CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE HTML> <html> <head> <title>Omniglot - Frequently Asked Questions</title> <meta name="description" content="Answers to the questions most frequently asked by visitors to Omniglot." />  <script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-WB7PSHBG');</script>  <meta charset="UTF-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.omniglot.com/images/logos/omniglot_thumbnail.jpg" /> <meta property="og:type" content="https://www.facebook.com/pg/Omniglot-100430558332117/posts/" /> <link href="/styles/style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <script src="https://the.gatekeeperconsent.com/cmp.min.js" data-cfasync="false"></script> <script async src="//www.ezojs.com/ezoic/sa.min.js"></script> <script> window.ezstandalone = window.ezstandalone || {}; ezstandalone.cmd = ezstandalone.cmd || []; </script></head> <body> <a id="top"></a> <div id="header">  <noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-WB7PSHBG" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <p><a href="/index.htm"><img src="/images/logos/header_omniglot.png" width="600" height="70" alt="Omniglot - the online encyclopedia of writing systems & languages" /></a></p> <ul> <li><a href="/index.htm">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/writing/index.htm">Alphabets</a></li> <li><a href="/conscripts/index.htm">Constructed scripts</a></li> <li><a href="/writing/languages.htm">Languages</a></li> <li><a href="/language/phrases/phraseindex.htm">Phrases</a></li> <li><a href="/language/numbers/index.htm">Numbers</a></li> <li><a href="/language/ml.htm">Multilingual Pages</a></li> <li><a href="/search.htm">Search</a></li> <li><a href="/news/index.htm">News</a></li> <li><a href="/about.htm">About</a></li> <li><a href="/contact.htm">Contact</a></li> </ul></div> <div id="bodybox"> <div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-162"></div> <script> ezstandalone.cmd.push(function() { ezstandalone.showAds(162); }); </script><div id="body"> <h1>Frequently Asked Questions</h1> <p>These are questios that I am asked quite frequently. If you cannot find the answers to your questions here, you can contact me at: </p> <p><img src="images/email.gif" width="274" height="20" alt="The email address for your questions" /> </p> <p>I cannot guarantee that I'll be able to answer your questions, but I'll do my best. </p> <hr /> <ul> <li><a href="#name">Can you tell me how to write my name in ...?</a></li> <li><a href="#decipher">Can you decipher this mysterious/unknown bit of writing?</a></li> <li><a href="#trans">Can you translate something for me?</a></li> <li><a href="#trans2">Can you help me find a translator/interpreter?</a></li> <li><a href="#trans3">How can I register with Omniglot as a translator?</a></li> <li><a href="#article">Will you publish my article on Omniglot?</a></li> <li><a href="#link1">Will you link to / exchange links with my website?</a></li> <li><a href="#link2">Can I add a link to Omniglot on my website?</a></li> <li><a href="#advertising">Can I advertise on Omniglot?</a></li> <li><a href="#coop">Are you interested in cooperation with us?</a></li> <li><a href="#rev">Can you review our course / app / website?</a></li> <li><a href="#job">Can I apply for a job or to study at Omniglot?</a></li> <li><a href="#newalph">Will you add my alphabet / con-script to Omniglot?</a></li> <li><a href="#conlang">Will you add my conlang to Omniglot?</a></li> <li><a href="#altspell">Will you add my alternative spelling system to Omniglot?</a></li> <li><a href="#book">Will you add my book to Omniglot?</a></li> <li><a href="#missing">Why is the ... alphabet/language not on Omniglot?</a></li> <li><a href="#ipa">How do you pronounce all those strange symbols, like [ð] and [θ]?</a></li> <li><a href="#contribution">How can I make a contribution to this site?</a></li> <li><a href="#updated">When was this site last updated?</a></li> <li><a href="#use">Can I use information and/or images from Omniglot?</a></li> <li><a href="#cite">Can you tell me when a particular page or article was published?</a></li> <li><a href="#software">What software do you use?</a></li> <li><a href="#fonts">What fonts do you use and where do you find them?</a></li> <li><a href="#logofont">What font do you use for the Omniglot title?</a></li> <li><a href="#logo">What does the Omniglot logo mean?</a></li> <li><a href="#traffic">What kind of traffic do you get on Omniglot?</a></li> <li><a href="#printcd">Do you plan to make Omniglot available in printed form or on a CD-ROM?</a></li> <li><a href="#omniname">Where does the name "Omniglot" come from?</a></li> <li><a href="#inspiration">What inspired you to create Omniglot?</a></li> <li><a href="#contact">How can I contact you?</a></li> <li><a href="#who">Who is behind Omniglot?</a></li> <li><a href="#langs">Which languages do you speak and how did you learn them?</a></li> </ul> <a id="name"></a> <hr /> <h2>Can you tell me how to write my name in ...?</h2> <p>Please see the <a href="links/yournamein.htm">your name in...</a> links page. </p> <p>Please note that there is a difference between <strong>translating</strong> a name and <strong>transliterating</strong> a name. The former involves finding the meaning of the name and then trying to find a name with the same or a similar meaning in another language. The latter involves using a different writing system to represent the sounds of the name. </p> <p>For example the name Anna comes from the Hebrew name <strong>חַנָּה </strong> (Hannah), which means "favor" or "grace". <strong>Transliterations</strong> of Anna in other writing systems include <strong>Άννα</strong> (Greek), <strong>Анна</strong> (Cyrillic), <strong>Աննա</strong> (Armenian), <strong>ანა</strong> (Georgian) and <strong>アナ</strong> (Japanese Katakana). </p> <p>Names with similar meanings to Anna, i.e. <strong>translations</strong>, include Amara (Igbo), Armo (Finnish), فضل (Fadl - Arabic), लावण्या (Lavanya - Sanskrit), and سناز (Sanaz - Persian). </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="trans"></a> <hr /> <h2>Can you translate something for me?</h2> <p>No, sorry. <strong>I'm not a translator</strong>, I don't offer any translation-related services, or have any contacts with translators. </p> <p>Please post your translation requests on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/70802189665/">Omniglot Facebook page</a> - there are over 27,000 people there who can help. </p> <p>If you would like a translation for a tattoo, I recommend that you ask an experienced translator, and check the translation with a native speaker of the language in question. </p> <p>Many English words have multiple meanings, and in other languages there might be different words for each meaning. So it helps to be as precise as possible about the meaning you're trying to convey, especially for individual words. </p> <p>Here are some places you can try for transliterations and translations into other languages and writing systems: </p> <p><strong>Multilingual Translation</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.freelang.net/translation/">http://www.freelang.net/translation/</a><br /> <a href="http://www.oasisllc.com/transtrad/forum.htm">http://www.oasisllc.com/transtrad/forum.htm</a><br /> <a href="http://ackuna.com/">http://ackuna.com/</a> </p> <p><strong>Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Thai</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.tattoos-by-design.co.uk/translations/scripts/prodview.asp?idproduct=20&idaff=136">http://www.tattoos-by-design.co.uk</a> </p> <p><strong>"Ask the Experts"</strong> - contact details of people willing and able to answer questions about a wide range of languages: <a href="http://www.carla.umn.edu/lctl/resources/experts.html">http://www.carla.umn.edu/lctl/resources/experts.html</a> </p> <p><a href="links/translation.htm">Online translation sites</a> | <a href="links/dictionaries.htm">Online dictionaries</a> | <a href="ectaco/index.html">Electronic dictionaries and translators</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="trans2"></a> <hr /> <h2>Can you help me find a translator/interpreter?</h2> <p>Unfortunately I cannot help you as I don't maintain a database of translators and cannot recommend any translators or interpreters. </p> <p>Please try posting your translation requests on:<br /> <a href="http://www.proz.com/">www.proz.com</a><br /> <a href="http://www.translatorsbase.com">www.translatorsbase.com</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="trans3"></a> <hr /> <h2>How can I register with Omniglot as a translator?</h2> <p>Sorry, you can't - there is no Omniglot database of translators, and I cannot offer you any work, so please do not send me your CV. </p> <p>There are databases of translators at: <a href="http://www.translatorstown.com/">www.translatorstown.com</a>, <a href="http://www.proz.com/">www.proz.com</a> and <a href="http://www.translatorsbase.com">www.translatorsbase.com</a> </p> <p>If you are a translator, interpreter or work with languages in some other capacity, please consider submitting an article to my <a href="language/articles/index.htm">language-related articles section</a>. </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="decipher"></a> <hr /> <h2>Can you decipher this mysterious/unknown bit of writing?</h2> <p>Please post your requests on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/">Omniglot Facebook page</a> - there are over 27,000 people there who can help you. </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><hr /> <a id="article"></a> <h2>Will you publish my article on Omniglot?</h2> <p>I will consider publishing articles from writers and bloggers who write about languages and related topics. </p> <p>For details see: <a href="language/articles/submit.htm">How can I submit an article?</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="link1"></a> <hr /> <h2>Will you link to / exchange links with my website?</h2> <p>I will consider linking to websites that provide free language-related material. </p> <p>If you have an affiliate program and are in a language-related field, I will consider joining your program and linking to you. </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="link2"></a> <hr /> <h2>Can I add a link to Omniglot on my website?</h2> <p>Yes, you certainly can. </p> <p>I leave the type of link up to you, but here are some suggestions for the wording of text links, if you need them: </p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.omniglot.com/">Omniglot - the online encyclopedia of writing systems and languages</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.omniglot.com/">Omniglot - a comprehensive guide to writing systems and languages</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.omniglot.com/">Omniglot - alphabets, languages, useful phrases and much more</a></li> </ul> <p>Here are some Omniglot banners you could use: </p> <p><img src="http://www.omniglot.com/images/logos/logo_omniglot1.gif" width="468" height="60" alt="Omniglot logo" /> </p> <p><img src="http://www.omniglot.com/images/logos/logo_omniglot3.gif" width="120" height="60" class="rightfloat" style="margin-left:10px;" alt="Omniglot logo" /> </p> <p><img src="http://www.omniglot.com/images/logos/logo_omniglot5.gif" width="125" height="125" class="rightfloat" style="margin-left:10px;" alt="Omniglot logo" /> </p> <p><img src="http://www.omniglot.com/images/logos/logo_omniglot4.gif" width="120" height="240" class="leftfloat" style="margin-right:10px;" alt="Omniglot logo" /> </p> <p><img src="http://www.omniglot.com/images/logos/logo_omniglot2.gif" width="120" height="90" alt="Omniglot logo" /> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>If you would like other sizes or colours, just let me know. </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="advertising"></a> <hr /> <h2>Can I advertise on Omniglot?</h2> <p>I will consider placing ads for companies and organisations in language-related fields, though not custom writing services. </p> <p><a href="advertising.htm">More details</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="coop"></a> <hr /> <h2>Are you interested in cooperation with us?</h2> <p>Can you be more specific? What kind of cooperation do you have in mind? </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="rev"></a> <hr /> <h2>Can you review our course / app / website?</h2> <p>Possibly, but usually I don't have time for such reviews. </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="job"></a> <hr /> <h2>Can I apply for a job or to study at Omniglot?</h2> <p>If you have read the <a href="about.htm">About page</a>, you will realise that Omniglot is a one-man operation. I have no plans to take on other people, so there <strong>no vacancies</strong> here and there is no point in you sending me your CV. </p> <p>For jobs involving languages, please <a href="links/careers.htm">try this page</a>. </p> <p>You can learn the basics of many different languages on Omniglot, but I do not offer any taught courses, and I am not looking for any tutors or teachers. </p> <p>If you are a language teacher or tutor, please <a href="#tutor">read the question above</a>. </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="newalph"></a> <hr /> <h2>Will you add my alphabet / con-script to Omniglot?</h2> <p>If you have invented a new alphabet or other writing system and would like me to add it to this site, first send me a sample text. If your alphabet looks good and really appeals to me, I will consider adding it to Omniglot. </p> <p><strong>Please note</strong>: only conlangs written with interesting and attractive invented scripts will be considered for inclusion on this site. </p> <p>The address to write to is: <img src="images/email.gif" width="182" height="13" align="middle" alt="My email address" /> </p> <p>My name is <a href="aboutme.htm">Simon Ager</a>. </p> <p>More details of <a href="../conscripts/howto.htm">how to submit a con-script to Omniglot</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="conlang"></a> <hr /> <h2>Will you add my conlang to Omniglot?</h2> <p>Only if it's written with an invented writing system that appeals to me. </p> <p>Details of <a href="../conscripts/howto.htm">how to submit a con-script to Omniglot</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><hr /> <a id="altspell"></a> <h2>Will you add my alternative spelling system to Omniglot?</h2> <p>Probably not, unless you have devised a way of writing a language with an alphabet not usually used to write it. For example, <a href="conscripts/renglish.htm">English with the Cyrillic alphabet</a> or <a href="writing/ukrainian_latin.htm">Ukrainian with the Latin alphabet</a>. </p> <p>More details of <a href="conscripts/howto.htm">how to submit a con-script / adapted script to Omniglot</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><hr /> <a id="altspell"></a> <h2>Will you add my book to Omniglot?</h2> <p>If you've written a language-related book or other publication and would like it to appear in the <a href="books/index.htm">Omniglot book store</a>, you can send me the details. If I think it's suitable and it's available on one of the Amazon sites (Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr) I will add it. </p> <p>The address to write to is: <img src="images/email.gif" width="182" height="13" align="middle" alt="My email address" /> </p> <p>My name is <a href="aboutme.htm">Simon Ager</a>. </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="missing"></a> <hr /> <h2>Why is the ... alphabet/language not on Omniglot?</h2> <p>Probably because I haven't got round to adding it yet or haven't found sufficient information about it. If you can recommend any good sources of information, please do so. Details of the pronunciation of languages are usually the most difficult thing to find. </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><hr /> <a id="ipa"></a> <h2>How do you pronounce all those strange symbols, like [ð] and [θ]?</h2> <p>Those particular symbols represent the 'th' in the and the 'th' in three respectively. They belong to the <a href="writing/ipa.htm">International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)</a> and you can find out more at: </p> <p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet</a><br /> <a href="http://www.nativlang.com/linguistics/ipa-pronunciation-lessons.php">http://www.nativlang.com/linguistics/ipa-pronunciation-lessons.php</a><br /> <a href="http://cmed.faculty.ku.edu/acdapres/rabeipa/index.html">http://cmed.faculty.ku.edu/acdapres/rabeipa/index.html</a><br /> <a href="https://linguischtick.wordpress.com/ipa/">https://linguischtick.wordpress.com/ipa/</a><br /> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBo5LAVYtX4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBo5LAVYtX4</a><br /> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2frVKeVTKU">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2frVKeVTKU</a></p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><hr /> <a id="contribution"></a> <h2>How can I make a contribution to this site?</h2> <p>You could:</p> <ul> <li>Make a donation via <a href="https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=7ZJDTZECMH3SJ">PayPal</a>: <form action="https://www.paypal.com/donate" method="post" target="_top"> <input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="7ZJDTZECMH3SJ" /> <input type="image" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_GB/i/btn/btn_donate_LG.gif" border="0" name="submit" title="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" alt="Donate with PayPal button" /> <img alt="" border="0" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_GB/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" height="1" /> </form></li> <li>send me corrections to existing material - please specify what needs correcting, which pages it appears on, and how to correct it. </li> <li>send me details of writing systems or languages not currently featured here. </li> <li>supply new translations and/or audio recordings of the <a href="language/phrases/index.htm">foreign phrases</a>, the <a href="language/names.htm">language names</a>, the <a href="countries/index.htm">country names</a>, the <a href="writing/udhr.htm">Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 1)</a> or the <a href="babel/index.htm">Tower of Babel</a> story. </li> <li>send me an article for the <a href="../language/articles/index.htm">language-related articles section</a></li> <li>buy something in the <a href="books/index.htm">book store</a></li> <li>tell your friends about this site.</li> </ul> <p>Why not share this page? </p>  <div class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 a2a_default_style"> <a class="a2a_dd" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share"></a> <a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a> <a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a> <a class="a2a_button_email"></a> </div> <script async src="https://static.addtoany.com/menu/page.js"></script> <p><a href="contributors.htm">People who have contributed to this site</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="updated"></a> <hr /> <h2>When was this site last updated?</h2> <p>5<sup>th</sup> April 2025</p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p> <a id="use"></a> <hr /> <h2>Can I use information and/or images from Omniglot?</h2> <p>If you want to use the material for <strong>non-commercial purposes</strong>, you're welcome to do so. Don't forget to mention where the material came from. </p> <p>I suggest something along the lines of the following as way to cite Omniglot in your formal papers, assignments or essays: </p> <blockquote> Ager, Simon. "Omniglot - writing systems and languages of the world".<br /> Date accessed: 5<sup>th</sup> April 2025. www.omniglot.com </blockquote> <p>Omniglot was first published on the web in November 1998, and was last updated on 5<sup>th</sup> April 2025. </p> <p>If you would like to use material for <strong>commercial purposes</strong>, such as in books or computer programs, please <a href="contact.htm">contact me</a>. Let me know if you need images in a different format or with a different colour background or dimensions. I will do my best to comply with your requirements. There may be a charge for this. </p> <p>If you would like to copy or re-use any of the <a href="language/articles/index.htm">language-related articles</a>, please ask the authors for permission. Contact details of the authors can be found at the bottom of some articles, if they're not there, please <a href="contact.htm">contact me</a>, and I'll try to find them for you. </p> <p>Unless otherwise indicated, all text and images on Omniglot are my own creations. The only exceptions are the images of <a href="writing/conscripts.htm">writing systems invented by visitors</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="cite"></a> <hr /> <h2>Can you tell me when a particular page or article was published?</h2> <p>When citing online sources you generally give the date you accessed the resource. For example: </p> <blockquote> Ager, Simon. "Welsh language, alphabet and pronunciation".<br /> http://www.omniglot.com/writing/welsh.htm<br /> Date accessed: 5<sup>th</sup> April 2025. </blockquote> <p>Omniglot was first published on the web in November 1998, and was last updated on 5<sup>th</sup> April 2025. If you really need to know when a particular page was published, I might be able to find out. </p> <p>On writing and language profile pages you can find the date the page was last modified at the bottom, and in some cases, the date the page was created. </p> <p>For further advice on citing online sources, see:<br /> <a href="https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/harvard-website-reference/">https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/harvard-website-reference/</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="software"></a> <hr /> <h2>What software do you use?</h2> <p>I use <a href="http://www.notetab.com">NoteTab Light</a>, a free text editor, to edit the HTML and CSS files. I create most of the script charts in Excel, then take screenshots and save them as images using Fireworks. Some charts and other images are created in Fireworks. I use <a href="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/">Audacity</a>, a free sound editor, for sound files. </p> <p><a href="charts/index.htm">See the script charts</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="fonts"></a> <hr /> <h2>What fonts do you use and where do you find them?</h2> <p>On alphabet charts I usually use <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/font-list/arial-unicode-ms">Arial Unicode MS</a> (bundled with Windows) for transliterations and <a href="https://software.sil.org/doulos/download/">Doulos SIL</a> for the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet). For the actual letters of the alphabets and writing systems I use Doulos SIL, or another font that includes them all. </p> <p>Most of the fonts I downloaded from various sites on the web. The rest came with programs or operating systems I've bought. A few have been sent to me by people who have invented scripts. </p> <p><a href="charts/fonts.htm">A list of the fonts used on this site</a><br /> <a href="links/fonts.htm">Links to sites where you can download many of these fonts</a><br /> <a href="fonts/index.htm">Download fonts for scripts invented by visitors to Omniglot</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="logofont"></a> <hr /> <h2>What font do you use for the Omniglot title?</h2> <p>The Omniglot title that appears at the top of every page is in a Vietnamese font called Hoang Yen, which you can <a href="fonts/omniglot_logo_font.zip">download here</a> (TrueType, 35K). I added an inner bevel to it to make it stand out. </p> <p style="background-color: #000033;"><img src="/images/logos/header_omniglot.png" width="600" height="70" alt="Omniglot - the online encyclopedia of writing systems & languages" /> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="logo"></a> <hr /> <h2><img src="images/logos/header_logo.gif" width="70" height="70" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;" alt="Omniglot" /> What does the Omniglot logo mean?</h2> <p>The Omniglot logo is simply the word 'omniglot' written vertically and sideways. It's an example of Vertical English Character and Calligraphy (VEC) - a way to write English that looks like like seal-style Chinese characters. To read it as English you need to look at it sideways. </p> <p><a href="logo.htm">More details</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="traffic"></a> <hr /> <h2>What kind of traffic do you get on Omniglot?</h2> <p><ul> <li>Average monthly visitors numbers: 600,00 visits, 1. million page views</li> <li>Top ten countries: USA, India, UK, Philppines, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Germany, Nepal and Pakistan</li> <li>Top ten languages of visitors: English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Indonesian, Dutch, Russian, Portuguese and Swedish</li> </ul></p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><hr /> <a id="printcd"></a> <h2>Do you plan to make Omniglot available in printed form or on a CD-ROM?</h2> <p>Not at the moment. I make changes to this site more or less every day so a static copy would become out of date very quickly. I think the web is the best place for a site of this kind. </p> <p>Some alphabet charts are available for downloading in <a href="http://www.omniglot.com/charts/index.htm">Excel</a>, <a href="http://www.omniglot.com/charts/print/index.htm">Word and PDF</a> format </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><hr /> <a id="omniname"></a> <h2>Where does the name "Omniglot" come from?</h2> <p>I coined the term in 1998 as the name of a website design and translation business I was trying to start. The business never took off, but the website I built for it eventually became Omniglot. </p> <h3>Definition</h3> <p><strong>Omniglot</strong> ('ɒmnɪˌglɒt) <em>noun</em><br /> 1. having a command of all languages<br /> 2. written in, composed of, or containing all languages<br /> 3. a person with a command of all languages<br /> 4. a book containing several versions of the same text written in all languages<br /> 5. a mixture or confusion of languages<br /> [from Latin <em>omnis</em> (all) + Greek <em>γλωσσα</em> (glossa) - tongue/language]<br /> <em>Adapted from the definition of polyglot in Collins English Dictionary</em> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="inspiration"></a> <hr /> <h2>What inspired you to create this site?</h2> <p>Back in 1998 I tried to set up a web design and translation business. I also set up a website, and added information about languages I knew and could work with. The business wasn't successful, but I continued to add information about languages and writing systems to the site, partly inspired by other sites I found at the time, and it became the Omniglot you can see today. </p> <p><a href="aboutus2.htm">Details of how Omniglot came into being, what my work on it involves, and how I make a living from it</a>. </p> <p>I've been interested in languages for a long time: at school I learnt French and German, then at university I studied Chinese and Japanese. Since then I have taught myself quite a few other languages, including Spanish, Welsh, Irish, Manx and Scottish Gaelic. </p> <p><a href="language/learning/index.htm">Details of my language learning adventures</a> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="contact"></a> <hr /> <h2>How can I contact you?</h2> <p>You can contact me by email at<br /> <img src="images/email.gif" width="182" height="13" alt="my email address" /> </p> <p>My name is <a href="aboutme.htm">Simon Ager</a>. </p> <p>If you want to contact me via snailmail, let me know and I'll send you my address. Or if you prefer to do a bit of detective work, all the details you need to find my address are available on this site and on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/omniglot/">Flickr</a> - this is <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/omniglot/4998453914/in/set-72157606452104896">my street</a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/omniglot/4998453546/in/set-72157606452104896/">my house</a>. </p> <p>Hint: my <a href="about.htm#corporate">registered office address</a> is also where I live. </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="who"></a> <hr /> <p><img src="/images/photos/sager26012023.jpg" width="199" height="250" style="float:right; margin: 0 0 0 10px;" alt="A photo of Simon Ager, author of Omniglot, taken on 26th January 2023" /> </p><h2>Who is behind Omniglot?</h2> <p>Omniglot is brought to you by me, Simon Ager (that's me in the photo). I started putting the site together in 1998 and have maintained and developed it since then. In 2008 Omniglot became a limited company and is now my main source of income. Many other people have made contributions of new material, corrections and suggestions, for which I'm profoundly grateful. </p> <p><a href="contributors.htm">Some of the contributors</a> </p> <p><a href="/about.htm">About this site</a> | <a href="/about2.htm">Omniglot - a potted history</a> | <a href="/aboutme.htm">About me</a> | <a href="/language/learning/index.htm">My language learning adventures</a> | <a href="/music/muscialadventures.htm">My musical adventures</a> | <a href="/songs/sager/index.htm">My singing adventures</a> | <a href="/songs/sager/mysongs.htm">Song writing</a> | <a href="/music/tunesmithing.htm">Tunesmithing</a> | <a href="/juggling/index.htm">My juggling adventures</a></p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><a id="langs"></a> <hr /> <h2>Which languages do you speak and how did you learn them?</h2> <p>I speak English, French, Welsh, Mandarin, and Irish (Gaelic) more or less fluently, and Scottish Gaelic, Manx (Gaelic), German, Spanish, Japanese and Esperanto fairly well. </p> <p>I've studied quite a bit of Czech, Danish, Dutch, Russian and Swedish. </p> <p>I've learnt the basics of Taiwanese, Cantonese, Italian, Portuguese, Breton, Faroese, Icelandic, Slovak, Slovenian, Serbian, Romanian, Cornish, Scots and British Sign Language (BSL). </p> <p>I also know bits and pieces of Hindi, Toki Pona, Turkish, Arabic and Latin. </p> <p>I studied French and German in secondary school, and did a BA in Chinese and Japanese at university. I've also taken short courses in Welsh and Irish, and courses in Scottish Gaelic songs. All the other languages I've taught myself. </p> <p><a href="language/learning/index.htm">More details of my language learning adventures</a>. </p> <p><a href="/about.htm">About this site</a> | <a href="/about2.htm">Omniglot - a potted history</a> | <a href="/aboutme.htm">About me</a> | <a href="/language/learning/index.htm">My language learning adventures</a> | <a href="/music/muscialadventures.htm">My musical adventures</a> | <a href="/songs/sager/index.htm">My singing adventures</a> | <a href="/songs/sager/mysongs.htm">Song writing</a> | <a href="/music/tunesmithing.htm">Tunesmithing</a> | <a href="/juggling/index.htm">My juggling adventures</a></p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p><p class="right"><script type="text/javascript" src="https://cdnjs.buymeacoffee.com/1.0.0/button.prod.min.js" data-name="bmc-button" data-slug="omniglot" data-color="#FFDD00" data-emoji="" data-font="Cookie" data-text="Buy me a coffee" data-outline-color="#000000" data-font-color="#000000" data-coffee-color="#ffffff"></script> </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p> <hr /> <div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-171"></div> <script> ezstandalone.cmd.push(function() { ezstandalone.showAds(171); }); </script> <p><a href="http://my.kualo.com/uk/go/00572"><img src="https://images.kualo.com/rewards/greenhosting-light.gif" width="162" height="62" class="rightfloat" alt="Green Web Hosting - Kualo"/></a> </p> <p>You can support this site by <a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/omniglot">Buying Me A Coffee</a>, and if you like what you see on this page, you can use the buttons below to share it with people you know. </p>  <div class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 a2a_default_style"> <a class="a2a_dd" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share"></a> <a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a> <a class="a2a_button_bluesky"></a> <a class="a2a_button_threads"></a> <a class="a2a_button_mastodon"></a> <a class="a2a_button_copy_link"></a> </div> <script defer src="https://static.addtoany.com/menu/page.js"></script>  <p> </p> <a href="https://www.ivisa.com?utm_source=omniglot&utm_medium=affiliate"><img alt="iVisa.com" src="https://ivisa.s3.amazonaws.com/affiliate/eng-generic-728x90-01.jpg" /></a><p>If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via <a href="https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=7ZJDTZECMH3SJ">PayPal</a> or <a href="https://www.patreon.com/omniglot">Patreon</a>, or by <a href="/donations.htm">contributing in other ways</a>. Omniglot is how I make my living. </p> <form action="https://www.paypal.com/donate" method="post" target="_top"> <input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="7ZJDTZECMH3SJ" /> <input type="image" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_GB/i/btn/btn_donate_LG.gif" border="0" name="submit" title="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" alt="Donate with PayPal button" /> <img alt="" border="0" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_GB/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" height="1" /> </form> <p> </p> <p><strong>Note</strong>: all links on this site to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=omniglot-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=61fa7b5f59036aa5bdc6b68aa138acfa&camp=1789&creative=9325">Amazon.com</a><img src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=omniglot-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=omniglot-21&linkCode=ur2&linkId=ecf52b987141620aecad3eedbb023718&camp=1634&creative=6738">Amazon.co.uk</a><img src="//ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=omniglot-21&l=ur2&o=2" width="1" height="1" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.fr/?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=omniglot09-21&linkCode=ur2&linkId=18835fb93f11fbd0601e1d2ae2ef371b&camp=1642&creative=6746">Amazon.fr</a><img src="//ir-fr.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=omniglot09-21&l=ur2&o=8" width="1" height="1" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission if you click on any of them and buy something. So by clicking on these links you can help to support this site. </p> <p class="right">[<a href="#top">top</a>] </p> <p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-171"></div> <script> ezstandalone.cmd.push(function() { ezstandalone.showAds(171); }); </script> </p> </div> <p style="text-align:center;"><a rel="sponsored" href="https://preply.sjv.io/c/1242341/2037648/24422" target="_top" id="2037648"> <img src="//a.impactradius-go.com/display-ad/24422-2037648" border="0" alt="" width="728" height="90"/></a><img height="0" width="0" src="https://imp.pxf.io/i/1242341/2037648/24422" style="position:absolute;visibility:hidden;" border="0" /></p> <div id="footerads"> <ul> <li><a href="https://omniglot.krtra.com/t/F3SkAIlcW9Za">Learn languages quickly</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.echineselearning.com/free-trial/?ecl=refEEEEE&aff=Simon0902">One-to-one Chinese lessons</a></li> <li><a href="http://varsitytutors.pxf.io/c/1242341/488377/4893" rel="nofollow">Learn languages with Varsity Tutors</a></li> <li><a href="http://my.kualo.com/uk/go/00572" target="_blank">Green Web Hosting</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.maayot.com?via=omniglot">Daily bite-size stories in Mandarin</a></li> <li><a href="https://tutors.englishscore.com/gen/usd/?sc=AFF_Global_OGT-SITE">EnglishScore Tutors</a></li> <li><a href="https://englishlikeanative.co.uk/103-10.html">English Like a Native</a></li> <li><a href="/french/frantastique.htm">Learn French Online</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ivisa.com?utm_source=omniglot&utm_medium=affiliate">iVisa</a></li> <li> <a href="https://academy.mosalingua.com/mosaweb/?ref=1322">Learn languages with MosaLingua</a></li> <li><a href="https://ling-app.com/offer-yearly-subscription/?affiliateId=omniglot">Learn languages with Ling</a></li> <li><a href="https://privadovpn.com/#a_aid=Omniglot">PrivadoVPN</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ivisa.com?utm_source=omniglot&utm_medium=affiliate">Find Visa information for all countries</a></li> </ul> </div>  <div id="footer"> <ul> <li><a href="/index.htm">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/news/index.htm" title="New material appears on Omniglot every week - see the latest additions here">News</a></li> <li><a href="/writing/index.htm" title="An alphabetic index of all the writing systems and languages featured on Omniglot">Writing systems</a></li> <li><a href="/conscripts/index.htm" title="Writing systems invented by visitors to Omniglot">Con-scripts</a></li> <li><a href="/writing/languages.htm" title="An index of the languages featured on Omniglot">Languages</a></li> <li><a href="/language/phrases/index.htm" title="A selection of phrases in numerous languages">Useful phrases</a></li> <li><a href="/language/index.htm" title="Advice on learning languages">Language learning</a></li> <li><a href="/language/ml.htm" title="Language names in their own scripts and languages">Multilingual pages</a></li> <li><a href="/events/index.htm">Events</a></li> <li><a href="/language/articles/index.htm" title="Articles about writing systems, language, translation and related topics">Articles</a></li> <li><a href="/links/index.htm" title="A large collection of links to writing and language-related sites">Links</a></li> <li><a href="/books/index.htm" title="Language courses, dictionaries and other language learning materials">Book store</a></li> <li><a href="/gallery/index.htm" title="A gallery of writing and language-related art sent in by visitors to Omniglot">Gallery</a></li> <li><a href="/puzzles.htm" title="Questions about writing systems and languages sent in by visitors to Omniglot">Puzzles</a></li> <li><a href="/faqs.htm" title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQs</a></li> <li><a href="/about.htm" title="A guide to the contents of Omniglot">About</a></li> <li><a href="/sitemap.htm">Sitemap</a></li> <li><a href="/search.htm">Search</a></li> <li><a href="/contact.htm">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="/media.htm">Media</a></li> <li><a href="/donations.htm">Contribute</a></li> <li><a href="/advertising.htm">Advertising</a></li> </ul> <p class="icons"><a href="http://www.omniglot.com/bloggle/"><img src="/images/buttons/blog.png" width="50" height="50" alt="Omniglot Blog" /></a> <a href="http://www.omniglot.com/radio/"><img src="/images/buttons/podcast.png" width="50" height="50" alt="Radio Omniglot Podcast" /></a> <a href="http://www.omniglot.com/celtiadur/"><img src="/images/buttons/celtiadur.png" width="50" height="50" alt="Celtiadur" /></a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/omniglot"><img src="/images/buttons/youtube.png" width="50" height="50" alt="Omniglot YouTube Channel" /></a> <a href="https://soundcloud.com/simon-ager"><img src="/images/buttons/soundcloud.png" width="50" height="50" alt="Tunes, songs and podcasts on SoundCloud" /></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/"><img src="/images/buttons/facebook.png" width="50" height="50" alt="Omniglot Facebook Fan Club" /></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ieithgi/"><img src="/images/buttons/instagram.png" width="50" height="50" alt="Instagram" /></a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ommiglot"><img src="/images/buttons/tiktok.png" width="50" height="50" alt="TikTok" /></a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/omniglot.bsky.social"><img src="/images/buttons/bluesky.png" width="50" height="50" alt="Bluesky" /></a> <a href="https://polyglot.city/@omniglot"><img src="/images/buttons/mastadon.png" width="50" height="50" alt="Polyglot City (Mastadon" /></a> </p> <p class="copyright"><a href="/copyright.htm">Copyright</a> © 1998–2025 <a href="/aboutme.htm">Simon Ager</a> | Email: <a href="/contact.htm"><img src="/images/various/email.gif" width="177" height="15" style="vertical-align:middle;" alt="The email address to contact Omniglot" /></a> | <a href="http://my.kualo.com/uk/go/00572" rel="nofollow">Hosted by Kualo</a> </p> </div> <script data-cfasync="false" type="text/javascript" id="clever-core"> /* <![CDATA[ */ (function (document, window) { var a, c = document.createElement("script"), f = window.frameElement; c.id = "CleverCoreLoader85823"; c.src = "https://scripts.cleverwebserver.com/2cb306f9d0669fac735e1e109054e46d.js"; c.async = !0; c.type = "text/javascript"; c.setAttribute("data-target", window.name || (f && f.getAttribute("id"))); c.setAttribute("data-callback", "put-your-callback-function-here"); c.setAttribute("data-callback-url-click", "put-your-click-macro-here"); c.setAttribute("data-callback-url-view", "put-your-view-macro-here"); try { a = parent.document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0] || document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; } catch (e) { a = !1; } a || (a = document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0] || document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]); a.parentNode.insertBefore(c, a); })(document, window); /* ]]> */ </script></body> </html>