Pronunciation keys
| From: | Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...> |
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| Date: | Monday, January 29, 2007, 2:25 |
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You know, when you're used to CXS et sim, traditional dictionary
pronunciation keys, especially the ASCII version, can take you aback:
Main Entry: *shun·pike*
<javascript:popWin('/cgi-bin/audio.pl?shunpi01.wav=shunpike')>
Pronunciation: 'sh&n-"pIk
In my head I read that pronunciation transcription as /,S&n'pIk/, sounds
like "shanpick", but with the emPHAsis on the seCOND sylLABle. Only for a
second, before I decoded it and saw how it does convey the intended
/'SVn,pajk/ according to Webster's rules...
It'd be nice if we had a standard for this stuff. Well, OK, a standard that
was actually used more. I'm reading my book on Germanic langs and it uses
non-standard pronunciation symbols, too (/þ/ for /θ/ is ok, but for the
vowel qualities I'm left struggling with modern American English
approximations to try and figure out what is meant...). With other features
the author is using the standard linguistic terminology even where it is no
longer valid, just to avoid confusing the reader who goes on to read other
books in the field; why does that same logic not also suggest JUST USING THE
@#$! IPA?
Sorry. Didn't mean to get off on a rant here...
--
Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>
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