Re: Scripting was Re: Pablo is back, Job, Argentina, Relay, Lord of the Rings

Peter Clark:
>    - Scripting is an artform. The reason Tengwar looks nice is not
> because it is combinatoric script, but because Tolkien had a good
> aesthetic eye.
This is true, but it is obvious that Tolkien modelled the design
of the Tengwar on roman miniscules, and Tengwar calligraphy on
roman script calligraphy. In both design and calligraphy he was
borrowing from and building on a tradition that had evolved
through many centuries of selective pressures.

With regard to combinatoric scripts, their appeal increases in
proportion to the size of the character inventory. For example,
for a large syllabary the learnability advantage of being
combinatoric may outweigh the legibility disadvantage. (Livagian
script is a combinatoric syllabary, with a character inventory
in the thousands.)

--And.