syllabary
/ˈsɪləb(ə)ri
/noun (plural syllabaries)
A set of written characters representing syllables and (in some languages or stages of writing) serving the purpose of an alphabet.The Japanese phonetic syllabaries (characters representing syllables) or the Roman alphabet is used to transcribe Ainu speech....
- A clear-cut distinction cannot always be made between alphabets proper and syllabaries, sets of syllabic symbols as in the Japanese kana systems.
- Linear-B was a syllabary - each character represented a complete syllable.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from modern Latin syllabarium, from Latin syllaba (see syllable).