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

From:Danny Wier <dawier@...>
Date:Monday, May 29, 2000, 3:13
>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. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com