Blissymbolics

Welcome to Blissymbolics Communication International

Blissymbolics is a symbolic, graphical language that is currently composed of close to 4,500  authorized symbols - or Blisswords. Bliss characters are semantically based and can be combined and recombined in endless ways to create new Blisswords. Blisswords can in turn be sequenced to form many types of sentences, and express many grammatical capabilities. Simple shapes are used to keep the symbols easy and fast to draw. 

There is a grammar PDF here, 

Blissymbolics is a communication system originally developed by Charles K. Bliss (1897-1985) for the purpose of international communication. It was first applied to the communication of children with physical disabilities by an interdisciplinary team led by Shirley McNaughton at the Ontario Crippled Children's Centre (now the Bloorview MacMillan Centre) in 1971.

The Blissymbolics language is currently composed of over 4,000 graphic symbols. Each symbol or Bliss-word is composed of one or more Bliss-characters which can be combined and recombined in endless ways to create new symbols. Bliss-words can be sequenced to form many types of sentences and express many grammatical capabilities. Simple shapes are used to keep the symbols easy and fast to draw and because both abstract and concrete levels of concepts can be represented, Blissymbolics can be applied both to children and adults and are appropriate for persons with a wide range of intellectual abilities.

Blissymbols:

• Are quick and easy to learn
• Can be used at a pre-reading level but are sophisticated enough to allow expression of thoughts, ideas and feelings

• Can be expanded as ability grows

There is a complete dictionary here. What language would be complete without a learning course, found here. 

Here are some pictures of Bliss with translations: 

Are you here to teach or to learn? 

We learn by teaching. 

I think, therefor I am. 

I will come to your house. 

It does not matter what language we say this in, the picture remains the same: 

Я приду в ваш дом. Ես կգամ ձեր տուն. אני אבוא לבית שלך. وسوف يأتي إلى منزلك.

Mi venos al via domo. 당신 집에 올 것이다. Saya akan datang ke rumah Anda.

Ek sal na jou huis toe kom. Beidh mé ag teacht ar do theach. მე მოვა თქვენს სახლში. 

Tôi sẽ đến nhà bạn. நான் உங்கள் வீட்டிற்கு வருவேன். Θα έρθει στο σπίτι σας.

I think you get the idea! :) 

What better form of International Communication is there than a pictorial language? Everyone can easily understand a picture and once it is understood, they can communicate with each other using pictures rather than trying to learn another language. 

Imagine if millions of people knew this, or a similar pictorial language, and could easily communicate with each other without the need of a translator! 

Omniglot has a short article explaining about Blissymbolics also.