Writing and Printing

Joyig script

The Jôyi script or Jogyig (Dzongkha: མགྱོགས་ཡིག་) commonly referred to as the Bhutanese cursive script, is a distinct calligraphic style of the Tibetan script utilised for the Dzongkha language in Bhutan. Just as the Tibetan script developed distinct styles for formal (Üchen) and informal (Umê) contexts, the Bhutanese developed their own styles, known as Jogyig "cursive longhand" and Jôtshum "formal longhand". Jogyig is the Bhutanese equivalent for Umê, which is used for everyday handwriting. Historically developed and used exclusively within Bhutan, Jogyig is characterised by its fluid, rapid, and continuous stroke structure, facilitating efficient handwritten communication. Known also as Mönyig (Mön script), Lhoyig (Southern script) or Drukyig (Bhutanese script), it is believed to have been drafted by the translator Denma Tsemang in the 8th century. It is considered halfway between the Üchen (དབུ་ཅན་) and Umê (ཁྱུག་ཡིག་) scripts. Because it is written quickly, it got its name Jogyig or "fast script". It is a syllabic segmental abugida with 30 consonants, 5 vowels and numerous symbols used in religious texts. Presently, there is no standalone policy specifically for the status of Jogyig in Bhutan; however, it is widely used by government bodies, institutions, monastic groups and in everyday life. As most of the state's internal treasure texts, administrative documents, and correspondence were historically written in Jogyig, the script is a foundational component of Bhutan’s literature and cultural heritage. The Dzongkha Development Commission considers Jogyig to be the authentic script for Bhutanese.

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See also

• ▸Syd Miller (cartoonist)
• ▸Bolzano Cathedral
• ▸Hokkien

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