Re: Optimum number of symbols

Mike S. writes:
 > Tim May <butsuri@...> wrote:
 >
 > >Mike S. scripsit:
 > >
 > >>  Now the question that I will throw back to you is,
 > >> can the consonant and vowel parts in Hangul stand by themselves
 > >> the way letters in the Roman alphabet can?  Or do they always
 > >> appear together in composite characters?
 > >
 > >My knowledge of Hangul is far from complete, but to me this seems
 > >a somewhat arbitrary distinction.  You can either treat the consonant
 > >and vowel symbols as seperate characters which are arranged into
 > >clusters representing a syllable according to certain rules, or you
 > >can treat the resulting clusters as composite characters.  The former
 > >method is what is more normally done, and is probably more useful for
 > >most purposes, but I've looked at Korean font layouts where each
 > >syllable is given a seperate character (for obvious reasons).
 >
 > I understand why you believe this is an arbitrary distinction, and
 > I might be inclined to say likewise, if not for the inordinate
 > amount of confusion that has arisen in recent days due to people
 > with subtle differences in definitions trying to express to one
 > another careful arguments.  Thus, what I am fishing for here is
 > a base definition we all can agree on.
 >
 > It seems that, although not entirely clear, the script does
 > go to some lengths to indicate syllables in a way that an
 > alphabet is generally does not.
 >
Well, it's generally considered as an alphabet.  Hangul's interesting
in that it seems in some ways to lie on the border between a syllabary
and an alphasyllabary, and also on the border between an alphabet and
a subphonemic featural code (so far as I'm aware, there's no natural
script that consists of a string of characters with meanings like
"velar" "stop" "unvoiced" "central" "rounded" and so on, but it's
theoretically possible).

The following pages provide some information about Hangul which may
help you in deciding how you want to classify it.

http://www.ancientscripts.com/korean.html
http://www.usu.edu/anthro/origins_of_writing/hangul/
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/korean.htm