-daily}}{{wob ref|13020}}.

Cadmium is used to represent degrees in temperature.{{file ref|The_Two_Seasons_broadsheet.jpg| The Two Seasons Broadsheet}}

The following table shows both the evolution of the symbols used in the steel alphabet, which have come to be associated with [[Allomancy]], as well as the separate set of symbols that developed to represent the [[Feruchemy|Feruchemical]] use of metals.

The form of letters shown in 341 PC are not a true evolution of the script, but are instead simply a different font for the same letters.{{17s ref|topic|78422|text=Correction to the steel alphabet|poster=argent|date=30 September 2018}}

! width=18% | Ancient Terris (pre 0 FE)

! width=18% | Intermediary

! width=18% | Late Final Empire (c. {{date|1022|FE}})

! width=18% | c. {{date|341|PC}} (print font){{17s ref|topic|78422|text=Correction to the steel alphabet|poster=argent|date=30 September 2018}}

! width=18% | Terris alphabet

{{/row|Ettmetal|mb3= |mb2= }}

{{/num-row|0|mb2= }}

== Trivia ==

* The distinguishing of vowels by different placement of a dot is based upon the extinct, but partially revived, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baybayin Baybayin Script].{{wob ref|11029}}

* Isaac Stewart has previously confirmed that the Feruchemical symbols for chromium and nicrosil were mistakenly swapped on the Feruchemy Table.{{wob ref|11030}}

{{17s ref|name=17s-broad-numbers|topic|1157|text=Edition Number in Elendel Daily|poster=discipleofhoid|date=14 November 2011}}

[[category: Metallic Arts|~]]

[[es:Alfabeto de acero]]