Difference between revisions of "Steel alphabet"

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{{culture
|related= [[Allomancy]]
|type={{cat tag|Language}}
|world= Scadrial
|books= [[Mistborn (series)]]
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books= [[Mistborn (series)]]
}}
The '''Steel alphabet''' was the set of glyphs used on [[Scadrial]]. It has been shown that the glyphs evolved over time.{{ref|name=symbols}}
 
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}}
Most of the symbols used were also used to represent various metals.
 
At some point the alphabet diverged such that the symbols used to represent [[Feruchemical]] metals were distinct to those used by [[Allomancy]] and the general alphabet.{{ref|name=Feruchemy table}}
 
== Symbols and their Meanings ==
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 right of the spike, similar to the U placement, and O places the dot next to the top of the outer curved spike.{{url ref|group=nb|name=rings|url=http://badalijewelry.com/mistborn/mistborn-rings/steel-alphabet-ring.html|text=Badali jewelry - Steel Alphabet ring page}} The letter Q is not present in the alphabet.
 
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}}
 
The Steel glyphs corresponding to the eight basic metals are also used to express (inter)cardinal directions.{{map ref|Luthadel}}
 
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}}
 
<!-- Top of the compass actually points to the north{{book ref|mb1|13}} -->
 
{| class=infobox width=100%
|-
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Iron.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Iron
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Steel.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Steel
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Tin.svg|50x50px100x100px]]{{ref|group=nb|name=rings}}
| Tin
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Pewter.svg|50x50px100x100px]]{{ref|group=nb|name=rings}}
| Pewter
 
|-
| B
West
| P
Northwest
| E/I
| E/I{{ref|name=rings}}
| O/U
North
| O/U{{ref|name=rings}}
Northeast
 
|-
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Zinc.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Zinc
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Brass.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Brass
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Copper.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Copper
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Bronze.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Bronze
 
|-
| L
East
| R
Southeast
| D
South
| T
Southwest
 
|-
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Cadmium.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Cadmium
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Bendalloy.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Bendalloy
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Gold.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Gold
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Electrum.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Electrum
 
 
|-
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Chromium.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Chromium
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Nicrosil.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Nicrosil
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Aluminum.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Aluminum
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Duralumin.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Duralumin
 
 
|-
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Atium.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Atium
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Malatium.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Malatium
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Allomancy 19 (Final Empire).svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| ''unknown''
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Allomancy 20 (Final Empire).svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| ''unknown''
 
 
|-
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Allomancy 21 (Final Empire).svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| ''unknown''
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Allomancy 22 (Final Empire).svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| ''unknown''
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Lerasium.svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| Lerasium
 
! rowspan=3 | [[File:Allomancy 0 (Final Empire).svg|50x50px100x100px]]
| ''unknown''
 
 
== Evolution of the Steel Alphabet ==
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}}
 
{| class=infobox width=100%
|- class=title
! width=10% | Metal
! width=22.518% | Ancient Terris (pre 0 FE)
! width=22.518% | Intermediary
! width=22.518% | Late Final Empire (cac. {{date|1022 |FE}})
! width=22.518% | circac. {{date|341 FA|PC}} (print font){{cite17s ref|http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/|78422-correction-|text=Correction to- the- steel- alphabet/|poster=argent|date=30 September 2018}})
! width=18% | Terris alphabet
|-
{{/row|Iron}}
{{/num-row|22}}
{{/row|Lerasium}}
{{/num-row|0Ettmetal|mb3=&nbsp;|mb2=&nbsp;}}
{{/num-row|0|mb2=&nbsp;}}
|}
 
== 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}}
 
== Notes ==
{{ref|name=font|text=the font, said by Peter, used in AoL}}
 
{{17s ref|name=17s-broad-numbers|topic|1157|text=Edition Number in EledenElendel Daily|poster=discipleofhoid|date=14 November 2011}}
 
{{file ref|name=Elendel-daily|Elendel Daily broadsheet.png|Elendel Daily}}
{{partial}}
{{Mistborn}}
[[category: metals|Metallic Arts|~]]
[[es:Alfabeto de acero]]
[[category: language]]