𞤱𞤫𞥊𞥅𞤳𞤵𞤲 𞤳𞤭𞤤𞤽𞤥𞤦𞤮 Wékun Kilɔmbo: Introducing a New African Writing Script
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On Dekpe 12, 6265 (November 25, 2024), I, Ayìnɔn Àgɛ̀lɔ̀gbàgàn Agbɔvì, released news that the Afrikan writing script that I had been working on for a little short of 3 years, the 𞤱𞤫𞥊𞥅𞤳𞤵𞤲 𞤳𞤭𞤤𞤽𞤥𞤦𞤮 Wékun Kilɔmbo (Kilɔmbo Writing Script), was declared officially complete! This writing script can be used to write 𞤫𞥊𞤣𞤫𞥊 𞤴𞤽𞤪𞤵𞥊𞤦𞤢𞥉 Èdè Yọrùbá and 𞤢𞤶𞤢𞥇𞤩𞤫𞥊 Ajãgbè (Ajã language using the Fɔ̀n dialect). No more need to depend on writing our sacred Odù ẹsẹ or our languages in general in that tired old Latin script anymore. That day is over. In the creation of Wékun Kilɔmbo, we also wanted to make sure that aesthetics played a big part. Why not have a functional and beautiful script at the same time?
We have not released the software/app to the public yet as We are still gauging the interest from the public to see if they can see the dire importance of having our own writing script. At this moment, our monarchy, Gànlɔdó, is the only Afrikan monarchy ("kingdom") who uses an Afrikan writing script. We want that to change. It is important to note that this script is written from right to left, top to bottom, in the same spirit of the marking of the 𞥂𞤮𞥊𞥅𞤤𞤭𞥊𞥅 𞤬𞤢𞥉 Kpólí Fá/𞤮𞤣𞤵𞥊 𞤭𞤬𞤢𞥉 Odù Ifá.
𞤱𞤫𞥊𞥅𞤳𞤵𞤲 𞤳𞤭𞤤𞤽𞤮 Wékun Kilɔmbo - The Kilɔmbo Alphabet
𞤢 a, 𞤢𞥉 á, 𞤢𞥈 à, 𞤫 e, 𞤫𞥊𞥅 é, 𞤫𞥊 è, 𞤹 ɛ/ẹ, 𞤭 i, 𞤭𞥊𞥅 í, 𞤭𞥊 ì, 𞤮 o, 𞤮𞥊𞥅 ó, 𞤮𞥊 ò, 𞤽 ɔ/ọ, 𞤵 u, 𞤵𞥊𞥅 ú, 𞤵𞥊 ù, 𞤦 b, 𞤣 d, 𞤣𞥈 ɖ, 𞤬 f, 𞤺 g, 𞤸 h, 𞤶 j, 𞤳 k, 𞤤 l, 𞤥 m , 𞤲 n, 𞤨 p, 𞤪 r, 𞤧 s, 𞤼 t, 𞤾 v, 𞤱 w, 𞤿 x, 𞤴 y, 𞥁 z, 𞤷 c (tcha), 𞥀 gb, 𞥂 kp, 𞤻 ny, 𞥃 ṣ (sh sound of Yọrùbá)
Where there's a slash between two vowels it is depicting the way the Fɔ̀n and Yọrùbá vowels are visually depicted in that order.
Why is it called 𞤳𞤭𞤤𞤽𞤥𞤦𞤮 Kilɔmbo?
In the spirit of continuing our mission of ReAfrikanization, we recognize the Kilɔmbo as that sacred, cultural, and political space that is the container for all things sovereign. This, the act of me, as a New Afrikan creating an African writing script, is an act towards sovereignty. The word Kilɔmbo is the word the Portuguese corrupted to Quilombo. Kilɔmbo is a 𞤳𞤭 𞤳𞤽𞤲𞤺𞤮 Ki Kɔngo (meaning Kɔngo/Kongo language) word that means an intentional encampment designed to be separate. The Kilɔmbos/Quilombos of Brazil were those societies, monarchies even, created by Afrikans who had freed themselves and declared themselves sovereign. A Kilɔmbo is a place of refuge and sovereignty. Thus, our alphabet reflects that philosophy.
Examples
𞤀𞤲𞤭 𞤱𞤯 𞤶𞤯 𞤼𞤽 𞤦𞤽 𞤢𞥈𞤺𞤯𞤤𞤽 𞤲𞤢 𞤲𞤵 𞤧𞤭𞤲 𞤦'𞤯 𞤺𞤤𞤮𞥟
Ani wɛ jɛ tɔ bɔ àgɛlɔ na nu sin b'ɛ glo?
What fell in the river so that the crocodile could no longer drink there?
𞤃𞤢𞥇𞤱𞤵𞥊⹁ 𞤸𞤵𞥊𞤲 𞤤𞤯 𞤦𞤭⹁ 𞤢𞤤𞤽 𞤳𞤵𞥊𞥅𞤤𞤭𞥊𞥅𞤼𞤽 𞤤𞤯 𞤼𞤮𞥊𞥅𞤱𞤫𞥊𞥅 𞤤𞤮𞥊𞥅𞤮 𞤦𞤤𞤮𞥊𞥅 𞤣𞤢𞤩𞤫 𞤣𞤢𞤩𞤫 𞤲𞤵𞥊𞥅 𞤱𞤫𞥊
Măwù, hùn lɛ bi, alɔ kúlítɔ́ lɛ tówé lóo bló ɖagbe ɖagbe nú wè.
May Măwù, all of the deities, and your elevated ancestors make you great.
𞤑𞤵 𞤣𞤮 𞥁𞤢𞤲𞥁𞤢𞤲
Ku do zanzan (morning greetings)
𞤂𞤵 𞤣𞤮 𞤸𞤱𞤫𞤥𞤫
Ku do hweme (afternoon greetings)
𞤂𞤵 𞤣𞤮 𞤩𞤢𞤣𞤢
Ku do gbada (evening greetings)
For the first time, the Odù Ifá/Kpólí Fá and other indigenous Afrikan sacred writings have been presented in an African writing script. We are in the midst of profound history in the making. New Afrikans are finally taking on custodianship of this ancient and beautiful culture that they once were cut off from.