Bassa Vah Script

The Bassa Vah script was developed (or at least standardised) in the early 20th century by Thomas Flo Narvin Lewis who returned to Liberia after studying in the United States and brought with him a writing system for the Bassa people. The name “Vah” derives from a Bassa word meaning “sign” (or throwing a sign). The script functions as a true alphabet (not a syllabary) comprising 23 consonants and 7 vowels, and uniquely among the indigenous Liberian scripts it uses five tone-marks to represent the tonal distinctions of the language, which are placed inside or on the vowel letters. The system fell out of widespread use (in part due to printing/education constraints and colonial influences), but survives as a cultural symbol nd is still taught or referenced in certain Bassa communities.

Bassa Latin Script

In parallel with or following the Vah script, a Latin-based orthography was introduced and widely used for the Bassa language, especially for Christian literature and education. According to the Christian Education Foundation of Liberia (CEFL), “a more recent, Latin script is used for the Bassa Bible.” Cef Liberia On the Omniglot website, the Latin system is described as being the usual script for written Bassa today, with several spelling-systems developed in the 20th century by missionaries and Liberia’s Ministry of Education. The Latin orthography adapts standard Latin letters and includes modifications (for instance special letters, diacritics or tone marks) to reflect nasalization and tonality in Bassa, enabling easier printing, schooling and modern literate use.