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Re: Yûomaewec: English Spelling

From:Christophe Grandsire <christophe.grandsire@...>
Date:Monday, August 12, 2002, 7:32
En réponse à Adrian Morgan <morg0072@...>:

> > It's been through several editions now, and recently I have simplified > the stress marking. The reason for complexifying the stress marking in > the first place was aesthetic - the new simplified version generates a > few duds like _eovolvvd_ for "evolved" (yuck!). >
What? It's lovely! :))
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > This fictional spelling reform was created as a private intellectual > challenge. In other words, for fun. The author does not believe that > such a scheme is suitable for the real world, even though the name > _Yûomaewec_ derives from the phrase "You-May-Wish". The result is > semi-phonetic, but among the aesthetic preferences that governed its > design was a belief that a few exceptions and ambiguities add > character to a language. The best way to think about it is as the > system that might have been if Australian English had evolved on an > isolated island and was given an orthography by scribes, much as > happened for Gaelic in our world. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Hzes fektcinil spàlleyn rifoom woz kreattid az i pruevit entilàkktcil > tcalindj. En uhzi wùodz fo fun. Hze oohsi duz not bileov hzat sutc i > skeom ez sûotibil fo hzi reol wùold, eovin hziu zi naem _Yûomaewec_ > diruevz from hzi fraez "Yû-Mae-Wec". Hzi rizolt ez sàme-fonàmmek, but > imuyn hze ashsàttek pràfrintsez hzat guvind ets dizuen woz i bileof > hzat i fyû àksàptcinz and ambigyûittez ad karikti tû i langwedj. Hzi > bàst wae tû hseynk ibawt et ez as hzi sestim hzat muet hav beon ef > Istraelein Englec had eovolvvd on in uesilaetid uelind and woz gevin > in oohsoggrife bue skruebz, mutc as hapind for Gaelek en awi wûold. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >
Wow! An English spelling that is pretending to achieve even more Maggelity than the normal English spelling ;))))) . And it even has real features of Maggel!!!
> EXPLANATION OF SYSTEM > --------------------- > > - Digraphs ending with 'o' represent long vowels >
When I said that it does have real features of Maggel ;))) . In Maggel an o after a vowel often marks it long.
> > - Table of vowels: > /{/ {a} (as in "bat") > /{:/ {ao} (as in "bad") > /e/ {à} (as in "bet") > /I/ {e} (as in "bit") > /i/ {eo} (as in "beat") > /6/ {u} (as in "but") > /6:/ {uo} (as in "bard") > /8/ {ùo} (as in "bird") > /}/ {ûo} (as in "boot", allophone [u:] as in "fool") > /O/ {o} (as in "bot") > /o:/ {oo} (as in "bored", also for "gone" and "all") > /U/ {ò} (as in "book") > /@/ {i} (as in "rabbit")
Funny, an English spelling that doesn't write /@/ as |a| :))) . I must say I prefer this one :)) .
> > - Surprising consonants: > /S/ {c} > /Z/ {j} > /tS/ {tc} > /dZ/ {dj} > /T/ {hs} > /D/ {hz} > /N/ {yn} >
I especially love the last three ones!!! |hs| for /T/ and |hz| for /D/ should be adopted in the official orthography!!! They are much more original than |th| :))) . I think |hs| as [T] or [D] is gonna appear in Maggel (but as an exception only, because the regular rule is that |hs| in Maggel marks [4] :)) . And there's no *|z| in Maggel...). About |yn| for /N/, does it mean that "singing" is then spelt |seyneyn|? Neat!
> > - Table of stress rules: > # If stressed nucleus followed by one or more consonants: > Double the first consonant. If a digraph, double the {h} or {y}.
If what is a digraph? And where would the first |h| or |y| come from if you have to double them?
> # If at the very end of a word: > Append a {h} to the word. If a long vowel, the {o} may optionally be > reinserted. > # If the first half of a vowel cluster where the second half is /i/ or > /l=/ > Mark stress as though the whole cluster were the nucleus. > example: _ambigyûittez_ ("ambiguities") > # If as above but the second half is not /i/ or /l=/ > Insert the normally implicit consonant followed by a 'h'. > example: _sàmeokaeyhos_ ("semichaos") >
"Implicit consonant"?
> - Note that some English words are stressed diffrerently depending on > the context. Compare "the unseen horror" with "the horror was > unseen". One could spell "unseen" _unseon_ / _unseonn_ respectively > but I prefer _unnseonn_. >
So you actually mark both syllables as stressed? Strange but neat :)) . Do you do the same with noun/verb pairs like present/present?
> - Optional features might evolve into distinct spellings for words > that are pronounced the same; the system is deliberately designed in > such a way as to allow conventions and interpretations to evolve. > For example since stress marking is meaningless for monosyllabic > words it is sensible to spell "to", "too" and "two" _tû_, _tûh_ and > _tûoh_ respectively. >
Hehe, a spelling reform that can easily evolve into an even more Maggelish system than English orthography already is ;))) . Neat-o. Christophe. http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr Take your life as a movie: do not let anybody else play the leading role.

Reply

Adrian Morgan <morg0072@...>Yûomaewec: Example and evaluation