Re: YAEPT: Enuf is Enuf: Some Peepl Thru with Dificult Spelingz

On 7/11/06, Michael Adams <abrigon@...> wrote:
> hWut yoo saee?
Oh, why not.

First, I think the w/hw distinction is of sufficiently low functional
load that it need not be reprsented in any reform.  But I would in any
case not capitalize it so; "Hwut" would be fine.

You seem to use <oo> for both /u/ ("yoo" above) and /o:/ ("beeloo",
er, below).  Even in only final position I think that's a distinction
we need to keep.

Why use "ng" in "thingk" but not "thaenkz"?    Why do the two 'o's in
"proposal" get different treatments?  Surely the first is, if not a
schwa, the same vowel?

The use of "ae" in "aenee" is not dialect-neutral, since many (there's
another one) of us pronounce that word "enee", but no big deal, we
learned to spell it as if it were pronounced "aenee" already... But
speaking of dialects, isn't the first syllable of "comment" pronounced
with an /O/ rather than an /a/~/A/ in rather a lot of dialects?

I fint the use of "z" for the voiceless  -s in "thanks" somewhat
perplexing.  Is this a consistency/particle thing, so that the plural
marker is always -z regardless of pronunciation?

> Furst uv all, thaenkz foor looking intou meii littul prooposul. I didn't
> thingk it woud spark aenee inturest. Further cahmentz beeloo?
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> Dér aul,
> Ferst ov aul, thanks for luking intu my litl propósl. I didn't think it wud
> spark eny interest. Further coments belo:
>
If I were making one of these, I'd use <a> = /&/,/a/ (losing that
distinction in spelling), <u> = /U/,/V/ (ibid). <ay>=/ai/, <e>=/E/,
<ey>=/ei/, <i>=/I/, <iy>=/i/, <o>=/O/, <ow>=/o/ (vs current "Ow!"
which is <aw>).  The -y in <ey> and <iy> and the -w in <ow> could be
optional when final.

I'd lose the voice distinction in <th>=/T/,/D/; <sh>=/S/,/Z/;
<ch>=/tS/,/dZ/ - again due to low functional load.  <ng>=/N/, but only
phonemic /N/; the [N] realization of /n/ would stay <n>.  <x> would be
reserved for the occasional /x/ in Scots English or borrowings.  <q>
would not appear.  As you might expect from the diphthongs, <y>=/j/;
I'd avoid <j> because it's too overloaded.

So taking a shot at the above:

"Dir al,
Frst uv al, thanks for luking intu may litl prowpowzl.  Ay didnt think
it wud spark eniy intrist.  Frthr kaments bilo."

Abviyusliy, this iz gird tord pri-GVS/kantinentl vawl valyuz rathr
than krrint Inglish wunz, with thi gowl uv meyking speling mor lachikl
for piypl muving bitwiyn Inglish and uthr langwichiz in aythr
direkshn.

:)
--
Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>

Replies