Vai script

writing system

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Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

The Vai script is a unique syllabic writing system invented around 1834 by Doalu Bukere for the Vai language. The Vai people are primarily located in northwestern Liberia and parts of Sierra Leone. While many Vai are literate in Arabic, the Vai script is used mostly among older generations. The Vai language belongs to the Mande branch of the Niger-Congo family.12

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Sierra Leone
Languages
The Vai script used in Liberia and Sierra Leone has the distinction of being one of the few indigenous scripts in Africa. Some of the local languages are written in European script, and a few, especially in the Muslim areas in the north, have been transcribed…
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The Vai script used in Liberia and Sierra Leone has the distinction of being one of the few indigenous scripts in Africa. Some of the local languages are written in European script, and a few, especially in the Muslim areas in the north, have been transcribed…
Read More