Re: Transcription/transliteration

From: "BP Jonsson" <bpj@...>
> At 23:29 2001-05-13 -0500, Eric Christopherson wrote:
> >  (transliterate)
> >
> >  TRANSITIVE VERB :
> >  Inflected forms: -at*ed, -at*ing, -ates
> >   To represent (letters or words) in the corresponding characters of another
> >  alphabet.
> >
> >It says "corresponding," but nothing about a *perfect* correspondence.
>
> Only because most "translitterations" cheat, giving greater or lesser
> concessions to transcription.
In my mind I can call it a "transliteration" _if I know I can reverse it
correctly_--that is, there needn't be a one-to-one correspondence so long as
there aren't any conflicts.  If I see <ng> in latinoalphabetized Greek, I know
that's (always?)spelled <gamma-gamma> in hellenoalphabetized Greek.  Same with
double characters or syllable-final/syllabic <n> in Japanese.  But I wouldn't,
for example, call it a 'transliteration' of Greek that spelled most of the /i/
vowels as <i>...

    *Muke!

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