The Universal Language of John Wilkins:
Guide to the Real Characters

Difference (the Front of the Character)

Concrete / Abstract	Neutral / Active / Passive	Normal / Opposition	Genus	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Concrete	Neutral	Normal
		Opposition
	Active	Normal
		Opposition
	Passive	Normal
		Opposition
Abstract	Neutral	Normal
		Opposition
	Active	Normal
		Opposition
	Passive	Normal
		Opposition

Species (the End of the Character)

Substantive / Adjective / Adverb	Singular / Plural	Normal / Affinity	Genus / Difference	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Substantive	Singular	Normal
		Affinity
	Plural	Normal
		Affinity
Adjective	Singular	Normal
		Affinity
	Plural	Normal
		Affinity
Adverb	Singular	Normal
		Affinity
	Plural	Normal
		Affinity

Marks for Double Opposites

Double Opposition by Excess (above the character)
Double Opposition by Defect (below the character)

Rules for Constructing the Real Characters

1. Genera are formed by modifying a horizontal line.
2. Differences are formed by bending the left side of the line.
3. Species 1-9 are formed by bending the right side of the line.
4. Species 10-18 are formed by adding an extra vertical line to the genus modification and also by bending the right side of the line.
5. Opposites are indicated by adding a loop to the left end of the line, including when it is bent.
6. Affinities are indicated by adding a loop to the right end of the line, including when it is bent.
7. Adjectives are indicated by adding a hook to the right end of the line, which always emerges from the end of the line in an anticlockwise fashion.
8. Adverbs are indicated by adding a loop to the right end of the line, by transforming the hook used for adjectives into a circle.
• An adverb affinity of the first species will thus have two loops at the right end of the line.
9. The active form is indicated by adding a hook to the left end of the line, which always emerges from the end of the line in a counterclockwise fashion.
10. The passive form is indicated by adding a loop to the left end of the line, by transforming the hook used for the active form into a circle.
• A passive opposition of the first difference will thus have two loops at the left end of the line.
11. Abstracts are indicated by adding a hook to the left end of the line, which always emerges from the end of the line in a clockwise fashion.
12. The plural is indicated by adding a hook to the right end of the line, which always emerges from the end of the line in a clockwise fashion.
13. Double opposites are indicated by adding the transcendental mark for excess or defect above or below the character (see pages 389 and 391).

This gives 49 possible forms of genera, and 120 forms each for the left and right side of each character. Finally, Wilkins also states that Standard Arabic numerals are used to present numbers. He also describes punctuation (pages 392-394).