Typing in Syllabics – Syllabic Synthesis

In my post on Language Revitalization, I shared some background about the role of oral and written language in several Indigenous Nations, and how syllabics function.

The shape of the syllabic character determines the consonant, and the orientation or rotation of the symbol determines the vowel, for instance in the Plains Cree language ᓂ=ni, ᓀ=ne, ᓄ=no, ᓇ=na, and ᐸ=pa, ᐱ=pi, ᐳ=po, ᐯ=pe. Just as letters are pronounced differently in English and French, different Indigenous languages and dialects will make use of the syllabary in distinct ways, often introducing unique characters as needed. These syllabic characters can be keyed into a computer or mobile devices using language keyboards.

Online Keyboards

The easiest way to enter text using a different language is by using an online virtual keyboard. Virtual keyboards don’t require changing settings or installing custom software. Here are some examples:

The First Voices website also has alphabets for over 80 Indigenous languages. Unfortunately, the characters need to be copied individually, but it’s a great tool in a pinch.

Inuktitut virtual keyboard and transliteration system.

A virtual keyboard from translitteration.com

System Keyboards

If you plan to type regularly in syllabics, you’ll want to configure your computer or device so that you can switch between multiple keyboards or text entry methods.

In the latest versions of macOS and Windows, you can turn on keyboards for typing in Inuktitut syllabics. When using different keyboards in macOS or Windows, you may need to use the Caps Lock and right alt/option key to type certain characters.

macOS

Open System Settings (or Preferences).
Navigate to the Keyboard section.
Under Text Input, go to the Input Sources menu and add Inuktitut. You can choose from four different dialects.
When multiple input sources are available, the input menu becomes visible in the menu bar. If the input source menu is not visible, follow these instructions.
From the Input Sources menu, you can turn on the Keyboard Viewer to view the characters as you type.

Windows

Open Settings and navigate to the Time & Language section.
Select Language & Region.
Under Preferred Languages, select the button to Add a Language.
Add Inuktitut (Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics).
To view the keyboard as you type, turn on the On-Screen Keyboard using the following keyboard shortcut: Windows key + Ctrl + O.

Typing hello / ᐊᐃᓐᖓᐃ in syllabics using the Inuktitut keyboard in Windows 11.

Third Party Keyboards

To type in other languages that make use of syllabic characters, you will need to install a third-party keyboard. Keyman supports over 2000 languages and is supported on all major systems.

Using Keyman

Follow the instructions to install Keyman on the device of your choice. Once installed, Keyman will appear as an extra input method. Extra keyboards can be installed and configured. The process for installing Keyman and adding keyboards can be complex, so I’d recommend following the getting started guide for Windows, macOS, iOS and iPadOS, and Android.

A few thoughts about syllabic keyboards in Keyman:

FirstVoices offers over a robust collection of First Nations keyboard layouts for Keyman. They are supported on Windows and mobile devices (iOS and Android).
FirstVoices keyboards will work on macOS, but the onscreen keyboard doesn’t display the correct symbols, and you will need to follow the documentation for the correct version of the keyboard you are using.
Creeboard is a Keyman keyboard with a visible onscreen keyboard in macOS.

Different types of input methods

There are two main types of software keyboards for syllabics; composite and typewriter-style.

Composite keyboards combine multiple keystrokes into one character. Typing a long ‘a’ sound (ᐋ) would be accomplished by typing the ‘a’ key twice. Many of the FirstVoices keyboards use this method.
Typewriter style keyboards use a variety of modifier keys to map one key to one character. Creeboard uses this style of keyboard.

Typing in syllabics can seem complicated at first, but once you find a keyboard layout and input method that works in the language you need, it’s no more complicated than typing accented letters.

Featured image: The macOS keyboard viewer showing the Inuktitut (Nattilik) input