X-X-SAMPA (Keeping the Standard)

It seems some people oppose the tweaking of the established and
functional yet suboptimal X-SAMPA notation of the IPA, which does make
sense, seeing how X-SAMPA is already used in a global context.  So
rather than pleading for a revolution, I'm going to propose another
*extension* of X-SAMPA.

According to the X-SAMPA chart that I'm using
(http://www.diku.dk/students/thorinn/xsamchart.gif), the ASCII symbols
/- , */ seem to be unused so far, for reasons unfathomable.  I propose
putting them to use in the following way:

(1) Allow /*/ as an alternative for the omnipresent but impractical
    /\/.  With / being used as bracketing for phonemic notation
    strings, the backslash misleadingly breaks up the word.
(2) Allow /i-/ and /u-/ for /1/ and /}/.  The hyphen could also be used
    to relieve other disputed notations, e.g. /s-/ and /z-/ for the
    lateral frics /K/ and /K\/.
(3) Allow /,/ for secondary stress.  Should be self-explanatory...
    it's the closest thing to the IPA equivalent, while the existing
    /%/ looks too much like a full sound to be pronounced.

Could we at least accept this extension as a standard in our list?
Seeing as X-SAMPA is still fully intact after my changes, I can't spot
any possible conflicts.  We could call it C-SAMPA or CIPA (C for
Conlang) rather than X-X-SAMPA or X^2-SAMPA.

Flame on -- I've got my asbesthos suit right here.  =)


-- Christian Thalmann


PS:  Have you noticed how I never even mentioned the swapping of /{/
     and /&/?  ;-)

Reply