What's an outline according to pitman shorthand ?

In Pitman shorthand, an outline is a symbol or character that represents a specific sound or word. Outlines are used to quickly and efficiently transcribe spoken language into written form. Each outline is made up of a combination of straight lines, curves, and dots that are arranged in a specific way to represent the sounds of individual letters or groups of letters. By using outlines, shorthand writers can take notes at a much faster pace than traditional longhand writing.

Pitman Shorthand Outline

General Principles:

- Uses geometric shapes (circles, lines, arcs) and shading to represent sounds.
- Words are written in a continuous line, with no spaces between letters or words.
- Consonants are represented by simple shapes, while vowels are indicated by adding shading or short lines.

Consonant Outlines:

- Circles: b, d, g, j, s, z, sh
- Lines: f, h, l, m, n, p, v, w, y
- Arcs: k, r, t

Vowel Shading:

- Dot: a
- Light Dash: e
- Heavy Dash: i, o, u

Vowel Rules:

- Vowels are written above, below, or through the consonant outline.
- If the consonant has a circle or arc, the vowel is written inside the shape.
- If the consonant has a line, the vowel is written on the line.

Other Symbols:

- Dash: th, ch
- Loop: ing, ank
- Circle with Dot: double consonant
- Small Circle: prefix
- Large Circle: suffix

Example Outline:

- cat: k t (dot above t for "a")
- dog: d g (heavy dash through g for "o")
- pitman: p m n (dot above m for "a", heavy dash through n for "i")