Re: more English orthography

On Þird Life of Tend,rness ov først Red Cat, Nìk Tail,r wrote:

> Muke Tever wrote:
> > But in most cases you _wouldn't_ have to, as most dialects (IME...) have
the
> > same phonemic distinctions within themselves as each other, even if the
> > phonetic realizations differ.
>
> Well, not entirely, there are cases like wh, and differences between /u/
> and /U/.  Admittedly, I exaggerated the problem, and it does depend on
> how phonemic you need it.
>
> But still, the major problem remains - re-educating all the people who
> learned the old spelling.  Not to mention that any spelling reform is an
> impossible dream, and so, unless its just for personal purposes, I don't
> see the point of speculating about anyhow.
Well, mine is for conlan`in` purposes.  May î go on?

> > That's rubbish.  ANY spelling reform will require people to know two
> > different spelling systems, even if it's only the people contemporaneous
> > with the change.
>
> Bingo!
>
> > Not if the new spelling system is based on the _regularities_ of the
old!
>
> Still harder than learning one.  Even if the new is based on the old,
> you still have to learn old and new.  There are going to be differences
> in homonyms and the like.
>
> > "igh" as /Igh/ (/I/ is English "short i", isn't it?)
> > bighorn (sheep), bighearted, bighead
>
> Okay, granted.  However, those are compound words, simply a final -ig
> that happens to be followed by an initial h-.  Any system using digraphs
> is going to have that problem.
Yep! Ðese can be analized as ig+h and wood be _ìgh_ in my sistem:
  bìgho,rn, bìghè,rted, bìghèd.

> > "igh" as /Ig/:
> > Bordighera  (place name)
>
> Names don't count, as they (especially personal names) often violate
> even the most regular orthographies.
Sùc´ cases are usually VghV, unlike VghC or Vgh# h`ère gh is a len`þ mark.
If ðère is a wo,rd h`ic´ is not a propper noun wood drop ðe _h_:
  Bordighera or Bordigera

> > "igh" as /i/ (English "long e")
> > Brighid  (person)
>
> Eh?  I've never seen that spelled with an h.
Now î introduce ðe <í> simb,l: eny /i/ sound represènted by <i> or a digràf
beginnin` in <i> in stàndard orþografy (ðen <í> has ðe same sound as <ê>,
<ee> and <ei>).
  Brígid or Bríghid

-- Carlos Th