Re: My Script

Barry Garcia wrote:

>Well, since no one seems to have seen the other email i put up for it, =
i'm
>posting again =3D). The script for Sakatda Ka Kadomo is up and running. =
Its
>page is at:
>
>http://student.monterey.edu/dh/garciabarryjames/world/sakatscript.html
>
Take it easy. Give us time. I saw it, but there are things in the=20
real world that need attending to before I can react to everything=20
that's posted in this list. Time is a relentless punisher. ;-)

Overall, I must say that I like the script. That's probably because=20
of my affiliation with the Philippines.

If I may express a critique though. I'm not too keen on its=20
sheer regularity. You appear to have fixed every glitch that the=20
original Tagalog script had, like its original inability to represent=20
syllable final consonants. It makes it seem 'constructed'. To keep=20
things naturalistic, you could keep some irregularities and glitches=20
here and there. All scripts have them in some form or another, and I=20
know how there is a tendency for all of us conscripters (new word?)=20
to enforce regularity in our scripts and to fix all its glitches. But=20
all natural scripts have their peculiarities. There are generally two=20
types: underrepresentation, and over representation.

Based on its history, I don't think overrepresentation is a realistic=20
option for your script. But underrepresentation, now _there_ is an=20
option:

You could for instance keep all original characters and have some=20
characters represent two different sounds since the language has more=20
sounds than the original Tagalog script - underrepresentation. For=20
instance, when the Ilocanos used the script, <l> and <r> were=20
underrepresented by the same graph. You could also keep its inability=20
to represent syllable final consonants - more underrepresentation. Of=20
course there shouldn't be too much underrepresentation. There should=20
be a balance to make it fairly readable.

There was a time when Spanish authorities tried to introduce a=20
'virama' (or vowel killer) in order to represent syllable final
consonants. The Tagalogs dismissed it as an unatural innovation. But
if the Jakautdoks did not, then that would explain its existence in=20
the script.

On the other hand, the Jakautdoks could have innovated something=20
quite similar themselves. In the ancient Kavi script, which was=20
probably the forerunner of the Tagalog script, syllable final=20
consonants were not only represent through a virama, but through=20
clusters of two graphs. The one on top represented (in most cases) a=20
syllable final consonant while the vowel diacritic (or inherent <a>)=20
was applied to the lower graph. This is one option that your script=20
could have adopted.

I'm rambling with ideas and opinions. Sorry! This is your conscript,=20
conculture, and conlang. So you're in the end the one who will make=20
the 'construction' decisions, not me. But your options are limitless=20
when you know the history of Indic scripts.

-kristian- 8)