Re: new Klingon spelling

On Tue, 6 Jan 2004, Joe wrote:

> Actually, according to the rules of English spelling, when you have a
> vowel letter followed by a single consonant and then another vowel
> letter, the first is lengthened.  Pronouncing Iraq as [ajr&k] is
> perfectly sensible, within English.  However, when there are two
> consonants in a row, the vowel remains short.  I think we should spell
> Iraq 'Irrack', but I may be in the minority.  If we really wanted, for
> some reason, to make people say [ajsl&m], It should be spelt Iselam.
Actually, you're mistaken. The rules of English spelling say that when you
have a short stressed vowel, you follow it with a double consonant. Of
course, any spelling pronunciation of 'Iraq' is going to be wrong, because
regardless of whether you do i, ir, ira therefore /"ajr@/ or /"ajr&/ or i,
ir, ira therefore /#Ir&/ or /#Irej/ (or /@r&/ or /@r&i/ or whatever, and
using # to denote 'stress will not fall here'), when you reach the -q#
(i.e. q-end-of-word), all processing has to stop because the rules of
English do not allow for word-final Qs, and you must therefore assume that
the word is Fornish and process it thus, a process which generally means:
enable penultimate or ultimate stress and pronounce vowels as (using RP
values) /A:/, /ei/ or /E/, /i:/ or /I/, /@u/ or /Q/, /u:/ when under
primary stress and /&/, /E/, /I/, /Q/, /V/ or /u:/ when not but /@/ is
forbidden (or /@/, /i/~/ei/, /i/, /ou/, /u:/ word finally).  More or less,
and I might be wrong, not to mention the possibility of exceptions and
American doesn't distinguish /A:/ from /Q/ so it might just say /@u/ (i.e.
/ow/).

But basically, pronouncing <Irac> as [ajr&k] *might* possibly be
justifiable, but not <Iraq>, thanks to the lovely dead giveaway of altered
rules, a Q and the end of a word.

Spelling Iraq <Irrack> will lead to /"IrIk/ (IMD, YMMV). IMD, two ways to
force /@ra:k/ are (while still using <I>): <Irark> and <Iraque> (cf.
plaque, which, IMD, is /pla:k/). These may not be suitable spellings for
your dialect. I would think the only dialect neutral ways is <Iraq>, with
<Iraque> as a possible second even though some dialects say /pl&k/ for
plaque.

--
Tristan