Re: The Language Code, take 2 (or 3)

--- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Dirk Elzinga <dirk_elzinga@B...> wrote:


 > P       phonology
 >         .
 >         .
 >         s       syllable template {c,v}

Maybe more categories would be useful, e.g. {c} consonant,
{v} vowel, {l} consonant cluster, {t} stop, {f} fricative,
{n} nasal, {s} spirant, {g} glide, {d} diphthong.

English could then be roughly described as (l)[v|d](l),
while Obrenje would be (t)(f|s|g)v(c).

I'd also suggest adding a category:
   P       phonology
           .
           .
           m       mutations/sandhi {c,v}
                   i       initial
                   f       final



 > W       writing system
 >         .
 >         .
 >         r       +/-     regularity/irregularity

I'd suggest this instead:

   W       writing system
           .
           .
           s       spelling
                   r       regularity (+/-)
                   p       phoneticness (+/-)
                   m       mutation/sandhi

Where r+++ means "if I learn the rules, I can pronounce
every written word correctly" (e.g. Spanish) and p+++ means
"if I learn the rules, I can spell every spoken word
correctly" (e.g. Finnish, Esperanto).  The tag m tells us
whether or not mutations/sandhi are written (e.g. Welsh) or
not (Jovian).

This would allow us to distinguish etabnannery (r+++p---)
from maggelitude (r---p---).



-- Christian Thalmann

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