Isiko Script

ISIKO SCRIPT

ISIKO script
This script represents an effort to design a writing system inspired by the daily life of the Northern Ndebele people. The process involves collecting and extracting forms from various objects as a way to celebrate and preserve their culture.

The Northern Ndebele language differs from that of the Southern Ndebele people of KwaNdebele, South Africa, though it is closely related to isiZulu, spoken in South Africa.

The Northern Ndebele of Zimbabwe trace their origins to the followers of Shaka Zulu's military commander, Mzilikazi Khumalo. Mzilikazi left KwaZulu (a province in present-day South Africa), traveled through the Transvaal (now Johannesburg) and modern-day Botswana, before settling in kwaBulawayo, present-day Zimbabwe, in 1840.

This work envisions a world where Zimbabwe no longer relies on the Latin alphabet, addressing the dynamics of power in communication while celebrating culture, language, and identity.

Background
I was not raised in Matabeleland, the region where Northern Ndebele is predominantly spoken in Zimbabwe. Instead, I grew up and attended school in Harare, located in Mashonaland, where Shona languages are spoken. When my family relocated from Bulawayo (Matabeleland) to Harare (Mashonaland), I had to adapt and learn this new linguistic environment. As a result, I primarily learnt English and chiKaranga (a Shona language) and only spoke Northern Ndebele within the confines of my home.

Reflecting on my educational journey, I realize that all my formal learning has been conducted in English. Through ISIKO script, I am not only reimagining a writing system but also reclaiming my identity as a person of Northern Ndebele heritage.

This project is both deeply personal and a broader statement on cultural preservation and self-determination.

Latin Equivalent [ B ]

KUSEMSAMO, this is the name given to this fixed shelf created as part of the wall in a Ndebele mud house. This shelf is meant for plates, cups, and smaller pots.

Latin Equivalent [ C ]

ICANSI is mat made of dried tall grass waived together. Women usually use this mat for all sorts of purposes when seated down.

Latin Equivalent [ D ]

UKUGUQA NGAMADOLO (kneeing down) is a form of showing respect to your elders by children, or by Northern Ndebele women to their husbands.

Latin Equivalent [ H ]

The mud huts, typically found in rural areas of Zimbabwe, is usually a round structure with a thatched roof. It symbolizes the past, the countryside, and the preservation of tradition.

Latin Equivalent [ J ]

The Njelele Shrine is a cave which is of significant spiritual importance in Zimbabwe; pilgrims used to visit it annually for ritual purposes prior to the beginning of the rain season.

Latin Equivalent [ k ]

UKHAMBA, is traditional clay pot used for brewing, drinking, and serving beer. Clay pots are essential in rural households, with their size and design determining their specific uses.

Latin Equivalent [ L ]

ISICHOLO (married woman's hat), is a hat that was developed out of a 19th-century conical hairstyle that was worn as a sign of respect to one's husband and his family.

Latin Equivalent [ M ]

AMAMBATHA leopard fur capes are capes worn by Zulu and Northern Ndebele man. Nowadays its either cow cape or synthetic leopard fur to preserve the declining numbers of the leopards.

Latin Equivalent [ N ]

INDUKU (knobkerrie) is a form of wooden club, used mainly in Southern Africa and Eastern Africa. Typically they have a large knob at one end and can be used for clubbing an enemy's head.

Latin Equivalent [ P ]

UCENGO (calabash) is a natural drinking or pouring cup, handcrafted from the hard shell of the calabash fruit, which comes from the gourd plant.

Latin Equivalent [ Q ]

UMQHELE, is a traditional circular headband made of fur worn by Zulu or Northern Ndebele men. It is made from animal skin, usually, cow tail.

Latin Equivalent [ R ]

These stools go beyond mere seating arrangements. They serve as symbols of power, authority, and social status within the community.

Latin Equivalent [ S ]

ISIBAYA (kraal), cattle is a symbolic and material importance, the man's social status is seen by the size of his kraal.

Latin Equivalent [ T ]

AMATHAMBO (divination bones) are used by traditional healers to assist communities socially, politically and healing.

Latin Equivalent [ V ]

ISIHAQA is a traditional natural medicine made of roots & barks (from Cassia abbreviata or long-tail cassia tree) mixed with water. The long-tail cassia tree is native to Africa.

Latin Equivalent [ W ]

IKLWA (assegai) is a short short spear, believed to be onomatopoeic, representing the sound made when the spear is pulled out of a victim.

Designed by OSMOND TSHUMA. Rhode Island Schoold of Design (RISD).

ISIKO SCRIPT

Latin Equivalent [ B ]KUSEMSAMO, this is the name given to this fixed shelf created as part of the wall in a Ndebele mud house. This shelf is meant for plates, cups, and smaller pots.

Latin Equivalent [ C ]ICANSI is mat made of dried tall grass waived together. Women usually use this mat for all sorts of purposes when seated down.

Latin Equivalent [ D ]UKUGUQA NGAMADOLO (kneeing down) is a form of showing respect to your elders by children, or by Northern Ndebele women to their husbands.

Latin Equivalent [ H ]The mud huts, typically found in rural areas of Zimbabwe, is usually a round structure with a thatched roof. It symbolizes the past, the countryside, and the preservation of tradition.

Latin Equivalent [ J ]The Njelele Shrine is a cave which is of significant spiritual importance in Zimbabwe; pilgrims used to visit it annually for ritual purposes prior to the beginning of the rain season.

Latin Equivalent [ k ]UKHAMBA, is traditional clay pot used for brewing, drinking, and serving beer. Clay pots are essential in rural households, with their size and design determining their specific uses.

Latin Equivalent [ L ]ISICHOLO (married woman's hat), is a hat that was developed out of a 19th-century conical hairstyle that was worn as a sign of respect to one's husband and his family.

Latin Equivalent [ M ]AMAMBATHA leopard fur capes are capes worn by Zulu and Northern Ndebele man. Nowadays its either cow cape or synthetic leopard fur to preserve the declining numbers of the leopards.

Latin Equivalent [ N ]INDUKU (knobkerrie) is a form of wooden club, used mainly in Southern Africa and Eastern Africa. Typically they have a large knob at one end and can be used for clubbing an enemy's head.

Latin Equivalent [ P ]UCENGO (calabash) is a natural drinking or pouring cup, handcrafted from the hard shell of the calabash fruit, which comes from the gourd plant.

Latin Equivalent [ Q ]UMQHELE, is a traditional circular headband made of fur worn by Zulu or Northern Ndebele men. It is made from animal skin, usually, cow tail.

Latin Equivalent [ R ]These stools go beyond mere seating arrangements. They serve as symbols of power, authority, and social status within the community.

Latin Equivalent [ S ]ISIBAYA (kraal), cattle is a symbolic and material importance, the man's social status is seen by the size of his kraal.

Latin Equivalent [ T ]AMATHAMBO (divination bones) are used by traditional healers to assist communities socially, politically and healing.

Latin Equivalent [ V ]ISIHAQA is a traditional natural medicine made of roots & barks (from Cassia abbreviata or long-tail cassia tree) mixed with water. The long-tail cassia tree is native to Africa.

Latin Equivalent [ W ]IKLWA (assegai) is a short short spear, believed to be onomatopoeic, representing the sound made when the spear is pulled out of a victim.