Korean braille

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Korean braille (Korean: 한글 점자 or 한글 點字 hangeul jeomja) is a braille code used for writing the Korean language. It is not graphically related to other braille systems found around the world. Instead, it reflects the patterns found in hangul. It is a combination of initial consonants, vowels, and final consonants. The following charts show the romanization as well as the hangul for each of the braille blocks.

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[edit] Unicode version

[edit] Consonants

Consonants have different syllable-initial and -final variants, capturing some of the feel of hangul. The initial and final variants have the same shapes, but are shifted across the braille block. There are two patterns: The consonants that span the width of the block are shifted one space downward when final. Those that don't span the width of the block are on the right side of the block when initial, but on the left side when final.

No consonant occupies more than two rows.

There is no initial version of ng. Initial ieung in hangul is not written in Korean braille. However, the expected form is reserved and may not serve other uses, such as punctuation.

Roman g n d r m b s j ch k t p h ng
hangul ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ ㅈ ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ ㅎ ㅇ
initial ⠈ ⠉ ⠊ ⠐ ⠑ ⠘ ⠠ ⠨ ⠰ ⠋ ⠓ ⠙ ⠚  
final ⠁ ⠒ ⠔ ⠂ ⠢ ⠃ ⠄ ⠅ ⠆ ⠖ ⠦ ⠲ ⠴ ⠶

[edit] Vowels

All vowels span the width and height of the block. Because the consonants are specifically syllable initial or syllable final, a syllable that begins with a vowel causes no confusion when written without ieung.

The simpler vowels reflect the symmetries of hangul: the yin-yang pairs a, eo and o, u are related through inversion, and yotization of a, eo, o, u is indicated by reflecting the vowel. The graphically similar hangul letters i and eu are also related by reflection. The w in wa, wo is indicated by making the left side of the block solid, while the i in ui, oe is shown by making the right side solid. However, the diphthongs e, ae and their yotized variants show no such patterns.

Roman a ya eo yeo o yo u yu eu i e ae ye wa wo oe ui
hangul ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ ㅕ ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ ㅣ ㅔ ㅐ ㅖ ㅘ ㅝ ㅚ ㅢ
  ⠣ ⠜ ⠎ ⠱ ⠥ ⠬ ⠍ ⠩ ⠪ ⠕ ⠝ ⠗ ⠌ ⠧ ⠏ ⠽ ⠺

There are also characters for grammatical devices and for punctuation. Numerals are similar to those of other braille systems.

[edit] Graphic version

[edit] Consonants

Roman g n d r m b s j ch k t p h ng
hangul ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ ㅈ ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ ㅎ ㅇ
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[edit] Vowels

Roman a ya eo yeo o yo u yu eu i e ae
hangul ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ ㅕ ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ ㅣ ㅔ ㅐ

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[edit] Diphthongs

Some diphthongs are represented by two braille blocks.

ye ui wa wo oe yae wae we wi
ㅖ ㅢ ㅘ ㅝ ㅚ ㅒ ㅙ ㅞ ㅟ

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There are also characters for different grammatical devices and punctuation. Numerals are similar to those used in other systems.

[edit] History

The first braille system for Hangul was developed by Dr. Rosetta Sherwood Hall in 1894.

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[edit] External links

[edit] Sources