What is the modern human-made Quoc Ngu script?(1)

The Romanized writing system “Quoc Ngu” script of Vietnam

Introduction:
The Romanized writing system Quoc Ngu script of Vietnam created by missionaries. Quốc Ngữ is the modern writing system of the Vietnamese language. It uses the Latin alphabet with additional diacritics to represent tones and certain sounds unique to Vietnamese. Created in the 17th century by Jesuit missionaries. It replaced older scripts such as Nôm and Chinese characters.

• Developed By:
  • Portuguese missionaries, most notably Francisco de Pina (early 17th century), and later refined by Alexandre de Rhodes, a French Jesuit missionary.

• Date: Began in the 17th century, with significant refinement and adoption during the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Details
  • Inspiration:
  • Based on the Latin alphabet, adapted to represent the unique phonetic system of the Vietnamese language.
  • Uses diacritics to indicate tones (Vietnamese is a tonal language) and certain sounds not found in the Latin script.

• Purpose:
  • Created initially as a tool for missionaries to teach Christianity and communicate with Vietnamese people more effectively.
  • Gradually replaced earlier writing systems like Chu Nom (a logographic script based on Chinese characters adapted for Vietnamese) and Chu Han (classical Chinese characters).

Noted Key Features includes:

• Alphabet: 29 letters (based on Latin script with accents and tonal markers).
• Purpose: Simplifies Vietnamese phonetics for reading and writing.
• History: Developed to assist missionary work; became the national script in the 20th century.
• Impact: Boosted literacy, enabled modernization, and facilitated access to global knowledge.

In Conclusion:

Quốc Ngữ stands as a revolutionary writing system. Preserving Vietnamese culture while connecting it to the global community. Quốc Ngữ, Vietnam’s Romanized writing system boosted education and modernization in Vietnam.

(To be continued)

Continue reading more in part 2: