Re: Optimum number of symbols
| From: | taliesin the storyteller <taliesin@...> |
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| Date: | Sunday, May 19, 2002, 23:47 |
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* Raymond Brown said on 2002-05-19 18:42:08 +0200
> 1. What is the optimum number of symbols?
Depends on the language, of course :) (What's wrong with diacritics,
anyway?)
> 2. If the optimum number is in the hundreds (or thousands!), what
> would each symbol represent?
Important morphemes? Oft written words? After all, @ stands in for "at",
$ stands in for "dollar(s)", % is instead of "percent", & means "and",
< is "smaller than" and 5 is shorter to write than "five"... English
wouldn't be hurt by gaining symbols for "the" and "that", "of", "-ing",
"'ll", a single symbol for past tense... maybe using diacritics instead
of separate symbols? Hmmmmm!
Go morphophonemics!
> I know some artlangers have devised their own scripts.
> 3. Have such scripts been alphabetic (like JRRT's Tengawr and Dwarvish
> runes), or have you used some other system?
Mine are mostly alphabetic (the vowels are usually too important, and
numerous, to get away with anything else) but most of the scripts that
have been found to be used for Taruven and its sisters and daughters are
*cough* morphophonemic...
> 4. Were you motivated by any thoughts of 'optimality' or just doing it
> for the fun of creating?
Always for the fun, but in Taruven's case I blame the (con)culture.
> Ray (in questioning mode)
Good questions they were!
t., geez, monday: *another* day when *everything* is closed. Silly Pentecost
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