Re: Is Microsoft conquering the world?! (Re: Orthographies withlotsa diacritics)

>From: Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...>
>"Daniel A. Wier" wrote:
> > Uh, ixnay on Cherokee script then.  Not for three vowels.  Arabic maybe,
>but not
> > Cherokee.
>
>Why's that a problem?  Simply don't use the syllables for the vowels not
>used.
Well now that it's been established that Choctaw has six non-nasal vowel
phonemes, which could just as well be written a e i o u v, then I correct
myself.  The vowel pattern fits pretty well, if you map Cherokee /e/ to
Choctaw /i/ and Cher. /i/ to Choc. /i:/, then /o/ to /u/ and /u/ to /u:/,
then /a/ and /v/ would map perfectly.

Cherokee's consonant inventory is, given in common transcription:

' g h l m n qu s d tl ts w y

where <g> and <d> are devoiced to /k/ and /t/.  Additional syllables:

ka hna nah s ta te ti dla

where <k> and <t> are aspirated to /kh/ and /th/, <hn> is voiceless /n/, and
<dl> is (probably) a /tl/ with less fricative sound.  The syllable <nah> is
controversial as to its actual value.  The <s> is the simple consonant /s/
occuring before consonants.

However, the syllabry does not reflect the entire phonology of Cherokee,
since you have allophonic distribution of /ts/ and /tS/,  voiceless nasals
and /l/, and others I can't remember.

Anyway, Choctaw has a simpler phonology, and unused characters could be
remapped (<nah> could be used to mark nasal vowels, for example, and <tlV>
syllables could be mapped to Choctaw <lh>/<hl>.

As for Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole, I don't know.  But Cherokee script
could theoretically be used as a unifying script for the "Five Civilized
Nations", and could be dubbed the "Oklahoma script" (not necessarily
referring to the state; the same word comes from Choctaw "red man", or
literlally, "man red").  More of a political purpose than a pragmatic one, I
know...

Well happy Memorial Day (in the US) everyone, and send me a chicken leg.

DaW.
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