Re: Optimum number of symbols

Raymond Brown scripsit:

> the term 'bopomofo' shouldn't be coined for an alphabet which has separate
> characters for each initial and each rhyme.
Except it really isn't so: there are 36 rhymes, but only 16 non-initial
bopomofo letters.  A syllable is written with at most 4 bopomofo
characters: INITIAL+VOWEL1+VOWEL2+R.  At least one of VOWEL1, VOWEL2,
or R must be present.  VOWEL1 is either i, u, yu, or absent; if VOWEL2 is
present, then VOWEL1 is read as a semivowel.  Possible VOWEL1s are a, o,
e, ai, ei, ao, ou, an, en, ang, eng.  It is quite correct to pronounce
the last two with nasalized vowels rather than a true /N/, so the only
genuinely VC letters are an and en.

This point may be contrasted with the use of "yi" and "wu" in Pinyin to
write monomorphemic /i/ and /u/.

--
John Cowan <jcowan@...>     http://www.reutershealth.com
I amar prestar aen, han mathon ne nen,    http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
han mathon ne chae, a han noston ne 'wilith.  --Galadriel, _LOTR:FOTR_

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