Bantu orthography manual

The Bantu Orthography Manual is a resource for developing writing systems among the Bantu subgroup of Niger-Congo languages. It offers a strategy for orthography development, combined with a list of resources for Bantu linguistic information and the condensed advice of a coterie of respected Bantu linguistic experts. It offers readability and write-ability considerations whenever applicable. The Manual has a target audience: linguists gathering information for orthography development.

Procedures for a "participatory approach" to phonological analysis are described in one chapter. A series of charts help the linguist document and organize the phonological and morphological information gathered. The Linguistic Features chapter lists common linguistic characteristics of Bantu languages, describes the attendant orthographic challenges, and offers suggested solutions, along with the pedagogical rationale for each.

The manual was revised in 2010 and the copy available here replaces the earlier 2008 version.