Welcome to Iconic!
Iconic is a constructed language exploring the power of symbolism: it consists only of icons represented by emoji and there is no fixed pronunciation.
What might seem strange at first is actually an advantage: βοΈ is the sun, β°οΈ is a mountain and π is a wave, no matter how you pronounce it or what culture you come from. This abstraction allows Iconic to be a truly international language, the aim of which is to be as simple, clear, and intuitive as possible. It is also a more direct form of communication β seeing is believing!
You may therefore think of Iconic as an artistic tool, a linguistic experiment or even an Esperanto with pictures. Above all, though, it is meant to be fun to read and write!
Iconic works by focusing on only 71 fixed symbols, which express structures found in virtually all languages. Everything else is expressed using intuitive symbols and descriptions, which are not fixed and can be understood with a bit of practice. Surprisingly, this minimalist approach seems to be enough to express anything using only icons!
To get an impression of the language, see the cards above. This website also features a more thorough Introduction and a Summary in 24 rules. For more examples see Material, which includes proverbs, stories and poems. There are also Comics (Pepper & Carrot).
So far the Standard Vocabulary contains more than 3000 common English words. To write your own sentences, use the Online Converter on Lingojam or the AutoHotkey Script on Windows to automatically transform English words into emoji.
Iconic aspires to be a useful tool for art and communication, allowing anyone to express anything symbolically. Let us embark together on a journey to discover a new way of language! π
Tiemo Benedikt SchrΓΆder
P.S.: For news and discussion join the group on Reddit and Discord!
Please donβt hesitate to ask if you have any questions!
tiemo.schroeder@posteo.net
Mastodon
There are many applications: artistic expression, decoration, scientific exploration and international communication to name a few. Above all, though, it is meant to be fun to use!
Iconic is designed as a purely visual language, so there is currently no offical pronunciation. This means you may pronounce it any way you like, or even not at all.
The symbols are based on Unicode 12 from which a few hundred different emoji are used, though the list is theoretically unlimited. These emoji are the same on every platform and you may use any emoji font you like. In addition, some punctuation like quotation marks and the equals sign also appear, as well as other writing systems for names. Iconic is color-neutral and works perfectly well in black and white.
There are emoji selectors built into many existing keyboards, but you can also use the Online Converter on Lingojam or the AutoHotkey Script on Windows. Other writing tools may come in the future.
You can use the Online Converter as a dictionary for translating English into Iconic. The other direction works as well, but is still under development. All texts on this website come with translations.
Like any other language Iconic constantly evolves, but in my experience you can already express anything in it, though sometimes in a roundabout way.
Iconic is based on a comparison of the structure of many languages and focuses on universals. As such, it is not based on any specific language, but rather language as a shared human experience.
I recommend trying to understand the examples on this website and then experimenting on your own using the conversion tools. For a first impression look at the Cards above. There is also a more thorough Introduction and a short Summary of the language rules. If you have any questions, please donβt hesitate to ask on Reddit or Discord!
So far a few people have tried it and I have had some successful chat conversations. It is still new, though, so be among the first to try it out and share your experiments on Reddit and Discord! π
Try it out and share your experiments on Reddit or Discord! Feedback is also always welcome! π
Latest vocabulary update: 05-14π
05-14π
Grammar: adjective nominalization now mostly
via β *
instead of π€²β
.
05-09π
Grammar: the subject marker βοΈ
sub
is now an optional emphasis.
04-27π
New Dictionary. Moved license to About.
04-27π
Grammar: ππ easy
and π§π
hard1
are now normal groups.
04-18π
Added an FAQ.
04-15π
Release of 20 Language Cards.
04-14π
Grammar: β£οΈ <1
merged with
β !
04-09π
Grammar: see Rules
03-14π
New relations: π according
and
πβ depending
02-25π
Snail Mail Newsletter
πβοΈ.
02-22π
Consistent rules for standalone βΆοΈπ¬
todo
and βΆοΈπ¦ tobe
. (Deprecated)
02-20/21π
Improved Online
Converter.
(Modifiers and prefixes beginning with '-'
are now
automatically merged with verbs, e.g. π¦π¬ tofly
+ β€οΈ
-love
becomes π¦β€οΈπ¬ βlove to
flyβ)
02-15π
Improved Online
Converter and AutoHotkey Script.
(Verbs now start with 'to-'
, e.g.Β β€οΈπ¬
tolike
vs. π€² like
)
02-11π
New Rules section,
grammar update.
02-07π
Online
Converter on Lingojam
02-07π
Discord Group
02-02π
Reddit Community
01-15π
Website Launch