{{Short description|Braille systems used in Zambia}} {{Infobox writing system | name = Zambian Braille | altname = | type = alphabet | typedesc = | time = | languages = [[Bemba language|Bemba]], [[Tumbuka language|Tumbuka]], [[Chewa language|Chewa]], [[Kaonde language|Kaonde]], [[Lozi language|Lozi]], [[Lunda language|Lunda]], [[Luvale language|Luvale]], [[Tonga language (Zambia)|Tonga]] | fam1 = [[Braille]] | fam2 = [[English Braille]] | print = [[Bemba alphabet]] | creator = | sample = | imagesize = | note = none }}
'''Zambian Braille''' is any of several [[braille]] alphabets of [[Zambia]]. It has been developed for the languages [[Bemba language|Bemba]], [[Tumbuka language|Tumbuka]], [[Chewa language|Chewa]], [[Lozi language|Lozi]], [[Kaonde language|Kaonde]], [[Lunda language|Lunda]], [[Luvale language|Luvale]], and [[Tonga language (Zambia)|Tonga]].
It is based on the 26 letters of the [[basic braille]] alphabet used for Grade-1 [[English Braille]], so the print digraph ''ch'' is written as a digraph {{bc|c|h}} in braille as well. The letter ''ñ/ŋ'' {{IPA|[ŋ]}} of several of the print alphabets is distinguished from the sequence ''ng'' {{IPA|[ŋɡ]}} with an apostrophe: {{bc|n|g|3}} ''ñ'', as in the equivalent ''ng’'' of print Bemba. The various alphabets, including digraphs that occur in any one of them, can thus be summarized as:
:{| class=wikitable |- align=center |{{bc|type=image|a}} <br> a |{{bc|type=image|b}} <br> b |colspan=2|{{bc|type=image|b|b}} <br> bb |{{bc|type=image|c}} <br> c |colspan=2|{{bc|type=image|c|c}} <br> cc |colspan=2|{{bc|type=image|c|h}} <br> ch |{{bc|type=image|d}} <br> d |{{bc|type=image|e}} <br> e |{{bc|type=image|f}} <br> f |- align=center |{{bc|type=image|g}} <br> g |{{bc|type=image|h}} <br> h |colspan=2|{{bc|type=image|h|h}} <br> hh |{{bc|type=image|i}} <br> i |{{bc|type=image|j}} <br> j |{{bc|type=image|k}} <br> k |colspan=2|{{bc|type=image|k|h}} <br> kh |colspan=2|{{bc|type=image|k|k}} <br> kk |{{bc|type=image|l}} <br> l |- align=center |{{bc|type=image|m}} <br> m |{{bc|type=image|n}} <br> n |colspan=3|{{bc|type=image|n|g|'}} <br> ñ, ŋ, ng’ |{{bc|type=image|o}} <br> o |{{bc|type=image|p}} <br> p |colspan=2|{{bc|type=image|p|h}} <br> ph |{{bc|type=image|q}} <br> q |{{bc|type=image|r}} <br> r |{{bc|type=image|s}} <br> s |- align=center |colspan=2|{{bc|type=image|s|h}} <br> sh |colspan=2|{{bc|type=image|t|h}} <br> th |{{bc|type=image|t}} <br> t |{{bc|type=image|u}} <br> u |{{bc|type=image|v}} <br> v |{{bc|type=image|w}} <br> w |{{bc|type=image|x}} <br> x |{{bc|type=image|y}} <br> y |{{bc|type=image|z}} <br> z |{{bc|type=image|0}} <br> |}
Bemba has the basic alphabet plus ''ng’, sh,'' and in some orthographies ''ch'' in place of ''c''. Chewa and Tumbuka has ''ch''; Lozi, Lunda and Kaonde have ''ch, sh,'' and ''ñ''; Luvale has ''ch, sh, ph, kh, th''; and Tonga has ''ch, sh, bb, cc, hh, kk,'' and ''ŋ''.
Numbers and punctuation are as in traditional [[English Braille]].
==References== *UNESCO (2013) [https://www.pharmabraille.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/World-Braille-Usage-Third-Edition-1.pdf World Braille Usage], 3rd edition.
{{Braille}}
[[Category:French-ordered braille alphabets]] [[Category:Languages of Zambia]]