Kirjasimien

Kirjasimien is a fictional writing system devised for world-building and speculative fiction. It is attributed to the Kirjasim culture of the eastern archipelago of Varin, and is described within its imagined chronology as a principal script from the late Bronze Age into the early Iron Age.

Origins and structure: The script is semi-syllabic, combining logograms for core ideas with phonetic signs representing syllables. It comprises roughly 320 signs, organized into logograms and a syllabary for consonant–vowel sequences. Texts are written left to right on clay tablets, wooden tablets, and parchment, typically in horizontal lines.

Usage and inscriptions: Kirjasimien inscriptions appear on administrative records, religious offerings, and monumental dedications. Numerals and basic punctuation signs are present; ligatures link certain signs to indicate morphological or syntactic connections. The script shows influence from neighboring scripts within the fictional archipelago, with shared sign forms and borrowed phonetic patterns.

Decipherment and significance: In the fictional world, scholars have catalogued thousands of inscriptions and produced a basic decipherment of common signs and many administrative phrases. Longer religious texts remain partially undeciphered, inviting ongoing study. The script is a cultural marker of literacy and state administration and is often depicted as a symbol of regional identity in the lore.