Re: Optimum number of symbols

On 21 May 02, at 20:07, Nik Taylor wrote:

> Roger Mills wrote:
> > Interesting question.  Is that indeed possible? What about -VmmV-(assuming
> > it can occur)-- or would that be analyzed as ...V-syllabic n-mV...?
>
> It would be, and if you see VmmV in a Japanese word, it's simply another
> way of romanizing what is often written VnmV
For example, Jimmu Tenno, the legendary first emperor of Japan, is Ji-n-
mu Te-n-no-u.

> > The words _kon'ya, kan'en_ (perhaps even _onna_?) look to me as if they
> > could be compounds, though perhaps no longer recognized as such????
>
> Some are, some aren't.
And kon'ya and kan'en are. (kon'ya "tonight" < kon "now" + ya "evening,
night"; kan'en "hepatitis" < kan "liver" + en "inflammation").

While onna "woman" is derived from Italian "donna" of the same meaning,
be lenition of the initial [d]. (<-- just kidding.)

Cheer,s
Philip
--
Philip Newton <Philip.Newton@...>

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