Cursive forms of the International Phonetic Alphabet

Early specifications for the International Phonetic Alphabet included cursive forms of the letters designed for use in manuscripts and when taking field notes. However, the 1999 Handbook of the International Phonetic Association said:

There are cursive forms of IPA symbols, but it is doubtful if these are much in use today. They may have been of greater use when transcription by hand was the only way of recording speech, and so speed was essential. The cursive forms are harder for most people to decipher, and it is preferable to use handwritten versions which closely copy the printed form of the symbols.[1]

Development

The cursive forms of the IPA presented in the 1912 edition of The principles of the International Phonetic Association. Two of these letters are obsolete: ⟨ǥ⟩ is now ⟨ɣ⟩, and ⟨ꜰ⟩ is now ⟨ɸ⟩.

The cursive forms of the IPA presented in the 1949 edition.

Example

The following passage is from the 1912 handbook:

The North Wind and the Sun spoken in 'Northern English'

IPA

Orthography

ðə nɔɹθ wind ænd ðə sʌn wɛɹ dis′pjuːtiŋ hwitʃ wɔz ðə strɔŋɡəɹ, hwɛn ə travləɹ keːm ə′lɔŋ rapt in ə wɔɹm kloːk. ðeː ə′ɡriːd ðət ðə wʌn huː fəɹst meːd ðə travləɹ teːk ɔf hiz kloːk ʃud bi kon′sidəɹd strɔŋɡəɹ ðən ði ʌðər. ðɛn ðə nɔɹθ wind bluː wiθ ɔːl hiz mait, bʌt ðə mɔːɹ hiː bluː, ðə mɔːɹ kloːsli did ðə travləɹ foːld hiz kloːk ə′raund him; ənd ət last ðə nɔɹθ wind ɡeːv ʌp ði ə′tɛmpt. ðɛn ðə sʌn ʃɔn aut wɔːrmli, ənd i′miːdjətli ðə travləɹ tuk ɔf hiz kloːk; ənd soː ðə nɔrθ wind wəz ɔ′blaidʒd tu kon′fɛs ðət ðə sʌn wəz ðə strɔŋɡəɹ əv ðə tuː.

The North Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger, when a traveller came along wrapped in a warm cloak. They agreed that the one who first made the traveller take off his cloak should be considered stronger than the other. Then the North Wind blew with all his might, but the more he blew, the more closely did the traveller fold his cloak around him; and at last the North Wind gave up the attempt. Then the Sun shone out warmly, and immediately the traveller took off his cloak; and so the North Wind was obliged to confess that the Sun was the stronger of the two.

See also

• History of the International Phonetic Alphabet

References

1. International Phonetic Association (1999). Handbook of the International Phonetic Association: A Guide to the Use of the International Phonetic Alphabet. Cambridge University Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-52163751-0.