Re: Optimum number of symbols
| From: | John Cowan <jcowan@...> |
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| Date: | Sunday, May 26, 2002, 2:51 |
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Nik Taylor scripsit:
> Was this an alphabet or a syllabry, or something in between?
Definitely an alphabet. Each of the 21 initial consonants of
Mandarin (b p m f d t n l g k h j q x zh sh ch r z c s) has a distinct
letter. The final letters are a bit more complex, e.g.
Pinyin "wu" is represented by "u" alone, the finals "an", "en",
"ang", "eng" are represented by single letters (which can be
compounded with "u" "i" "yu"), the letter "er" represents the
stand-alone syllable "er" or the postfinal retroflexion "-r", etc.
--
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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