Re: Evolution WAS Re: Optimum number of symbols

At 11:08 pm -0400 25/5/02, Mike S. wrote:
[snip]
>>- some earlier writing systems had expressed vowels long before the Greeks,
>>e.g. Akkadian:
>> v v
>> | |  = /a/
>> | v
>> | |
>>
>>   >--
>>>-->--  = /i/
>>>-->--
>>
>>(ASCIIfied cuneiform!!)
>
>An independently developed technological improvement is still
>a technological improvement.
>
>I am unsure of your point.
Quite simple:
- where people need to express vowels, they do so and were doing so long
before the Greeks adopted the Phoenician script.
- the Greek use of vowels was no remarkble innovation; it happened
serendipitiously, and any written form of Greek would have had to express
vowels.

[snip]
>
>>I happen to think that nuclear power might be put to good use, e.g. in the
>>generation of electricity.
>
>I have to say, although you strike me as a well learned person, your
>continued insistence to conflate the Greek vowel and nuclear power
>is the most risible thing I have seen in a long, long while.
I have never in my life conflated Greek vowels or, for that matter, any
other vowels with nuclear power or any other sort of power. As Nik rightly
says..
At 12:37 am -0400 26/5/02, Nik Taylor wrote:
[snip]
>No one's trying to conflate them except you.  This list has a tradition
>of going off on a tangent.  This bit about nuclear power et al. is one
>of those tangents.
Indeed so.  I was merely trying to correct a possible misunderstanding to
the list _as a whole_ (since I do not like threads which turn into personal
disputes) that an ealier remark of mine might have be interpreted as my
meaning nuclear power per_se was "a bad thing" - that's all. *IT HAS
NOTHING WHATEVER TO DO WITH VOWELS*.  Is that clear enough?

May I remind you that it was not I but you that conflated Greek vowels with
technology, so please do not indulge in misrepesentation in order to mock.

[snip]
>
>Ah, now the bandwagon appeal--why am I not surprised?
I don't count two people as a bandwagon.

>I sense the opinion is divided here.  I'm waiting to hear what Mathias
>has to say on the matter.
But Mathias is French, not a Hebrew or Arabic speaker.  I don't understand
what you are getting at or insinsinuating.

I am sorry that you have chosen to make this thread personal and indulge in
sarcasm and mockery.  I can see no gain in continuing this.  Please
consider this thread closed.

Ray.


=======================================================
Speech is _poiesis_ and human linguistic articulation
is centrally creative.
                                 GEORGE STEINER.
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